Treñas keeps mum on task force's endorsement of coal plant
City Mayor Jerry Treñas still keeps his silence over the recommendation of the Task Force on Coal-Fired Power Plant endorsing the establishment of a coal-fired power plant in the city. Treñas said he could not yet make any comment regarding the result of the evaluation conducted by task force.
In an interview with the members of the Iloilo City Hall Press Corps yesterday, Treñas said the task force report was only submitted to him yesterday. He said he has yet to read the report in its entirety.
Treñas created the Task Force on Coal-Fired Power Plant headed by City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) chief Engr. Noel Hechanova. The task force was mandated to study the issues on health and environment linked with the operation of a coal-fired power plant.
Treñas said he will check the basis or the references used by the task force during the conduct of the study that prompted them to endorse the operation of a coal-fired power plant. "I will just make a statement once I digested the report," he said.
He added last week's public hearing gathered substantial opinion from the those who favored and opposed the proposed coal-fired power plant. The central issues that the task force needs to address pertain to health and environment.
Part of the task force recommendation report stated that "there are no definitive diagnosis to attribute the 10 leading causes of morbidity in Toledo City and Naga City with the operation of the existing coal plant in the area. The task force gathered inputs in Toledo and Naga aside from the presentation and site visit to Mabalacat, Pampanga.
Treñas said though the local government unit can make its stand on the proposed coal-fired power plant, it is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which has the final say on the project.
The environment department is the one that sets the requirements and issues the necessary permit before a coal-fired power plant can operate. There are already 13 coal-fired power plants operating in the entire country, said Treñas.
Meanwhile, Engr. Hechanova said he is willing to be grilled by the environmental groups because of their recommendation favoring the coal powered plant.
He said he is saddened by the argument of those who are against the coal powered plant not believing that the city needs additional power supply. Experts from the Department of Energy (DoE) already made several discussions on different venues to explain the growing power needs of the city, he said.
Hechanova added, it is also hard to convince them of the new technology employed by coal-fired power plant.
Hechanova foresees that with the coal-fired power plant more investors will come to the city. Several investors have transferred to Bacolod City because of the power shortage here in Iloilo City, said Hechanova.