Fernando Alberca, EMB chief legal officer, talks to complainants Estrella Manloloyo and Violeta Musngi about the smoke caused by the coal stockpile in San Fernando town with Armen Sumampong during a technical conference. (CDN Photo/Lito Tecson)
RESIDENTS and a school in Sitio Lacaron, Barangay Pitalo, San Fernando town in southern Cebu were relieved after a representative of the coal storage project committed to remove the coal stockpile in a private property 10 days from today.
Armen Sumampong, the representative for the project owned by Indonesian national William Yoda, signed a commitment order to remove the raw coal.
Complainants Violeta Musngi (not Musogi as earlier reported), owner of the Inchland Academy, and Estrella Manloloyo, resident of the area, agreed to this but wanted the coal owner to institute mitigating measures to reduce the coal dust.
Lawyer Fernando Alberca, hearing officer and the chief of the Environmental Management Bureau’s legal division, said these mitigating measures include providing a cover for the raw coal and spraying water on it while they are hauling it away.
In yesterday’s closed-door conference at the EMB regional office, Sumampong committed to pay the fine for operating without the required environmental clearance certificate (ECC) or certificate of non-coverage (CNC).
Regional EMB Director William Cuñado said the maximum payment for this violation is at P50,000.
But since this is the first time they committed the violation, Cuñado said the fine may be reduced.
EMB-7 also required Sumampong to submit an action plan for the mitigating measures they will implement. In an interview, Sumampong said there are only 800 to 900 tons of raw coal left there.
It would take about 35 truck loads in order to clear the private lot of the coal.
Musngi, who earlier wrote to EMB-7 and complained about the presence of coal, said they are thankful to the agency for acting on their complaint.
EMB-7 earlier issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against the coal storage project after it operated without securing an ECC. Residents earlier complained of the health hazards posed by the coal stockpile.
Alberca said they will lift the order once the coal stockpile is fully removed.