ENVIRONMENTAL group Panalipdan expressed concern over possible coal leaks and sea pollution as what happened in Sarangani province, where a 65,900-metric ton coal carrying ship from Australia struck over the Bakud Reef, causing its leakage.
"The oil slick in Sarangani waters is disastrous and could also happen to our waters. Transporting the imported coal from Kalamintan, Indonesia to Davao for the proposed Aboitiz coal-fired power plant is risky to the people and environment," said Francis Morales, secretary general of Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao Region.
Human error was said to be the cause of the Double Prosperity ship's hull damage when it struck Bakud Reef.
"We cannot prevent the same thing will happen in the future," Morales said.
The proposed coal-fired power plant by Aboitiz will be importing coal, which will be mined in Kalimantan Indonesia and transported to Davao City for the operation of the coal plant here. For the No to Coal advocates, "it is a risk our environment does not need to take."
Morales slammed the Aboitiz for it did not even present to the City Council concrete plans on how the coal from Kalamintan, Indonesia be transported in Davao City. "Its risk is well-established but how can we allow it to pass?"
"The City Council is hurrying to approve the proposed coal-fired power plant when they have not even considered some viable alternatives," Morales added.
Morales said, "There are so much risks waiting to happen during the whole process of transforming coal to electricity. It involves hazardous effects for the environment and people from the time of mining the coal, transporting it from Indonesia to Davao and burning the coal mines in the plant."
"The Aboitiz is masquerading as our savior when, as a monopoly capitalist of the power industry, all it is concerned is superprofits, at the expense of the people and the environment," Morales said.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 14, 2011.
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