Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan member Franklin Quimpo urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to act with dispatch the untimely construction of power plant by conducting an exhaustive investigation of the violation and impose the highest penalties against Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC), an independent power producer.
Quimpo said the violation of Mirant Global power plant in Brgy. Mabilo, New Washington warrants the cancellation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued to Avon River Holdings Corporation, now GBPC.
He said, he has visited the site to find out whether the power plant is operating as announced by the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) a day before the preventive maintenance was scheduled by the National Transmission Corporation (Transco).
"The tales are similar. The unbearable noise and the foul smell that are emanating from the smokestack of the power plant are the common complaints. It was also during that period, September 28 to October 11, that they, including their children, suffered from headaches, restlessness, coughs, respiratory problems and other illnesses attributed to the toxic fumes of the plant," he said.
Under a questionable 20-year build-own-operate agreement with Akelco, Mirant Global put up a 12.5-megawatt Nabas plant and a 5-MW diesel-fired power plant in New Washington, Aklan to address the power supply need in Aklan and the island resort of Boracay.
Quimpo stressed, he was shocked to know the primary cause of all the tribulation of the residents of the sitio and its surrounding communities where a petition was signed by 133 residents of Sitio Eo-ok, Mabilo, New Washington, Aklan denouncing the continued operation of the plant due to health and safety.
"I strongly support the sentiments of 133 residents of this particular sitio. So far, the DENR has not taken any step or action to stop the operation of this plant despite public knowledge of its operation. I am sure they are aware of the Memorandum of Agreement that will govern the Multi-partite Monitoring Team as mandated under DENR Administrative Order No. 96-37," he pointed out.The MOA stipulated the amount that the proponent needs to put into the Environmental Guarantee Fund which is not yet organized and therefore the operation of the plant is a clear and blatant violation of Sec. 6 of Republic Act 9136, known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2002, Quimpo claimed. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
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