The 300-MW coal fired power plant of Therma Visayas Inc. in Toledo City. |CDN File Photo
CEBU CITY–The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice Cebu chapter claimed the presence of a foul odor allegedly coming from the Toledo coal-fired power plant owned by Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI).
A statement from the group quoted a certain Christine Dolino of Barangay Cabiton-onanin, Toledo City as saying that many residents in the area claimed to have felt dizzy and experienced vomiting reportedly due to the foul smell coming from the power plant.
The group said they rallied in front of the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) this Thursday, October 10, to air this concern.
Teody Navea, convenor of PMCJ Cebu, said there was a problem in the construction of the plant that led to the delay in its operation.
He added that while the plant’s repair was ongoing, the structural problem remained. “This is the reason the dangerous coal leaks happened,” he claimed.
Navea urged DENR to conduct an investigation on their complaint.
He also sought the temporary closure of the plant’s operations while the investigation was ongoing.
William Cuñado, regional director of DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), had met with the group’s representatives.
They reached an agreement to conduct a site inspection next week to address the issue, according to a brief statement from EMB.
TVI’s action
Meanwhile, TVI also expressed willingness to address this matter.
“TVI is committed to ensuring the welfare of our host community and value all of our stakeholders’ feedback,” said TVI vice president Ronaldo Ramos in a statement.
“An open dialogue process has been already in place on the ground and we believe that all issues and complaints are best resolved there. We will definitely look into this complaint and communicate our findings and the steps we will take to address the complaints of our neighbors, partners, and stakeholders,” Ramos added.
TVI is the operator of the 340-megawatt Toledo Baseload Power Plant located in Barangay Bato, Toledo City./dbs