DENR finally grants ECC to coal-fired power plant project in city
The Department of Environment Natural Resources (DENR) has granted an environmental certificate of compliance (ECC) to a controversial coal-fired power plant project at the heart of Iloilo City being opposed by church and environmental groups.
In the eight-page ECC dated September 1, DENR Secretary Jose "Lito" Atienza Jr. allowed the Panay Power Corp. (PPC) to construct a 164-mw coal-fired plant in Barangay Ingore in La Paz District.
The PPC and the Metrobank subsidiary Global Business Power Corp (GBPC) are proposing to build the coal plant inside a 40-hectare property of the PPC in Barangay Ingore. The plant is expected to be completed by 2010.
Atienza said in the cover letter addressed to PPC President Francisco Co that the application for an ECC was approved after it met the department's requirements. The project can commence after the proponents can secure the required permits and licenses from government agencies.
The PPC is expected to implement measures intended to mitigate the impact on and protect the health of the community and environment.
Under the ECC, the DENR laid down 14 conditions that should be followed and met in the construction of the project.
These include the putting up of a Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) which records in real time data on emission from the plants. The information should be made available to the public through an information board, according to the ECC.
The plant should also conform to the provisions of environmental laws including Republic Act 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990), RA 8749 (Clean Air Act), RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Program) and RA 9275 (Clean Water Act).
The proponents were also required to install additional automatic sensors for monitoring temperature and other parameters related to the discharge of cooling water from the plant.
Atienza said he issued the ECC after concluding studies on the safety of the coal plant and after hearing the positions of those opposing and supporting it.
"We issued the ECC for the benefit of Iloilo residents who want additional sources of power," Atienza said in telephone interview yesterday.
He said that based on their studies, they have confirmed the assurances of the project's proponents that the coal plant will be use "clean technology" and will be "pollution-free."
Atienza said technical experts of the DENR went to Taiwan to check coal plants there which have been used by proponents as a model for their project.
"Indeed, we found out that the coal plants there are pollution-free and they are even situated near plants for semi-conductors, which require no pollution in the environment," said Atienza.
Citing studies, Atienza said the coal plant will also result to lower electricity rates for Iloilo which has one of the highest rates at present.
The project is among the long-time measures being push to address the power supply problem of Iloilo and Panay Island. It is being supported by most local officials and business groups.
Last July, the DENR also issued an ECC to a 100-mw coal plant project in Barangay Nipa in Concepcion around 111 km north of here. The project will be undertaken by the David M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) group.
The Department of Energy projects that the Cebu-Negros-Panay power grid will need a total of 261 mw by 2010 to avert a power shortage.