ILOILO CITY – Groups opposing the construction of a coal-fired power plant in Iloilo City will sue the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for approving the project.

The groups – Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy (Rise), Professionals for Social Responsibility (Pro-SR) and Workers for Environment and Health (We Heal) – are preparing their complaint against the DENR for alleged violations of Republic Act 8749 (Clean Air Act), said Melvin Purzuelo, a convener of Rise.

A separate complaint will also be filed against the Iloilo City government, led by Mayor Jerry Treñas, for the granting of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to the project despite the lack of approval from the city council which, the groups claim, is required by the Local Government Code.

Purzuelo said the DENR granted an ECC to the coal plant project despite violations of rules on Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) system, which must be met before an ECC can be granted.

Atienza issued an ECC on Sept. 1 to the Panay Power Corp. (PPC) to construct a 164-megawatt coal-fired plant in Barangay Ingore in La Paz District.

The PPC and the Metrobank subsidiary Global Business Power Corp (GBPC) are proposing to build the coal plant inside a 40-hectare property of PPC in Barangay Ingore. The plant is expected to be completed by 2010.

Atienza said in the cover letter addressed to PPC president Francisco Co that the application for an ECC was approved after it met DENR’s requirements. The project can start after the proponents secured the required permits and licenses from government agencies.

The ECC laid down 14 conditions that should be met in the construction of the power plant.

These include the putting up of a Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS), which records plant emissions in real time. The information should be made public through an information board, according to the ECC.

The proponents are also required to install additional automatic sensors for monitoring temperature and other parameters related to the discharge of cooling water from the plant.

Atienza said he issued the ECC after concluding studies on the safety of the coal plant and after hearing the positions of those opposing and supporting it.

“We issued the ECC for the benefit of Iloilo residents who want additional sources of power,” Atienza said in an earlier telephone interview.

He said that based on DENR studies, the coal plant will use clean technology and will be pollution-free.

Some environmentalist groups said there is no such thing as clean coal.

Treñas clarified that aside from business permits and licenses, no approval from the city government is needed in the construction of the coal plant.