A worker milks a cow at the dairy farm in a mountain barangay of Guba in Cebu City. (CDN FILE PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO)
A dairy farm in barangay Guba, Cebu City has been fined by the environment department P50,000 for operating without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Water samples were also collected by the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) in the portion in Guba creek that is within the Yuvienco Farm, which is under investigation for allegedly dumping untreated wastewater.
The fine was imposed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) after it found that the farm has no ECC.
“The Yuvienco farm holds a Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC) but since the farm has expanded in terms of hectarage and number of (cow) heads, an ECC should be obtained because it is beyond the threshold of a CNC,” DENR 7 information officer Eddie Llamedo told Cebu Daily News.
The farm has over 200 heads of cattle used in producing milk and other dairy products.
By operating without and ECC, the farm has violated Presidential Decree 1586 of the Environmental Impact Assessment System and thus will be imposed with a penalty, Llamedo said.
The EMB 7 will be calling for a technical conference with the farm’s management within this week.
Four water samples from different areas near the Guba creek including Yuvienco farm have been taken by the EMB already to check if water quality is within standards or not.
Llamedo said results of the tests will be out by next week.
Yuvienco earlier said she is willing to comply with necessary requirements being asked by authorities.
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