Senate panel recommends suspension of US Navy contractor

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 6): Senate panel recommends suspension of US Navy contractor

The Senate committee on foreign relations on Wednesday recommended the suspension of “all permits” of Glenn Defense Marine Asia while administrative proceedings against the US Navy contractor are being prepared in connection with dumping of hazardous wastes on Subic Bay in October last year.

Senator Loren Legarda made this recommendation as she submitted a report on the Senate inquiry into the alleged dumping of sewage wastes and bilge water taken from visiting US ships by MT Glenn Guardian, a vessel owned by Glenn Defense.

”For the SBMA, PCG, DENR to suspend all permits issued to Glenn Defense until such time that the administrative proceedings shall have been completed and appropriate sanctions shall have been meted out,” Legarda recommended.

Legarda also recommended that the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Philippine Coast Guard and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall initiate administrative proceedings against Glenn Defense for its failure to comply with the country’s environmental and marine protection laws and regulations.

Legarda said that her committee found Glenn Defense is not covered by the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and therefore, is covered by Philippines laws and regulations when it dumped around 200,000 liters of sewage waste.

The Senate panel also discovered that Glenn Defense has been dumping sewage wastes without permits from the Philippine government into areas not duly-designated as dumping sites over the years.

Legarda said the DENR did not carry out its mandated functions in relation to marine pollution control. The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) has been tasked by the Senate panel to investigate some officials of Maritime Authority who committed neglect of duties and failure to enforce MARINA regulations on Glenn Defense.

Legarda also recommended the formation of a task force composed of representatives from DENR, PCG and civil society “that will pursue the harmonization of policies, rules and regulations governing maritime protection.”

She recommended that the DENR and PCG shall submit to the Philippine Senate proposals to strengthen the country’s marine protection laws. ”There is something terribly wrong, when a private commercial entity, instead of rectifying its omissions and violation of laws, claim that a Senate investigation results to waste of government time and resources. The findings in this report speak for itself,” she stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=495044