Mayor may issue desist order vs power plant

Sunstar Iloilo

ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog will not hesitate to issue a cease and desist order that may lead to non-issuance of a business permit should the first coal-fired power plant continues to emit bad odor.

Mabilog said he was disappointed with Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC), the plant owner and operator, for not informing him about the plant testing last week and for attempting to hide and deny the severe air pollution that affected residents of Barangay Ingore and Ticud in La Paz district.

"The plant testing will damage the environment and I have created a multipartite team composed of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, city planning, city health office and the media to inspect the complaints of people in the area," Mabilog said.

He said he just wanted PEDC to be transparent and not to jeopardize and compromise the health of the people living near the coal-fired power plant in Barangay Ingore.

Several people complained of respiratory ailments, asthma and other diseases due to the foul odor when PEDC test-fired its plant last week.

Engineer Henry Alcalde, PEDC general manager, said diesel fuel was used in testing the machines and the foul odor may have come from solvent paint used and insulation of the boilers.

Alcalde had asked for understanding and assured that corrective measures are in place. He said the odor will soon disappear.

The 184 megawatts (MW) power plant comprising two plants with 82-MW each is the first coal-fired plant in Western Visayas.

Construction of the first plant was completed this month and fire testing is ongoing.

The first plant is expected to operate by November this year to add to the dwindling power supply in the city and solve the intermittent power outages. (LCP)