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Saturday, February 25, 2006
Organization seeks repeal of ECC issued to proposed coal plants
Opponents of the proposed coal-fired power plants in Naga, Cebu are seeking reconsideration on the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) issued to the project proponents.
Vince Cinches of the Cebu Alliance for Renewable Energy (Care) said in a press conference at the Environmental Legal Assistance Center office yesterday that they will point out to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) the “major erroneous claims and inaccurate information” submitted by Salcon Power Corp.-Korean Power Corp. (Kepco).
Kepco submitted these data to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Care will be filing the motion for reconsideration before March 1 since the law allows them to file this within 15 days upon the receipt of the ECC. Cinches said they secured a copy of the ECC last Feb. 14.
Results of the tests conducted by the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry of the Ateneo de Manila University to determine heavy metal content on hair, sediment and seawater samples are expected to strengthen their case against Salcon-Kepco. They plan to release the findings on Mar. 6.
No endorsement
He said the Cebu Provincial Board may also find grounds to call for an investigation since the ECC was issued without the body’s endorsement, which is required under the Local Government Code of 1991.
There are already Supreme Court rulings declaring projects, like the Montalban, Rizal dumpsite, illegal in the absence of the local government body’s endorsement, Cinches pointed out.
He added that Salcon-Kepco failed to comply with the requirements set by EMB, which refused to issue an ECC for the project last Oct. 28.
The EMB, in a letter to Salcon president Dennis Villareal, cited the failure of the proponents to address the air and noise pollution and to conduct and submit a complete baseline marine survey, which “reflects the general lack of interest” of the proponents to comply with the requirements.
It also said that the proponents failed to give details on the ash pond water collection, treatment and disposal methodology as well as the dust control management.
Salcon-Kepco, it added, also lacked a clear plan on a relocation scheme of informed settlers who may be dislocated from the impact zone. The bureau said the proponents also did not submit a rapid health risk assessment data as per Department of Health format.
Care, in a position paper, questioned former DENR Secretary Michael Defensor’s decision to grant the proponents an ECC “despite having knowledge regarding the violations and erroneous claims,” furnished to him by the group. (CYR)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 25, 2006 issue)
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