NEWS: School draws ire of governor over coal plant stand

[admin]

School draws ire of governor over coal plant stand
Redempto D. Anda /Inquirer Southern Luzon
January 24, 2014


PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Angered by an academic institution’s opposition to a proposed coal-fired power plant in the southern Palawan town of Aborlan, which is being backed by the provincial government, Palawan Gov. Jose Chaves Alvarez announced on Tuesday his administration would stop giving scholarships to at least 1,000 students currently enrolled at Western Philippines University (WPU).

“Next year, the provincial government will no longer have the scholarship program at WPU,” Alvarez told a crowd gathered at a groundbreaking ceremony for a hospital project of the provincial government.

Alvarez expressed dismay at WPU’s, a state school, formal opposition to a 15-megawatt coal-fired power plant contracted to DMCI Powers Inc. by the Palawan Electric Cooperative, the local power distributor.

WPU has sent the provincial government a position paper against the coal plant, which is also being opposed by cause-oriented groups, environmentalists and the Catholic Church in Aborlan.

The groups claim the power plant, which is to be fed by low-grade Semirara coal from DMCI’s coal mines in Antique, Panay, would destroy the environment.

Without hiding his displeasure upon seeing some officials of WPU at the launch of the hospital project, Alvarez said WPU students, who wished to continue being scholars, should transfer to another state school, the Palawan State University (PSU).

“Next year, you all transfer to PSU,” Alvarez said.

Late last year, the provincial government and WPU signed a memorandum of agreement for the scholarship program during ceremonies held at WPU campus in Aborlan where Alvarez is soliciting support for the coal plant.

WPU had formally opposed the coal plant project, which would be built close to the school’s main campus in Barangay San Juan, Aborlan.

Alvarez’s pronouncement caught off guard even some officials of the provincial government, who admitted the governor’s pronouncement was “not discussed internally.”

“I was surprised myself because he (Alvarez) did not talk about it until he spoke during the hospital’s groundbreaking ceremonies,” an official who asked not to be named, told the Inquirer.

The DMCI power plant project, already endorsed by the municipal and provincial governments, has been put on hold as residents in December succeeded in their bid for a temporary environmental protection order (Tepo) from the Palawan Regional Trial Court against the plant.

The WPU has yet to issue a statement.

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net/568489/school-draws-ire-of-governor-over-coal-plant-stand#ixzz2rFbtsek7

[Larry D. Adams]

Looks like another strong-arm tactic used by the Palawan Government to force compliance to their wishes.  It is sad that a Provincial Government would utilize black-mail and threats to force compliance.  Alvarez, and I deliberately do not call him Governor as he is not acting like one, should do some some soul searching into his attitude and integrity.

Was an environmental impact study carried out by the Philippine Government or is this one of those "under-the-table" deals with the coal company?

I grew up in the coal mining section of the United States and know first hand the environmental impact that coal mining has on such issues as land use.  How does the coal company plan on processing the coal?  Will it be deep shaft mining or shallow mining?   What impact will  waste management have on the environment? What does the coal company plan to do with the waste that coal mining produce?  Coal mining produces desulfurized sludge that contain mercury, uranium, thorium, aresenic, and other heavy medal.  What procedures has been put into place to reduce air pollution?  Coal mining creates fly ash which is a fine, light material created as a byproduct when coal is burned. Extremely toxic and dangerous  Another by-product of burning coal is coal ash which contains high amount of Coal ash contains large quantities of toxic metals, including mercury, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and selenium.  It also creates large dust mounds which needs to be disposed of.  How does the coal company plan to dispose of all this waste?  Many disease are created by coal dust and other bi-products of coal mining.  Many respiratory and pulmonary diseases are caused by exposure to coal dust, such as Black Lung Disease,  Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis (CWP), progressive massive fibrosis (PMF), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and many other disease.  Who will pay for the medical care and treatment of if coal miner's, their families, and the people who live and work near the coal mines?  Being an island, will the coal companies take the toxic wastes out and dump into the oceans or bury the wastes in deep shafts to cause damage to underwater sources.  The United States faced all these problems and so will Palawan.