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Feds asked to relocate Tanapag residents
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Posted on Oct 16 2000
The House of Representatives adopted a resolution Friday asking the federal government to relocate residents of Tanapag village since a number of areas are still contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl.
This developed as Cemetery 2 in Tanapag opens today after it was declared off-limits to the public almost a year ago due to high PCB contamination. However, there are still areas in the cemetery which remain closed to the public as excavation is expected to continue within the next few weeks.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Dino M. Jones, also asked the federal officials to compensate and render long-term health services and benefits to the former and current residents of the village.
U.S. Army Corps representative Frank Ono said the Environmental Chemical Corp. has already reached the cleanup level of one part per million in the gravesite area.
At least 20 sites have been identified for possible cleanup in the village as site characterization (determination of the extent of soil contamination) continues. ECC will continue surveying and sampling in and around the village.
Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has ordered the closure of the cemetery in October last year to protect the public’s health as a result of the PCB contamination in the area.
In passing the resolution, legislators emphasized that the cleanup process continues even as the U.S. Army Corps declared 15 years ago that the highly toxic chemical is no longer a threat in the village.
Public health and environment officials even released an advisory asking the public not to consume land crabs gathered from the surrounding vicinity of Tanapag due to preliminary findings that five out of eight land crabs earlier tested showed PCB contamination.
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 saying the presence of the toxic chemicals have been the source of the mysterious deaths for the past years. (LFR)
