VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHML #2520/01 1670504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160504Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1536
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 1221

UNCLAS MANILA 002520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR OES 
STATE ALSO FOR ISN CTR - JASON RAO 
STATE PASS EPA FOR DCUNNINGHAM 
BANGKOK FOR REO JWALLER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EMIN ETRD TPHY TSPL RP
SUBJECT: Visiting EPA team advises GRP on chemical emergency 
response 
 
REF: A. MANILA 1646 
     ¶B. MANILA 1976 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (U) At the request of the GRP and with support from 
Ambassador Kenney, four US Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) emergency responders came to Manila to advise on the 
clean up of the high-profile mercury spill at St. Andrew's 
School (refs A,B).  The team trained GRP personnel and 
private contractors to monitor mercury levels and 
sufficiently decontaminate the school.  They also discussed 
chemical emergency response policies and procedures more 
broadly.  As a result of the timely assistance, the GRP 
declared the school as safe and ready to open with the start 
of the new school year in June.  During the team's visit, a 
Congressman filed a bill to ban the use of mercury and other 
hazardous chemicals from all schools in the Philippines. 
Sustained momentum may depend on additional funding.  End 
Summary. 
 
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Building Response Capacity 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The GRP determined the school to be mercury-free on 
May 26, with the help of EPA experts Steve Calanog, Philip 
Campagna, Brian Brass and Duane Newell.  The EPA team guided 
the Department of Interior and Local Governance (DILG) 
Special Rescue Unit (SRU), Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau 
(EMB), and private contractors in the clean up of the 
school, training them on use of the equipment, data 
analysis, and proper handling of contaminated materials. 
They helped test mercury levels of furniture, personal 
affects, and air conditioning units.  During the clean up, 
the team found that the elevated levels of mercury stemmed 
from a previous spill in an adjacent room to the most recent 
spill.  The contamination was isolated and resolved by 
removing the floor in the affected classroom.  A private 
company had mostly addressed the most recent spill before 
the team arrived.  A Philippine team also tested the home of 
one of the students who had reportedly took home mercury, 
with the EPA team providing advice and guidance from a 
nearby location.  According to SRU leader Major Embang, the 
team's visit helped boost the confidence of responders who 
had previously been unsure of themselves given their lack of 
prior experience in mercury decontamination. 
 
¶3.  (U) The EPA team also discussed an Incident Command 
System, which involves policies and procedures to prepare 
for and respond to mercury and other chemical spills from 
incident through clean up and remediation, with the Inter- 
Agency Committee on Environmental Health (IACEH) and the 
National Disaster Coordinating Council.  They advised these 
interagency groups to set Philippine parameters based on the 
unique conditions and factors of this country and develop 
appropriate responses using locally available technologies. 
They provided insights on U.S. chemicals policies and 
environmental standards to safeguard children's health, 
occupational health, and public health of the surrounding 
community.  According to IACEH member Dr. Irma Makalinao, 
the team's visit raised the confidence of officials within 
the Department of Health, DENR, and DILG Occupational Health 
and Safety Center who had previously debated the appropriate 
standards for certifying the school as safe for children and 
potentially pregnant teachers. 
 
¶4.  (U) According to the EPA team, DENR Secretary Reyes was 
supportive of protecting the environment and promoting the 
mining industry, although he acknowledged the use of mercury 
in mining operations.  He expressed the need to strengthen 
the capacity of the DENR to monitor the environment around 
mines and in mining communities, and adequately address any 
mining-related accidents.  [Note:  Secretary Reyes recently 
allowed Australian mining company Lafayette to resume 
Philippine operations after a chemical spill that occurred 
in October.  He told the press that the GRP would allow only 
responsible mining as a part of sustainable economic 
development.  End Note.] 
 
¶5.  (U) Congressman Zialcita, whose district includes the 
school, took advantage of the enthusiasm around the EPA 
 
team's visit to announce a bill to ban mercury at all 
schools and public institutions in the Philippines.  Another 
Congressman from an adjacent district also filed a bill to 
create a Philippine Environmental Protection Agency.  The 
purpose of the new agency would be to establish an agency 
with authority to protect the environment against "pollution 
and other impacts occasioned by human activities."  The US 
EPA team expressed concern that there is currently little 
authority to implement prevention and preparedness programs, 
complicated by the disparate groups and agencies given 
partial responsibilities and no additional funding for these 
duties. 
 
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Further Opportunities 
--------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) The team identified several follow-on areas that may 
benefit from the expertise of a Science Fellow or other type 
of assistance.  A Fellow might consider assisting the GRP to 
set criteria for site risk assessments or action levels for 
various environmental contaminants and develop other 
environmental regulations and standard operating procedures 
specific to dangerous chemicals.  The team also suggested an 
information campaign or school-based curriculum for handling 
chemicals, and a Fellow may help the DENR develop criteria 
for evaluating schools.  Besides mercury, the team noticed a 
keen interest in oil spill prevention and cleanup, which may 
stem from the recent oil spill on Semirara Island that 
slicked approximately 300 acres of mangrove and beach.  The 
team mentioned the possibility of returning to Manila in 
October for a planned international conference on the 
environment. 
 
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Comment 
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¶7.  (SBU) The team's visit highlighted the need for more 
chemical safety awareness, strengthened chemical safeguards, 
and better preparedness for chemical disasters in the 
Philippines.  The team donated personal protective equipment 
at the end of the visit, which Post will formally present to 
DILG in the coming weeks.  The visit sparked an interest in 
developing programs and standard operating procedures and 
there is great opportunity for USG involvement.  While there 
are many areas for improvement, there was a general sense 
that appropriate agencies needed additional funding to 
develop meaningful, sustainable capacity and adequately 
equip talented professionals. 
 
KENNEY