Subic pollution feared in nickel ore stockpile

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines—An official of a resort developer here has urged the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) ecology center to remove the stockpile of soil bearing nickel ore inside this free port for fear that it would contaminate the waters of Subic Bay.

Mark Dayrit, chair of Brighterday Subic Ltd. Inc., the developer of the 5,600-square-meter All Hands Beach Resort here, has repeatedly called the attention of the ecology center on the danger of storing the stockpile of nickel ore in the former Subic Raceway lot that he feared would contaminate and pollute the swimming area of tourists and residents here.

The SBMA earlier allowed the unloading and transfer of soil from the distressed Indonesian MV Pax Phoenix. The ship came from Indonesia and was on its way to China last year when it sought refuge inside this free port after its load of soil was soaked in water, prompting the crew to unload and dry it here.

Dayrit, in two separate letters to the ecology center, said he had not seen any sign that the center’s officials had acted on his request.

“The rainy season is fast approaching and there is no sign of the ore being removed. Once rainwater starts to wash away the sediments toward the sea, we can expect an environmental problem,” Dayrit said in a letter dated March 9.

Dayrit earlier informed the ecology center that their guests and staff have noticed an “unusual dust, colored red-orange, over All Hands Beach.”