DENR approves coal ash dumping

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has finally issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate to the Province of Cebu for the dumping of coal ash at the controversial Balili property in barangay Tinaan, Naga.

This was announced by Provincial Planning and Development officer Engr. Adolfo Quiroga during the inspection conducted by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia at the property yesterday with the media.

Quiroga was tasked by Garcia to secure the ECC so the proper requirements are fulfilled and submitted when the Kepco-SPC power company starts its dumping.

Kepco shall fill Pond A of the 25-hectare property with ash by virtue of an agreement entered into with the Province of Cebu.

Under the agreement, Kepco-SPC will pay $1 per metric ton of coal ash it dumped at the property starting January next year and it also gives the province exclusive rights over the coal ash so that all coal ash that will be produced in the course of its operation for the next 25 years will become a property of the provincial government.

Kepco-SPC has already paid $.5 million to the province and is set to pay another $.5 million when it starts dumping in January next year.

The provincial government is expected to earn $260 per day which is equivalent to the maximum of 260 metric tons of coal ash Kepco-SPC can produce everyday.

Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong sees no problem with this arrangement saying that their town hall is sitting on a coal ash-filled property dumped by Apo Cement long before.

Garcia also said that the Province of Cebu is mulling selling coal ash to further generate income out of the controversial Balili property.

Garcia said that Taiheiyo Cement and Cemex Philippines have expressed interest in buying coal ash.

"There's a very big possibility. We are in talks with cement plants and even some contractors that may have use of this," Garcia said.

Coal ash is said to be an effective additive to concrete.

A Memorandum of Understanding will soon be entered and signed into as soon as the terms of reference are finalized.

"Asa man mo kakita og ingon ana nga arrangement," she said referring to the earlier memorandum of agreement entered by the Province with Kepco-SPC to pay $1 for every metric ton of coal ash dumped at the Balili property.

Garcia described it as a "very lopsided agreement in favor of the provincial government."

The Office of the Ombudsman is set to formally investigate Garcia and other Capitol officials for the alleged anomalous purchase of the said property amounting to P98 million.

But Garcia told her critics that the province is not wasting money as the property has already earned without doing anything.

Garcia also belittled the appeal of some environmental groups for their proposed moratorium of coal projects in the country.

The moratorium will be sent to President Benigno Aquino III and to members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

"They can submit whatever they want but I think they are starting to sound and appear quite hypocritical," Garcia said.

Garcia criticized the environmentalists who visited the Balili property wearing surgical masks but were seen smoking cigarettes after.

"What an irony, environmentalists polluting the air. These so-called environmentalists with all their noise seem to be experts of noise pollution, now they have gone beyond smoke pollution," she said. - With Ria Mae Y. Booc/BRP (FREEMAN)