Newly made ash ponds in the province-owned Balili property in barangay Tina-an, Naga City are unfit for use as a coal ash disposal facility, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) said yesterday.
The site lacks a protective layer of bentonite clay to prevent waste from seeping into the ground and polluting water sources.
“It may not be technically sufficient to contain leachate within its premises, unless corrective measures will be implemented,” said the DENR report sent to Mandaue Regional Trial Court Judge Marilyn-Ligura Yap of Branch 28.
In his report, William Cunado, officer in charge of the DENR’s Environment Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7), said the landfill site’s technical requirements are set down in its Environmental Compliance Certificate.
Unless these are met, Cunado said the Korean Electric Power Corp.-Salcon Power Plant (Kepco-SPC) shouldn’t use the Balili landfill site.
Yap, who is an environment court judge, required the DENR to give its review of the Capitol’s ECC on the Balili ash pond.
The court is weighing a petition for the issuance of an environment protection order (EPO) filed against electric power firms accused of indiscriminate disposal of coal ash waste in cities of Naga and Toledo.
The DENR made an ocular inspection of the 23.3 hectare property last July 19.
The agency recommended that Kepco and the Capitol should not use the ponds in the Balili property unless a .75 meter thick layer of bentonite clay is laid on top of the pond.
The clay helps absorb the leachate in the landfill and serves as a sealant.
The ECC for the government project stated that clay should be placed along with a high density polyethelene (HDPE) sheet, crushed sand, gravel and limestone.
The EMB inspection last July 19 noted that the ash pond lacked a bentonite clay layer.
Despite this, Capitol officials said the ash pond is ready to receive coal ash waste.
Cebu Provincial Planning and Development Officer Adolfo Quiroga said they placed an HDPE sheet which is sufficient to seal the landfill.
The DENR said the Capitol agreed to install the bentonite clay on or before October 15, 2011 as specified in its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) along with the ECC.
DENR issued a notice of violation against the Capitol last July after several coconut trees in the site were cut down without a permit. The province was ordered to pay a P25,000 fine.
The province was also fined P10,000 for failing to finalize the setting up of a P5 million Environment Guarantee Fund (EGF) to answer for possible damage to the environment during the landfill’s operation.
The DENR fined the Capitol another P25,000 after it didn’t specify that it would put up two other coal ash ponds and develop a portion of the Balili property into an eco-tourism park.
“No other activities should be undertaken other than those prescribed on the ECC,” the report said.
Cunado also noted the presence of withered mangroves in the ash pond during the ocular inspection.
Cunado said the mangroves died after a retaining wall blocked the path of seawater to the pond.
The Capitol explained that they excluded the mangrove area from the landfill facility and opened a retaining wall so the seawater can move back to the pond.
The court is set to decide whether the secured landfill facility can receive Kepco’s coal ash waste.
Kepco-SPC warned that they had to dump their wastes outside their premises soon because their silos and ash pond could only accommodate coal ash deposits from their operations until the end of this month. /Candeze R. Mongaya, Reporter