Clean the Marilao, Meycauayan and Obando [Bulacan, Philippines] River system project

The Marilao, Meycauayan and Obando river systems in the province of Bulacan is the focus of a clean-up project being spearheaded by a stakeholder group composed of government agencies, LGUs,industries, and socio-civic organizations. The river system is considered to be a 'hot spot' of water quality. Pollution from upstream feed into thousands of hectares of active fish ponds where the produce is consumed by the local populace and shipped to adjoining areas primarily Metro Manila. Certain parameters of water quality exceed environmental standards thus contaminating the fishes and shell-fishes in the area. This has negative health implications not only to the local population but to those in Metro Manila where most of the fishes are sold. The major causes of pollution are effluents that contain heavy metals, organic wastes and other hazardous materials from industries. Some of the heavy metals detected in the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando river system are lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and some synthetic organic compounds. If these metals are taken unknowingly, it can reach levels endangering the health of human beings. The final recipient of the contaminated water is the Manila Bay, already known to be heavily polluted and posing a serious environmental problem. Being located on the fringes of Metro Manila, the municipalities of Marilao and Meycauayan are hosts to a multitude of industries and urban-related activities. Of particular interest are the lead recycling facilities, the jewelry making industry, the tanneries, open dumpsites, electroplating industries, piggeries and a host of other industries, from the formal and informal sector. These industries generally do not have waste treatment facilities and the effluents find their way to the surface water system. Also, like many of the industrializing municipalities in the Philippines, there is no well-planned development of the area where human settlement, fish culture, agriculture and industrial development are located in the same geographical area. Environmental laws are likewise not strictly enforced. The strategy being adopted by the stakeholder group is as follows: a) Conduct of preliminary assessment of the scope of contamination along the river system and the test results incorporated into a definitive map that outlines the scope of contamination and identify the probable sources of each type of pollution. This is the starting point for planning activities for capital infrastructure and remediation works. The group also identified long term remediation and river management strategies; b) Organizing of the various industries sharing the same waste profile to allow for a more effective regulation and enforcement of environmental laws and the setting-up of common waste treatment facilities; c) Pollution control and remediation strategy which will likely involve some of the following approaches; dredging and remediation of contaminated soils by stabilization, solidification, soil flushing, bioremediation, where appropriate; construction of waste treatment facilities; and installation of air pollution control devices.