DAGUPAN CITY - Officials of La Union, particularly San Fernando City are seeking greater involvement in the management of the territory vacated by the former U.S. Wallace Air Base at Poro Point, La Union, now under the administration of the Bases Conversin Development Authority (BCDA).

Gov. Joaquin Ortega and San Fernando City Mayor Maryjane Ortega lamented that not even one of them or their representative sits as members of the board of the BCDA even in ex-officio capacity to ensure that the plans  of the latter conform to local laws.

The Ortegas told newsmen in Dagupan City that BCDA and its subsidiary company, the Poro Point Management Corporation had been ignoring their invitations to coordinate with them, as this is urgently necessary as the two are operating within their territory jurisdiction.

The former Wallace Air Base and the entire Poro Point is within the territorial jurisdiction of San Fernando City in the province of La Union.

They cited a case where the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was called because of the environmental lapses by the company that operates the San Fernando Port.

San Fernando City Mayor Maryjane Ortega told newsmen that as a result of this, Environmental Secretary Angelo Reyes issued a cease and desist order against the Poro Point Industrial Corporation even without giving the company notice of violation after finding that the company does not have any Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) at all.

Mayor Ortega said the DENR found out that the PPIC, with which the Poro Point Management Corporation signed a contract with to operate the port, never applied for an ECC since 1999 during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada.

This was confirmed by Gov. Ortega who also told newsmen of his personal observation that boats docking at Poro Point are throwing their waste water down the San Fernando Bay, thereby polluting it.

“The attention of the DENR was called but lo and behold, it was found out that the company that is operating the port did not have an ECC and they’ve been operating for years,” Gov. Ortega said.

Prior to this, the mixed multi monitoring committee and tripartite monitoring committee reported to the city government of the different environmental lapses of PPIC which prompted the latter to ask help from the DENR.

The Ortegas hailed the quick action of Secretary Reyes as the ECC had been operating for about nine years without the benefit of an ECC.

Mayor Ortega said the local government gave concurrence in the past to the Poro Point Management Corporation and BCDA even if the governor or any member of the local government unit does not sit as member of the board of the same.

But because of the company’s environmental lapses and the subsequent troubles that happened at the port in which the local government was aksed to help maintain peace and order, the Ortegas are seeking bigger involvement of the local government in the BCDA.

“This is a part where you have an industry within your jurisdiction but you don’t have any knowledge at all on which you have a jurisdiction over,” the mayor lamented.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ortega said that under the BCDA law, which he co-authored as a member of Congress then, “we made sure that there is always concurrence of local governments on the bases conversion plans.”

He said in that particular case, the local government should be involved not only to be informed of the plans but “should be part of the planning sessions that will come out with the plans to ensure that such plans shall conform with local conditions.” (PNA)