Coal ash petitioners say no to Balili talks

The mediation of the Writ of Kalikasan case against the indiscriminate dumping of coal ash by three coal-fired power plants in the province may have hit an impasse yesterday after the petitioners refused any discussion about the Balili property of the provincial government as a dumping site.

Public Prosecutor Benjamin Cabrido who is representing the petitioners of the Writ of Kalikasan case filed against government agencies and operators of coal-fired power plants in the province said the Balili property as a dumping site of coal ash is not an option and should not even be taken up in the mediation process.

“The court already prohibited Balili from receiving coal ash waste. I’m very adamant on our stand,” Cabrido said.

He explained that dumping of coal ash in the Balili property of Capitol is violative of environmental laws like the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or RA 9003.

“A compromise, which the mediation is seeking to foster, should not be violative of any law,” Cabrido said.

Cabrido made this statement after the premediation conference started yesterday in the Mediation Court of Mandaue.

The petition for a Writ of Kalikasan seeks to stop the alleged indiscriminate dumping of coal ash waste filed against Salcon Power Corp., Korean Electric Power Corp. (Kepco), Toledo Power Plant, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) the Cebu province, and Toledo and Naga cities was elevated in the mediation court yesterday.

The lawsuit was filed by Philippine Earth Justice Center, Central Visayas Farmers Development Center, Central Visayas Farmers Development Center, Central Visayas Fisherfolks< Development Center, and concerned residents of Toledo City and Naga City.

The case for the Environmental Protection Order (EPO) was forwarded to the mediator Jose Ramiro Carpio of the Seventh Judicial Region of the Philippine Mediation Center in Madaue.

This is the first environment case filed under the Writ of Kalikasan that will be mediated in their center, Mandaue PMC supervisor Ramon Castillo Jr said.

The next mediation hearing will be on March 27 and April 30.