Probe sought on Iloilo coal-fired power plant

Cebu Daily NewsFirst Posted 07:29:00 10/22/2010


Iloilo City — The party-list group Bayan Muna has filed a resolution calling on the House of Representatives to investigate the operations of Iloilo City's coal-fired power plant, which allegedly emitted foul smell during the testing of its steam blower. 

House Resolution No. 546, filed on Oct. 14 by Bayan Muna Representatives Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares, urged the House committee on health to investigate the possible health hazards that the coal plant, operated by Global Business Power Corp. (GBPC), has been bringing. 

The GBPC, through subsidiary Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC), is building a 164-megawatt coal plant in barangay Ingore in La Paz District, Iloilo City, that was estimated to cost $405 million. 

The plant is set to go online by the end of the year to supply additional power to Panay Island, which has been suffering from a severe electricity shortage. 

Church and environmental groups have opposed the plant on health and environmental concerns but business groups and government officials have been pushing for the project in the absence of an alternative solution to the power shortage in Panay. 

The Bayan Muna resolution said it was Congress' duty to ensure the safety and well-being of communities near industries that could potentially harm the environment, and to promote green energy. 

Casiño and Colmenares said coal has been “the dirtiest, most carbon intensive of all fossil fuels (and) one of the leading contributors to climate change.”

The GBPC has repeatedly committed to keeping its plant safe to people’s health and the environment. 

Protests grew, however, after residents near the 40-hectare plant site complained of foul odor akin to the smell of burning rubber during the first test of the plant’s steam blower last month. Several residents claimed falling ill because of the odor. 

GBPC has denied that its plant was responsible for the foul odor. A second test was done last week and it didn’t emit any foul odor. 

The Bayan Muna lawmakers also questioned the environment compliance certificate (ECC) issued in 2008 by then environment secretary Joselito Atienza despite widespread opposition from Catholic bishops, other religious groups and governors in Western Visayas.

Casiño and Colmenares said the issue should be investigated immediately because the government has been planning to build eight more coal power plants nationwide. /INQUIRER