Group wants PB, RDC to study Salcon project

After Cebu first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas expressed his support to the proposed expansion of the coal plant of Salcon Power, the Cebu Alliance for Renewable Energy yesterday called on the Provincial Board and the Regional Development Council to thoroughly study the project before endorsing it.

The group said that although it was not surprised by Gullas' statement, it added that he could have listened also to other groups before giving his endorsement.

"He just listened to one side. He could have consulted also other groups, which are concerned on the pollution that the project might bring," said Mark Vincent Israel, CARE coordinator.

The group added that after smoothly getting the endorsements of the barangays and the Municipal Council of Naga, it assumed that the company could also do the same with the PB and RDC.

With this, Israel said that they are appealing to the PB and RDC to thoroughly study the project, especially its impact to the environment before they endorse the $270 million or P15 billion project, which would be undertaken by Salcon and Korea Electric Philippines Corp.

Last Monday, Gullas announced that he endorsed the project to Department of Environment and Natural Resources Sec. Michael Defensor last week after he learned during a briefing that it is safe to the residents of the district and beneficial to the province.

He said he was at first apprehensive about the health and environmental risks that the project might bring. But he eventually changed his mind after learning from Department of Energy Sec. Raphael Lotilla that it has passed the World Bank's standard for clean air quality.

But despite claims that Salcon has complied with the safety and environment standard of the World Bank and the DENR, CARE said that the samples taken by Greenpeace and analyzed by the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry proved otherwise.

It added that the coal ashes taken from Salcon contained hazardous chemicals like lead, chromium, arsenic and mercury, feared by the Cebu Medical Society to have caused the high incidence of cardio-vascular and skin diseases in the southern towns.

Meanwhile, a CARE member will file a case against Salcon after one of the company's guards allegedly poked a gun at him.

Rennel Bandiez Oliva, one of those who staged a rally in front of Salcon plant in Colon, Naga during a public hearing last Saturday, had his affidavit taken by his lawyer yesterday in preparation for the filing of complaint against the company's guards, headed by chief security guard Gary Santos.

However, Salcon manager for administration Raul Estrelloso said that they do not have civilian-clothed security guard as claimed by Oliva.

Estrelloso also denied harassing the protesters who were just prevented from forcing their way inside the plant, which is a high-risk area.

"We would not use tap water on our (new) plant. We will spend millions to build a desalination plant to treat seawater that would be used in our new plant. This was emphasized during the public hearing," he said on the accusations by CARE that Salcon is lying when it said it would use desalinated water in the operation of its new plant. - Wenna A. Berondo