Pareja ready to say 'No' to Lobregat on coal-plant issue
Tuesday, 13 September 2011 12:12
“Even if Mayor Celso Lobregat will ask me to support the entry of the coal-fired power plant, I will not give in to his request.”
Thus, the strong message of Talisayan barangay chair Josephine Pareja in an interview over RMN yesterday.
Pareja pointed out it is the sentiments of the leaders and residents of Talisayan and not hers alone that they are against the entry of the coal plant in their locality.
Pareja sought a council seat but lost in the 2010 elections under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) of Lobregat.
The chairwoman said even if other leaders of nearby barangays like Pamucutan and Sinubung, who passed their own resolutions of no objection, “we will remain steadfast in objecting the coal plant in our community. Find another barangay and put up the coal plant there and not in Talisayan.”
She blamed the City Council for the passage of the resolution of No Objection even without the conduct of any consultation with the people in the affected barangay.
“Mali nga itong immediate passage of the no objection resolution dahil ina-akala ng mga ibang tao na kami ay sang-ayon sa coal plant,” Pareja stressed.
“Even if Conal Holdings Corporation will take me to Thailand, USA or China, no amount of these visits to other countries can change my mind because we know the hazardous effects of coal to the environment,” Pareja said.
Pareja emphasized that the council should first conduct consultation to get the real sentiments of the residents instead of passing the resolution of no objection with haste.
“Si Consejal Rey Candido ya abla porke pa man consulta kunel maga hente de Talisayan nukiere gane sila coal plant ay consulta pa,” Pareja quoted Councilor Candido as saying.
Pareja also questioned the action of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources when it approved the usage of coal in the boilers of some canning factories.
The coal ash being stashed by the canning factories outside its plant is one of the reasons why the leaders and residents are against the entry of the coal plant in their community, she emphasized.
By Nonong Santiago
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Comments
Here are the kickers: The oxidation of 10 metric tons of sulfur will potentially produce about 1,000 metric tons of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere which eventually come down to the ground in the form of acid rain. The particulate matters from coal burning contain polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), heavy metals (arsenic, lead, chromium, etc.) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. PAH, heavy metals and dioxins are carcinogens - substances that causes cancer! Imagine these things coming out of the smoke stack and spreading over San Ramon, Talisayan, Pamucutan, Sinubung, Ayala, La Paz even all over Zamboanga City!
That is the basis of what I wrote earlier about people getting sick from the emissions of this coal plant. You see Ms. Pareja's opposition is not without valid reason. She is just concerned about her constituents.
To help Ms. Pareja's case, I'm re-writing a part of what I wrote about this coal plant in other publications. This is a starter; anyone who has a better analysis, bring it on:
A coal-fired power plant generating 85 MW to supply the city's peak load will burn approximately 370 metric tons (370,000 kilograms) of coal per hour. If ConAl will use coal with sulfur content of 1.5% by weight (best case scenario- cleaner coal, more expensive!), will produce about 10 metric tons (10,000 kilograms) per hour of sulfur. The same rate of coal burning will produce an uncontrolled emission of 15 metric tons (15,000 kilograms) per hour of particulate matter or PM (ash). [Continue in Part 2]
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