Mining firm asked to accommodate power plant’s coal ash

Saturday, February 11, 2012

IN AN extraordinary move, the environmental court in Mandaue City asked a mining company in Toledo City to accommodate the coal ash of Kepco-Salcon Power Corp.

“This is more of a plea,” Mandaue City Regional Trial Court Branch 28 Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap said during a hearing on an injunction case against coal-fired power plants.

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But Josue Berdon, Carmen Copper Corp. (CCC) assistant vice president for administration, said the mining firm could not grant the request because its 490-hectare Biga Pit serves as a dump for mine tailings.

CCC also plans to extract the remaining ore at the pit, which was where the 29 vintage bombs, found at the South Road Properties, were detonated.

Atty. Guillermo Dabbay Jr., KSPC counsel, said his client’s ash pond will be filled in a month.

If KSPC does not have an alternative disposal facility, its coal-fired power plants in the City of Naga will be forced to suspend operations. This would cause a power shortage in Cebu.

Berdon asked for a written letter of request from the court. He said, though, that Biga Pit has 250 million metric tons and a mine life span of eight years.

Landfill

KSPC was supposed to dump coal ash on the Provincial Government’s secure landfill on the former Balili property, also in Naga.

In March last year, Yap required owners and operators of coal-fired power plants in the cities of Naga and Toledo to dispose of coal ash only in court-designated areas.

The order was modified to allow KSPC to dump coal ash at the Naga Power Complex last year and for recycling purposes.

Yap disallowed KSPC from using Capitol’s landfill, ruling that it did not follow environmental standards for coal ash disposal facility.

The judge, however, allowed KSPC to transport coal ash to FDRCON and Geo-Transport Corp., which are supposed to recycle the power plant’s wastes.

FDRCON has an existing agreement with KSPC but its coal ash landfill facility is still under construction and would be finished by the end of this month yet.

A FDRCON representative, lawyer Erwin Estandarte, said the coal ash from KSPC can be accommodated within their Naga compound but only in an open pit.

Judge Yap allowed the dumping of coal ash at FDRCON on condition that a cover would be provided to prevent coal ash from spreading to nearby places.

She also asked for a report from the company as regards its compliance with the specified court requirement.

KSPC’s plants generate 120 tons of coal ash a day. Eighty tons would be brought to FDRCON while the remaining wastes will be sent to Geo-Transport’s facility in Talisay City.