Despite Assurance By Power Firm: Korean group warns Cebuanos on Kepco

CEBU, Philippines - Capitol must think twice and study further the environmental impact of a coal-fired power plant before allowing the Korean Electric Company (Kepco) operate in Cebu, Korean environmentalists warned yesterday.

Kepco, meanwhile, cried foul over being singled out over the issue of coal ash dumping in the controversial Balili lot in Tinaan, Naga and stressed that health problems experienced by Naga residents could never be related to them since their power plant is yet to operate.

“We could never be the source of these ashes,” Kepco said.

The Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) reported that since 1990 after Kepco built its coal powered plant in Dangjin, South Korea, the town has never been the same as before – wetlands have become dry lands, water increased its temperature by one degree Celsius and gone are the days when they could breathe fresh air.

While Kepco has brought advantages in the rural community of Korea being able to bring electricity even to its remotest area, the company has allegedly caused more harm than good.

KFEM Executive Director Kim Byeong Bin said that Kepco is a Korean company and with this they feel it is their responsibility to warn Cebuanos about the possible effects that Kepco’s project might bring in the next two years when it starts operating.

The power plant that Kepco built in Dangjin has a capacity of 4,000 megawatts with eight engines generating power.

About 10 million tons of coal is imported every year for its operation.

As usual for any operating power plants, water is needed to lower the temperature of its generating machines.

For this, 200 tons of hot water per second is discharged to the open sea affecting and area of about 62.3 square kilometers.

In terms of gas emissions, KFEM reported that the plant is releasing 25,000 tons of sulfuric acid, 20,000 of nitric acid and 3,000 tons of dust per year to include the small amount of other substances like mercury.

Kepco Corporate Secretary and General Counsel Guillermo P. Dabbay, Jr. said these reports from a group in Korean environmentalists have no basis and no concrete research data.

In fact, Dabbay said, that if anyone can visit Dangjin, the plant is using a clean modern technology specially designed to reduce the environmental impacts of coal power operation.

Contrary to what the Korean group alleged about marine ecological system alteration, the sea water there abounds with marine creatures.

Kepco also denied strong community resistance because they made sure that they are implementing a system that strictly addresses environmental impacts.

Kepco said that their mission in building a power plant in Cebu is to fulfill their commitment to the country “to bring essential power in Cebu, Panay and Negros which have already been suffering intermittent blackouts.”

It is not influenced by any personal interest because their investment, if to be examined, is a total risk on their part since theirs is a merchant plant, therefore, like any other investor, they will be selling their power in Cebu without any assurance of a good profit.

Before starting the construction of the plant in Naga in 2007, they committed and firmly declared that they intend to follow all the provisions of the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Central Office.

Dabbay said that Kepco will definitely address all environment concerns of the community especially the health hazards they allegedly caused the residents. He assured the public that they will be diligent in following all the DENR mandates outlined in the ECC as based on the environmental hazard study they submitted.

“Violating of the environmental laws will be the last thing in our agenda,” he said.

He said they are just waiting for the result of the DENR analysis in the coal ashes found dumped in Naga. “We have first to confirm the reports, validate it, and in the event it is proven that there are relations to our operation, then we have to do something.”

He clarified that they can only start the actual dumping on 2011 when they start operating as provided in the Memorandum of Agreement they signed with the provincial government of Cebu.

“Actually, these issues have already resolved even during the times when we were still conducting public hearings and consultations with the members of the community in Naga. It is just unfortunate that we are being dragged in the issue of the controversial Balili lot,” Dabbay said.

Nevertheless, Dabbay said that they still believe that their deal with the province of Cebu will proceed. “Our only hope is that the Balili issue will end immediately.” — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/NLQ(FREEMAN NEWS)