Sunstar Cebu
KEPCO-SPC promised to enclose its coal stockyard to contain black dust within the facility.
Neil Miral, an engineer who works at Kepco-SPC’s environmental unit, said the company has included dust prevention measures for the plants in its environmental impact statement (EIS), a requirement for a project to secure an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Environmental Management Bureau.
The consortium of Korean Electric Power Co. and Salcon Power Corp. (Kepco-SPC) constructed two coal-fired power plants, with a combined capacity of 200 megawatts, in Barangay Colon, City of Naga, Cebu.
Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong earlier threatened to take legal action against Kepco-SPC if the firm fails to address the spread of black dust that, he said, puts the health of Naga residents at risk.
Measures
Miral said they will install the dust prevention measures before the next coal delivery.
"I'm not sure when the next coal delivery is. Maybe early April," he said.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, however, told Kepco-SPC officials not to accept another coal delivery pending the installation of dust control systems at the coal-fired power plants.
Garcia met Kepco-SPC officials and Chiong yesterday. In a press conference later, said the company has to contain coal dust within the facility.
Cooling water
Miral also denied that the power plants discharge high temperature or toxic wastewater to the sea.
He said Kepco-SPC treat and recycles its cooling water.
He admitted that they use sodium hypochlorite, a bleaching substance, to prevent clogging in its cooling water system but the concentration is below what is used to clean swimming pools.
"We want to clarify that the plant does not discharge wastewater into the sea as we treat and recycle all wastewater for power plant use. The pipe is used for the cooling
water system of the power plant," the KSPC said a statement.
water system of the power plant," the KSPC said a statement.
"This cooling water is taken from the sea and the same water is returned to the sea through this pipe. The so-called bubbles are just normal turbulence of the water flow
through the pipe outlet," the company said.
through the pipe outlet," the company said.
Activity
The statement came after a group of divers investigated "water activity" just a few meters from the power plants on Wednesday.
The Sea Knights took a video footage of what looked like boiling water and measured the diameter of the activity as 110 meters.
Fr. Charlie Orobia, the group's spokesman, said they found the temperature of the
water to be unusually high at 30.6 degrees Celsius at the center and 29 degrees Celsius 300 meters away from the center.
water to be unusually high at 30.6 degrees Celsius at the center and 29 degrees Celsius 300 meters away from the center.
He said the divers could not go near because the water was too warm and the pressure of the expulsion of water too strong.
KEPCO-SPC promised to enclose its coal stockyard to contain black dust within the facility.
Neil Miral, an engineer who works at Kepco-SPC’s environmental unit, said the company has included dust prevention measures for the plants in its environmental impact statement (EIS), a requirement for a project to secure an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Environmental Management Bureau.
The consortium of Korean Electric Power Co. and Salcon Power Corp. (Kepco-SPC) constructed two coal-fired power plants, with a combined capacity of 200 megawatts, in Barangay Colon, City of Naga, Cebu.
Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong earlier threatened to take legal action against Kepco-SPC if the firm fails to address the spread of black dust that, he said, puts the health of Naga residents at risk.
Measures
Miral said they will install the dust prevention measures before the next coal delivery.
"I'm not sure when the next coal delivery is. Maybe early April," he said.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, however, told Kepco-SPC officials not to accept another coal delivery pending the installation of dust control systems at the coal-fired power plants.
Garcia met Kepco-SPC officials and Chiong yesterday. In a press conference later, said the company has to contain coal dust within the facility.
Cooling water
Miral also denied that the power plants discharge high temperature or toxic wastewater to the sea.
He said Kepco-SPC treat and recycles its cooling water.
He admitted that they use sodium hypochlorite, a bleaching substance, to prevent clogging in its cooling water system but the concentration is below what is used to clean swimming pools.
"We want to clarify that the plant does not discharge wastewater into the sea as we treat and recycle all wastewater for power plant use. The pipe is used for the cooling
water system of the power plant," the KSPC said a statement.
water system of the power plant," the KSPC said a statement.
"This cooling water is taken from the sea and the same water is returned to the sea through this pipe. The so-called bubbles are just normal turbulence of the water flow
through the pipe outlet," the company said.
through the pipe outlet," the company said.
Activity
The statement came after a group of divers investigated "water activity" just a few meters from the power plants on Wednesday.
The Sea Knights took a video footage of what looked like boiling water and measured the diameter of the activity as 110 meters.
Fr. Charlie Orobia, the group's spokesman, said they found the temperature of the
water to be unusually high at 30.6 degrees Celsius at the center and 29 degrees Celsius 300 meters away from the center.
water to be unusually high at 30.6 degrees Celsius at the center and 29 degrees Celsius 300 meters away from the center.
He said the divers could not go near because the water was too warm and the pressure of the expulsion of water too strong.
But Kepco-SPC said the water temperature at the outfall of the cooling water pipe of the plants is within standards.
"Even if the surface water temperature rises to 30.5 degrees Celsius, this is only a one degree Celsius increase from the baseline of around 29.5 degrees Celsius. This means that the increase in water temperature is within standards as up to 3 degrees Centigrade is allowed," the company said.
Orobia said they will forward their findings to the environmental lawyers who are opposing the operation of the coal-fired power plants.
In a separate press conference, environmental lawyer Benjamin Cabrido accused Kepco-SPC of “blackmailing” Cebuanos.
Cabrido was reacting to Kepco-SPC’s warning it would cease operations if it is not allowed to dump its coal ash.
Capitol said if the plants stop operating, Cebu would lose 200 mw and experience power shortage. Capitol plans to allow Kepco-SPC to use the Balili property as coal ash dumpsite.
Cabrido said the matter is within the custody of the court. He added that Kepco-SPC would have to get the court’s approval be-fore it can dump coal ash.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 25, 2011.
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