People defy gov’t warning on PCBs

Division of Environmental Quality Director Ignacio Cabrera has urged the people to limit their visit in the Lower Base cemetery if they could not refrain from going to the site because of the high concentration of the cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls in the area.

Despite warnings, a number of people still visited the cemetery yesterday, ignoring appeals by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to stay away from the cemetery to avoid contact with soil contaminated with PCBs.

The governor has ordered the closure of the cemetery last week as he expressed concern on the health hazard the toxic wastes pose on the people’s health.

Over the weekend, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer representative Frank Ono supervised the installation of plastic sheets and crushed stones to cover the area contaminated with PCBs ahead of the All Soul’s Day.

Tanapag residents have condemned the U.S. Army Corps for their failure to notify the people immediately about the PCB and dioxin-contamination in the village. They suspect the presence of the toxic chemicals has been the source of the mysterious deaths for the past years.

They also demanded an immediate cleanup to ensure that the people are safe from the harmful effects of the toxic wastes.

“We have been living here in Tanapag since we were born and if we are contaminated with PCBs then we cannot do anything about it. Had we known all about it earlier, we could have protected ourselves,” said Ann Perry, 56, a resident of Tanapag.

Perry said she would have wanted to transfer the remains of her grandmother from the Tanapag cemetery since this was also found with high concentration of PCBs, but the family cannot do that anymore because the Lower Base cemetery has also been contaminated.

“If they see children going to the cemetery, maybe they should stop them,” she said.

Asked if he is not scared to go to the cemetery, community leader Ben M. Sablan said: “I’ve past that stage since we all know that the village has been contaminated with PCB for more than 20 years. It’s too late for us to be careful because we already have it in our body.”

Sablan said the government should focus its efforts in conducting a survey on the people’s health so that medical assistance can be provided to them.

Ignoring the warning signs in the cemetery, Kyla Igitol, 16, went to the cemetery with her nieces and aunts, saying she does not believe that the place is dangerous. “We have been going there ever since, why are they saying this only now? ” asked Igitol.