AN ISLAND FIRESTORM
In the 70's, a beautiful island was discovered with fine beaches and crystal-clear
waters. The secluded beach and the rustic atmosphere made it popular among
international tourists.
Soon development took place. Commercial tourism establishments were built to
accommodate tourists. Houses, hotels, bars and restaurants mushroomed, all disposing
solid and liquid wastes. And soon the ground waters were contaminated. Drinking water
taken from deep wells in the island were highly contaminated with coliform (bacteria
found in human wastes) and were dangerous to health. The sea became unsafe too due
to contamination from sewerage system through seepage. In fact, chemists from the
Agency for Environment and Natural Resources report that the October-December 1996
findings showed that the water contained a high 85,397 most probable number of
coliform microorganism per 100 milliliters and a low 3,170 mpn/100 ml. The standard is
zero.
Alarmed by this development, and in the interest of the health of the people, it
was announced that the waters of the island are not safe for swimming. The
announcement threw the tourism industry into a crisis. An emergency meeting was held.
The meeting produced a cover-up that swept away the pollution. As a result of that
meeting, a government official apologized publicly and declared that it was safe once
more to swim in waters. But another official justified the warning. He gave more details
about the environmental "disaster" in the island: (1) Exactly 201 of the 207 resorts on
the island are facing closure for operating without environmental clearance; (2) Of the
23 conditions on sanitation, garbage and water disposal that the Agency for
Environment and Natural Resources imposed for tourism projects, 21 had been violated;
(3) The monitoring of the coliform count conducted from March to May 1996 was
verified from October to December 1996.Agency policy said the finding of a three-month
monitoring is conclusive. On the other hand, some local officials say the December
finding was no longer valid because six months had passed, and the coliform could have
been washed away by the tides, the water and the wind. But, others say to consider the matter logically, the pollution could have increased instead of decreased in the AprilJune 1997 period because it was a time when more foreign and domestic tourists visitedthe island. More people means more pollution. And bacteria and other organisms seem to thrive better in summer when the water is warm. Look at the red tide phenomenon

If you were the official concern, what would you do after knowing the findings of
the chemist? How would you show commitment to public interest in this case?