Cebu’s environment court is allowing a Naga-based power company to dispose of its coal ash outside its compound as long as the waste is covered.
This was decided yesterday by Judge Marilyn-Ligura Yap of Branch 28 of the Mandaue City Regional Trial Court.
She said the Korean Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) can dispose of its coal ash in the landfill of a private company, FDRCON Co. Inc.
Coal ash, a source of air and water pollution, is the subject of complaints by environment advocatoes.
Yap, who was promoted to Associate Justice for the Court of Appeals, held her last hearing as RTC judge yesterday.
Kepco lawyer Gullermo Dabay said the firm’s silos could only hold 2,300 metric tons of coal ash waste, equivalent to at a month’s power plant waste and needed another site.
Kepco produces about 200 megawatts daily and produces 120 tons of coal ash waste a day.
The judge granted Kepco’s request to use FDRCON’s facility as long as Kepco covers the ash waste in the open dumpsite.
FDRCON, which has a landfill in barangay Pangdan, Naga City, offered to receive Kepco’s ash for disposal or for recycling for a fee. Kepco agreed to pay $1 per metric ton of ash. But if FDRCON decides to recycle the ash, it will pay $1 per metric ton to the Provincial Capitol.
The landfill occupies 1.44 hectares and can hold 180,000 cubic meters of ash.
Lawyer Erwin Estandarte of FDRCON said the firm is preparing three ash ponds in Naga. They will be completed by the end of February or the first week of March.
He assured that the pond has bentonite clay, high-density polyethelyne and the other requirements for a landfill under RA 9003 orthe Solid Waste Management Act.
Judge Yap said the open dumpsite temporarily holding the ash should be covered and moved to the ponds once they are complete. The judge required FDRCON to give a status report.
Environment lawyer Ben Cabrido asked about the ash pond’s drainage capacity.
Estandarte said FDRCON set aside a hectare of the landfill site for the ash ponds./Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya