Aklan power plant has violations, says DENR
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued a notice of violation to the 5-MW diesel-fired power plant in Brgy. Mabilo in New Washington of Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC), an independent power producer.
This was revealed by PENRO Aklan Baltazar Gerardo, saying, the violations committed on the conditions stipulated at the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued to Avon River Holdings Corporation now GBPC warrants a suspension or cancellation of the certificate.
Gerardo added the power producer failed to establish an Environmental Monitoring Fund (EMF) and Multi-Partite Monitoring Team to be used to support the activities for compliance monitoring and organize a multi-partite monitoring team (MMT).
“The proponent also failed to secure a permit from the National Water Resource Board from the date the ECC was issued,” he stressed before Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez and Aklan solon Florencio Miraflores during an open forum at Latte in Brgy. Andagao, this town.
The ECC 0604-0301-113-120 was issued by DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) on March 1, 2004 by then OIC-Regional Director Samson Guillergan to Ariel Arman Lapus, Vice President of Avon River Holdings Corporation.
The certificate covers the construction and operation of a 5-MW power plant after the Avon River Holdings Corporation complied with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as prescribed in the promulgated guidelines implementing PD 1586 and Section 3 of PD 1121.
But, Gerardo said EMB regional director Bienvenido Lipayon would decide the necessary fines for every violation committed by Avon River Holdings Corporation under Section 9 of PD 1586 after his office forwarded the report last week to Iloilo City .
Earlier, a petition was signed by 133 residents of Sitio Eo-ok, Mabilo, New Washington, Aklan denouncing the operation of the plant due to health and safety.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Franklin Quimpo said the Environmental Guarantee Fund to be put up by the power producer has not been 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.
Genaro Mabasa of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) Aklan chapter also urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to issue a cease and desist order against the corporation and impose the highest penalty warranted by law.
“These acts constitute defiance of existing laws and regulations of the Republic of the Philippines and shall not remain unpunished. The ERC should act with dispatch as the plant’s continued operations will not only cause further damage to the environment but also create health problems of nightmarish proportions to the residents of the community,” Mabasa pointed out.
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued a notice of violation to the 5-MW diesel-fired power plant in Brgy. Mabilo in New Washington of Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC), an independent power producer.
This was revealed by PENRO Aklan Baltazar Gerardo, saying, the violations committed on the conditions stipulated at the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued to Avon River Holdings Corporation now GBPC warrants a suspension or cancellation of the certificate.
Gerardo added the power producer failed to establish an Environmental Monitoring Fund (EMF) and Multi-Partite Monitoring Team to be used to support the activities for compliance monitoring and organize a multi-partite monitoring team (MMT).
“The proponent also failed to secure a permit from the National Water Resource Board from the date the ECC was issued,” he stressed before Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez and Aklan solon Florencio Miraflores during an open forum at Latte in Brgy. Andagao, this town.
The ECC 0604-0301-113-120 was issued by DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) on March 1, 2004 by then OIC-Regional Director Samson Guillergan to Ariel Arman Lapus, Vice President of Avon River Holdings Corporation.
The certificate covers the construction and operation of a 5-MW power plant after the Avon River Holdings Corporation complied with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as prescribed in the promulgated guidelines implementing PD 1586 and Section 3 of PD 1121.
But, Gerardo said EMB regional director Bienvenido Lipayon would decide the necessary fines for every violation committed by Avon River Holdings Corporation under Section 9 of PD 1586 after his office forwarded the report last week to Iloilo City .
Earlier, a petition was signed by 133 residents of Sitio Eo-ok, Mabilo, New Washington, Aklan denouncing the operation of the plant due to health and safety.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Franklin Quimpo said the Environmental Guarantee Fund to be put up by the power producer has not been 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.
Genaro Mabasa of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) Aklan chapter also urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to issue a cease and desist order against the corporation and impose the highest penalty warranted by law.
“These acts constitute defiance of existing laws and regulations of the Republic of the Philippines and shall not remain unpunished. The ERC should act with dispatch as the plant’s continued operations will not only cause further damage to the environment but also create health problems of nightmarish proportions to the residents of the community,” Mabasa pointed out.
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