No indiscriminate dumping of ash

CEBU, Philippines - Toledo Power Company and Cebu Energy Development Corporation showed the court yesterday how it disposes of its coal ash to belie claims that it is dumping the ash indiscriminately.

Regional Trial Court Branch 28 Judge Marilyn Yap inspected four sites in Toledo City yesterday in line with a pending petition by environmentalists to stop coal-fired power plants from transporting coal ash outside their premises.

Yap and representatives of TPC and CEDC and the petitioners went to four sites where the coal ash is being dumped. These include the one in Barangay Ilihan beside the Toledo City Hall, CEBECO-III laydown area in barangay Luray, the property of Nestor Rodriguez in Barangay Luray and the Villalon property in Barangay Canlumampao.

Leah Diaz, assistant vice president for Plant Support Services of TPC and CEDC told Yap that they sought authorization from the local government unit and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources before they dumped the ash to the four areas.

Diaz said they dumped the coal ash not at their own discretion, but reportedly upon request of the property owners.

Toledo City Mayor Aurelio Espinosa himself said he even requested Toledo Power Plant to dump at least 10 trucks of coal ash beside the City Hall to be used as filling materials.

One of the petitioners, environmental lawyer Gloria Ramos, said they will be launching a signature campaign nationwide asking Congress for a “coal moratorium.”

Ramos said coal is the dirtiest and biggest source of greenhouse gases. She also said coal is parasitic as it makes people sick due to the negative impact of lead, mercury and other harmful chemicals.

But Espinosa, now 70 years old, argued that he has been living just 600 meters away from the power plant for several years now and based on a recent x-ray dated November 9, he has not contracted any respiratory-related disease.

Espinosa said none among his constituents complained of diseases because of the coal ash or due to the operation of power plant in his city.

In fact, Espinosa said, the power plant in Toledo has attracted other industries to operate there, which provided 4,000 jobs from Carmen Copper alone (formerly Atlas Mining).

CEDC President Jesus Alcordo also said they are socially responsible businessmen - Metrobank and Aboitiz, the owners of CEDC – and perhaps environment-friendly than the petitioners.

Alcordo, also the president of Global Business Power Corporation, explained that limestone reacts with sulfur in coal to produce calcium sulfate, which is a valuable raw material as a cement additive. He added that coal ash is not a waste product but a by-product in the combustion of coal in the presence of limestone.

Eladio Mabusay, caretaker of the Villalon property for the past 12 years, said the power plant has dumped the coal ash since 2008 based on the owner’s request. He said the ash has helped them especially during heavy rains because it has elevated the area.

These days, grass and coconut trees have grown in the area with at least 130 carabaos feeding on the grass

“Kaluoy sa Diyos wa man ko masakit. Kung toxic pa ang yuta, mutubo kaha na ang mga tanom? Di kaha na mamatay ang akong mga baka?” Mabusay said.

DENR legal counsel Tranne Ferrer got a sample of coal ash from each of the sites inspected for re-sampling although earlier tests have showed that it does not contain hazardous waste, but only industrial waste.

In an earlier interview, Joseph Mallari of Geotransport said that when mixed with cement, fly ash makes the cement more durable and strong.

In a statement, CEDC said that using the latest Circulating Fluidized Bed technology that ensures proper discharge of commonly feared emissions at practically negligible levels.

Ramos’ group, which includes petitioner Benjamin Cabrido, filed the petition in court last August 12 for an ex-parte environmental protection order.

Contrary to Ramos’ statement, however, Cabrido only said earlier that they does not want to close down the power plants using coal but only want them to strictly follow environmental laws such as the proper way to dump coal ash.

Yap’s court is based in Mandaue City, but has been designated as the environmental court here. The petition is, by far, the first of its kind locally. — THE FREEMAN