SP hailed in shelving Labrador resolution

SUAL, Pangasinan – Officials and residents of this coastal town led by Mayor Roberto Arcinue hailed the move of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan which shelved the resolution cum petition of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Labrador which rejected the planned second coal-fired power plant in Sual.

Members of the provincial board of Pangasinan in session with their resource speakers.

 

On April 23 this year, the Sangguniang Bayan of Labrador passed a resolution opposing the construction of another coal-fired power plant in Sual town because of its expected “ill effects” on the health of residents and the environment.

The resolution was forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, particularly to the  committee on laws and ordinances and committee on environment, natural resources and energy chaired by SP Member Noel C. Bince and Liberator Z. Villegas, respectively.

In shelving the resolution of the Labrador SB during a recent joint committee hearing, the chairmen of both SP committees agreed that no further action was needed since there was “no sufficient basis” to do so.

In welcoming the action taken by the Provincial Board, Sual Mayor Roberto Ll. Arcinue pointed out that a great majority of Sual residents, barangay officials, municipal officials and employees, senior citizens, womenfolk, farmers and fisherfolk welcome the construction of another coal-fired power plant in their community.

Arcinue said the project would provide hundreds  of jobs to Sual residents and expected P800 million annual revenues  that will be shared by the  province, the municipality here and the barangay where the project would be put up.

“The Sangguniang Panlalawigan is right in concluding that the claim of pollution made by the Sangguniang Bayan members including the mayor of Labrador has no basis at all,” Arcinue said.

The mayor wondered where the SB members and the mayor of Labrador based their resolution that says the planned second power plant in Sual would threaten the health of residents and  the environment in Labrador.

“Quite obviously whoever instigated them to pass the resolution could not convince the residents and officials of Sual so he has to do it in Labrador,” Arcinue said.

 Recent monitoring activities conducted by  environment specialists on marine, groundwater and stream water, air and land around the Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant  show that no pollution is noted in various areas around the municipality.

“Land, air and water quality in the area continue to meet the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),” the study said.

The monitoring activities were conducted by AECOM Philippines, Inc. from April 25-26 and July 17, 2017.

AECOM Philippines, Inc. is a subsidiary of AECOM International, which is listed in Fortune Magazine’s 500 richest companies and has branches in 150 countries.

The study showed that the existing coal-fired power plant here being operated by Team Energy is not causing any pollution since it started operation way back in 1995. The study was mandated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The plant uses the fluidized bed combustion technology.

In citing the SP members for their decision, Arcinue pointed out that the provincial government is also a beneficiary of the millions of pesos of real property taxes being paid annually by the operators of the power plant.

It is recalled that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution in November 2017 declaring the municipality of Sual as future Energy City of Pangasinan.

                                                Latest technology

The proponent of the new power plant, a multi-national company based in South Korea,  shall be utilizing the latest in coal technology which is the ultra-super critical technology considered as "High Efficiency Low Emission (HELE)" technology which will substantially reduce green gas emission much better than by the fluidized bed technology, Mayor Arcinue said.

He said that Resolution ( Resolution No. 025-2018) of the Municipality of Labrador was politically motivated. It was passed on April 23, 2018 barely three weeks before the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to discredit  his administration and his candidates in the barangay and SK elections.

The mayor suspected that certain political quarters are out to discredit his administration to gain control of politics here and take over the big development projects like international seaport, ship building and repair, oil depot and power plants.

“The Save Sual Movement and their political patrons could not get the support of the residents  of Sual who support the second coal-fired power plant, thus they obviously asked the officials of the neighboring town of Labrador to oppose the project,” he said.

However, their  move failed miserably as candidates for barangay captain and SK chairperson allied with Mayor Arcinue  won by a big majority, Arcinue added.

“This is solid proof that the vast majority of the residents of Sual welcome the second power plant project,” Arcinue said. (PRESS RELEASE)