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ENVIRONMENTALISTS would continue to push to rescind the agreement between the Cebu Provincial government and a Korean firm on an ash landfill facility despite a proposed move to recycle the coal combustion waste that would be produced by a coal-fired power plant.
?With coal combustion waste, only 45 percent can be used as clinker to cement. The rest would be used as filling material so this still has to be dumped in a landfill,? said environmental lawyer Benjamin Cabrido.
?This is a highly questionable deal. Why is Kepco not selling it? Why pass through Capitol?? he asked.
Cabrido was referring to Korean Electric Company-Salcon Power Corporation (KSPC) that has entered into an Ash Disposal Facility last year.
In the original memorandum of agreement (MOA), KSPC will be paying the Cebu provincial government $1 per metric ton of coal ash in exchange for processing the same and constructing a landfill facility.
In the revised agreement, Capitol would be selling coal ash as additive to cement factories namely; CEMEX Philippines Corp. and Taheiyo Cement Philippines Corp.
?Capitol does not know what it is entering into. They will sell the coal ash but they do not know the present state of the coal combustion waste (they would have to handle), it could be fly ash or sludge which is the residue from a process called desulfurization,? said Cabrido.
He added that the cost for processing coal combustion waste could be between $20 to $22 per metric ton.
?Although they can sell the finished product for at least $35, for coal combustion waste only 45 percent can be used as clinker,? he said.
?We will not settle until there is a rescission of the MOA,? he added.
Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, environmental lawyer and Cabrido's co-member in Global Legal Action on Climate Change, also reiterated their stand against the proposed coal ash dumping facility in a 24.7-hectare beach front property bought by the provincial government from the late Engr. Luis Balili.
?It seems it's a practice to add coal ash into cement. But coal ash is radioactive, contains heavy metals such as Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic that are hazardous to the health of the people and the environment,? she said.
She added that there is scientific data that says coal ash is hazardous or toxic.
Engr. Nilo Yap, Taheiyo Cement Philippines Corp. senior manager for environment and safety, said that he is not aware of such an arrangement with the company.
But he added that the agreement may have been made with other officials of the company.
Cemex, meanwhile, issued a statement through corporate communications officer Darwin Mariano.
?We are always open to support projects that promote and help the development of the government of Cebu,? he told CDN.
