The mayor of Sto. The city of Tomas, in the province of Pampanga, has ordered the closure of a plastic recycling plant for violating local environmental laws.

Sto. Tomas Mayor Gloria Ronquillo has issued closure and prohibitory orders for the HT Chua Plastic Scrap Facility located in Barangay San Matias.

The orders were dated March 15, according to a report from Punto Central Luzon.

In his order, Ronquillo said residents demonstrated through a signature campaign to his office a complaint against the establishment for emitting a foul odor, prompting him to order the municipality’s internal monitoring team to carry out an inspection of the establishment in February.

The team found the company in various violations of municipal environmental protection ordinances, including: non-compliance with the Land Use Plan 2016-2025; the lack of an environmental clearance certificate in the site preparation, construction and operation of the company’s waste management facilities; nauseating odor resulting from the release of atmospheric contaminants; lack of an appropriate sludge management system; and the dumping of sludge and untreated sewage into canals, drains and streams.

The closure order was issued by a joint inspection team made up of several offices, including the office of business permits and licenses, the municipal health office and the municipal environment and natural resources office.