No letup in monitoring mining, coal power plants in W. Visayas
Published Jul 13, 2020 00:36 am
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Updated Jul 13, 2020 00:36 am
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY—As home to the country’s largest coal producer and as venue of two major coal-fired power plants, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6 needs to maintain the highest level of vigilance in enforcing environmental laws and standards.
Jim Sampulna
(Credit: PIA / MANILA BULLETIN file photo) This was the assurance offered by DENR-6 Regional Director Jim Sampulna, consistent with the vow made by Secretary Roy Cimatu that there would be no letup in the monitoring of the operations of mining and coal-fired power plants after Cimatu replaced Gina Lopez as environment secretary. Foremost in the public mind is that the region is home to the country’s largest coal producer — Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) in Semirara Island, Caluya town, Antique province. Sampulna said he expects DENR’s Environmental and Management (EMB) would continue checking SMPC’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from time to time.He added that DENR-EMB of Region 6 is a member of the multipartite monitoring team (MMT) which is constituted by representatives from the academe, religious and health sectors. Aside from the national mining reserve in Antique, Western Visayas also has two major coal-fired power plants. Sampulna said DENR-6 has pushed Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) in Iloilo City and Panay Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC) in Concepcion, Iloilo province to complete their installation of air-quality monitoring devices so that accurate checking of the emissions from the coal-fired power plants could regularly be made. Sampulna also reiterated that DENR-6 remains vigilant not only on mining concerns, but other environmental issues in the region.
Jim Sampulna(Credit: PIA / MANILA BULLETIN file photo) This was the assurance offered by DENR-6 Regional Director Jim Sampulna, consistent with the vow made by Secretary Roy Cimatu that there would be no letup in the monitoring of the operations of mining and coal-fired power plants after Cimatu replaced Gina Lopez as environment secretary. Foremost in the public mind is that the region is home to the country’s largest coal producer — Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) in Semirara Island, Caluya town, Antique province. Sampulna said he expects DENR’s Environmental and Management (EMB) would continue checking SMPC’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from time to time.He added that DENR-EMB of Region 6 is a member of the multipartite monitoring team (MMT) which is constituted by representatives from the academe, religious and health sectors. Aside from the national mining reserve in Antique, Western Visayas also has two major coal-fired power plants. Sampulna said DENR-6 has pushed Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) in Iloilo City and Panay Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC) in Concepcion, Iloilo province to complete their installation of air-quality monitoring devices so that accurate checking of the emissions from the coal-fired power plants could regularly be made. Sampulna also reiterated that DENR-6 remains vigilant not only on mining concerns, but other environmental issues in the region.