Use of fresh water not only issue re Binugao power plant

Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:51 am | Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
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The volume of fresh water that will be used by Aboitiz Power’s 300-megawatt Coal-Fired Power Plant (CFPP) in Binugao and Inawayan is not the only issue related to water.
There are data showing that in a span of seven years or even less, a CFPP’s trace elements from coal ash and other coal combustion wastes (e.g., arsenic, manganese, cadmium, molybdenum, boron, chromium, nickel, lead, etc.) can contaminate drinking water sources to levels far above the safe drinking water standard. Such trace elements are known to cause illnesses, especially, to human beings. Of course, Aboitiz Power and its apologists would rather ignore and disregard this fact.
Aboitiz Power makes it appear that the CFPP will only use seawater. But even the use of seawater is also an issue, although this has been disregarded by many.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a typical 500-megawatt coal-fired power plant draws about 2.2 billion gallons of water each year from nearby water bodies, such as lakes, rivers and oceans, to create steam for turning its turbines. This is enough water to support a city of approximately 250,000 people. When this volume of water is drawn into the power plant, 21 million fish eggs, fish larvae and juvenile fish may also come along with it—and that’s the average for a single species in just one year. In addition, US EPA estimates that up to 1.5 million adult fish a year may be trapped in the intake structures. Many of these fish get injured or die in the process.
Even if one cuts the volume of water to half, since the CFPP in Binugao and Inawayan is a 300-MW plant, the volume of seawater and the fish eggs will be significant. But not in the eyes of coal plant apologists.
What is sad, too, is that the councilors are concerned only about the volume of water.
Then here comes Aboitiz Power claiming that it will use only 6 percent of groundwater in Binugao and Inawayan. How many more half-truths and lies from Aboitiz Power and its cohorts, do we, people of Davao, have to put up with?
Aboitiz Power may brag about installing mechanisms to reduce air pollution. Here is the real deal. CFPPs cleanse the air at the expense of polluting the waterways. Tens of thousands of gallons of water containing the chemicals from the scrubbing mechanism will be dumped into the water systems and, to be sure, they will find their way into the groundwater. This is not a scare. We suggest that those who have access online search the Internet independently, if they doubt our word.
Decide for yourself.
—JEAN LINDO, MD,
co-convenor, Network Opposed to Coal-Davao City