Sual mayor protests violation of MOA by Sual Power Plant
SUAL—The town’s mayor protested the construction of “grab type” coal ship unloader by the 1, 218 megawatt Sual coal-fired power plant in Barangay Pangascasan here, in violation of an agreement and he expressed alarm over the impact of its use on the town’s environment.
Mayor Roberto Arcinue, citing a resolution passed by the barangay council of Pangascasan, said the TeaM Energy Corporation, operator of the coal-fired thermal plant, was asked to immediately stop the construction/installation of “grab type” coal ship unloader at the power plant jetty.
The Barangay Pangascasan resolution referred to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on Dec. 3, 1994 prior to the construction of the power plant, which specifically provided that under the MOA’s item C number 1 under the title ‘Other Terms and Conditions, “the coal unloading system shall be the “continuous dust-free unloader” type and not “grab” type.
The MOA was executed by the province of Pangasinan, the municipality of Sual, the barangay of Pangascasan, the National Power Corporation and Pangasinan Electric Corporation to define their respective commitments related to the construction and operation of the power plant.
Mr. Arcinue said the power plant management violated this condition.
He said the barangay council led by Barangay Captain Elmer Brudo had written the TeaM Energy management about its concerns but the barangay has not been favored with a reply.
However, Froilan Gergory Romualdez III, TeaM Energy’s External Affairs Head, said the Sual Power Station utilizes continuous dust free coal unloading systems as its primary coal unloaders.
“The “grab type” unloader, for which we have been issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is only a back-up facility to be used when the two primary systems are unavailable,” Romualdez said in a statement.
He said the back-up facility uses state-of- the-art technology that ensures compliance with all pertinent environmental laws, regulations and statutes.
“The continuous unloading of coal is essential to generating electricity that supports Luzon’s energy security,” he added.
He said they continue to work with their valued local stakeholders to resolve any outstanding issues relative to the operation of this equipment.
Mr. Arcinue, however, refuted this claim because he said the TeaM Energy is coordinating with the provincial government only and not with the host barangay and municipal officials of Sual.
“Where is the power plant built? It’s in our town so why not talk to us, the local officials?” the mayor asked, citing the letter of Toshiro Kume, officer-in-charge of TeaM Energy dated Sept. 1, 2015 addressed to Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr, presiding officer of the provincial board of Pangasinan, copy furnished Gov. Amado Espino III.
Mr. Kume said that in the course of their almost 16 years of operation, “it has been a pressing need to improve the coal unloading system (in the Sual Coal-Fired Thermal Power Project or SCFTPP) to ensure the continuous and uninterrupted operations of the two units of SCFTPP”.
Kume said to augment its two existing continuous ship unloaders, a third unloader that also serves as a back-up, was determined to be technically feasible for installation at SCFTPP’s unloading jetty.
The TeaM Energy management assured the coal unloading system shall have measures and controls which shall ensure that coal spillages and escape of fugitive dust are monitored, minimized and contained, in compliance with health, environmental and safety standards, the letter said. (Tita Roces)
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