Davao City steel corporation raided over presence of radioactive materials
MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) served search warrants against a steel corporation in Davao City due to the presence of radioactive materials.
On Friday, August 14, the PAOCC announced that it had served the warrants against Davao Mighty Steel (DMS) Corporation in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan, Davao City, and rescued 174 Filipino workers from the area.
The PAOCC said the rescue intended to remove the workers “from an industrial environment subsequently found to contain radioactive-bearing materials, dust, fumes, wastes, and production residues that posed risks of continued occupational exposure.”
The NBI initiated an investigation into the company following tips that it was allegedly manufacturing and distributing substandard reinforcing steel bars. Later on, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) detected radioactive isotopes in the steel distributed by DMS.
Technical examinations confirmed the presence of the following radioactive isotopes across different stages and areas of the company’s operations:
- Uranium-238
- Thorium-228
- Thorium-232
- Radium-226
According to the PAOCC, the isotopes were documented in the company’s rebars, furnace-related materials, residual black sand, industrial powders, dust, wastes, wastewater, and other production and stored materials.
“Kapag may ebidensiya na ang bakal na pumapasok sa ating merkado ay substandard o may radioactive materials, kailangang kumilos ang gobyerno (If there’s evidence that the steel being sold to our markets is substandard or has radioactive materials, the government must act). We will follow the evidence, enforce the law, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable in accordance with law and due process,” said PAOCC executive director Benjamin Acorda Jr.
Meanwhile, the NBI referred complaints to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for alleged violations of the following:
- Republic Act (RA) No. 12305 or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act
- RA No. 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act
- Presidential Decree No. 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System
- RA No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines
More concerns
According to the PNRI, the company and its officers did not have the required license to acquire, receive, or possess nuclear or radioactive materials.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources also found that the company’s environmental compliance certificate did not declare, or does not allow the presence, handling, and storage of radioactive materials within the building.
Another product testing also revealed that of the eight DMS steel samples purchased from establishments in Mindanao, four, or half, had failed the mandatory mass variation requirement test under PNS 49:2020. Issued by the Department of Trade and Industry, PNS 49:2020 is the national standard for steel bars used for concrete reinforcement.
According to the PAOCC, NBI investigators also documented that DMS-marked reinforcing steel bars were in the rubble of structures in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao last June. This includes schools, government buildings, and houses in Sarangani, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental.
“Authorities stressed, however, that the presence of DMS rebars in the collapsed structures does not by itself establish that the steel caused their collapse. Determining the cause of the structural failures remains subject to appropriate engineering assessment,” the PAOCC said. – Rappler.com
