By ABERON VOLTAIRE PALAÑA,
TMT on November 22, 2016
INTEGRATED energy
company Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) said Monday it is working
to restore the ecological balance of its Panian pit, which was recently closed
following the depletion of its mineable coal reserves.
The depletion was
certified by the Department of Energy (DOE) after department personnel visited
Semirara Island last September 20 to 21.
“Our goal is to restore
the topography of Panian and promote flora and fauna growth in the area,” SMPC
president and COO Victor A. Consunji said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.
Prior to pre-mine
operation, the Panian area was characterized by rolling hills of open
grasslands and numerous gullies with shrubs and trees.
To restore the
ecological balance, SMPC has begun filling Panian pit with overburden materials
from the Molave and Narra Mines, its two operating pits.
Initial progressive
rehabilitation was also started in 2005 near Casay Lake at the western part of
Panian. To date, over 250 hectares of the area have been planted with nearly 2
million trees.
Once the Panian mine
pit becomes a stable landform, SMPC will cover the area with humic acid,
compost and other materials to add nutrients to the soil. This will be followed
by a massive reforestation program that involves endemic and suitable plant
species.
“The in-pit of Panian
Mine would no longer look like a depleted mine since the final elevation would
be around -10 meters at the northern side and +30 meters at the central
barricade and +10 meters at the southern side,” Consunji said.
The +10 meter elevation
is planned to be a fresh water reservoir while the -10 meter elevation is being
eyed as a possible beach resort, grazing land, pearl farm or marine sanctuary
that will be turned over to the local government unit for possible development
into an ecotourism spot.
“We are still
consulting with DOE and host LGU [local government unit]as to the final land
use plan. We want to turn over something that will continue to benefit the
government and host community. Island sustainability is our main concern,”
added Consunji.
SMPC is the only
power producer in the Philippines that generates its own fuel. It produces over
800 megawatts of baseload power for the Luzon grid.
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