How safe are we?

WE, the climate justice, environment and civil society groups of Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental; Lanao del Norte and concerned Mindanaoans have realized that the City Government of Ozamiz, LGU of Kauswagan and the City Government of Iligan are one and the same with the various energy corporations in pursuing the construction of the Coal Fired Power Plants in these aforementioned localities. We are disappointed and horrified that despite the already established and scientifically researched irreparable impacts and destruction caused by coal fired power plants, these local government units still turn a blind eye from its constituents to pursue these destructive projects. We are also the people living in these areas in Northwestern Mindanao. And we fear of our future and our children’s future if these sinister plans will continue. But we will not stop from saying our piece and inform our fellow Mindanaoans of the dangers of coal fired power plant. We believe that it is our right and obligations as citizens who will be later become victims of this tragedy. We commit ourselves today in this 92 km Climate Walk to say again and again that we are not safe from these coal fired power plants. And these are the reasons.

First, there is no way that this coal power plant will be cleaned and can be cleaned. Even the best technology available today cannot disprove this point. The simple reason because coal when deposited million years ago carried with it lots of inorganic materials like mercury, sulfur, arsenic, etc. Cleaning or washing coal only transfers the deadly particles to other areas. There is no such thing as Clean Coal – Clean coal technology emits four (4) times more coal ash compared to an ordinary coal plant. According to United States Energy Information Agency (US EIA), the risk of getting cancer is 900 times higher from coal ash exposure compared to cigarette smoking. Also, according to Yale Environment and to the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) clean coal is just a myth and a promotional gimmick of coal companies.

Second, the negative impacts of coal fired power plant have been widely researched and documented globally and here in the Philippines. These have gripped the lives of the affected communities. In a study commissioned by Greenpeace “Burning Our Future”, the scientific research quoted” Greenpeace issued a report in August 2001, detailing the mercury emissions of coal plants. Evidence was provided by fly ash samples taken from the 600-mw coal-fired power plant of Calaca, for testing to a commercial laboratory. Mercury was detected in at least four fly ash samples that Greenpeace sent. Mercury is a neurotoxin so deadly that it only takes 1/70th of a teaspoon or almost a drop to contaminate a ten (10) hectare lake to the point that fish caught in the lake area contaminated with mercury are considered unfit for human consumption. Greenpeace challenged the Philippine government to conduct its own testing after it had denied, together with the company operating the coal plant. The Philippine government took up the Greenpeace challenge and conducted even more extensive tests. The test results of the government were unequivocal: mercury was detected in all of the government sampling stations in amounts way higher than those detected by Greenpeace.

The Calaca plant was described by Philippine Senator Sergio Osmeña III as “an environmental disaster I wouldn’t wish on anyone” quoted the Greenpeace report.

Third, the 35 kilometer death zone from where the coal fired power plant is located is scientifically proven and this will have consequences to small cities and towns like the town of Clarin in Misamis Occidental, town of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte and the cities of Ozamiz, Tangub and Iligan. Even the neighboring and adjacent towns around these areas like Municipalities of Bonifacio and Tudela in Misamis Occidental, the towns of Lala, Baroy, Maigo, Bacolod, Linamon all in Lanao del Norte will not be spared. In a May 2005 study made by W.F.Donahue, E.W. Allen, and D.W. Schindler of the Department of Biological Research of the University of Alberta, documents metallic concentrations of mercury, copper, lead, arsenic and selenium have increased 1.2 to 4 fold in three (3) lakes where coal fired power plant are located within the 35 km radius.

Fourth, the CFPP in Barangay Pulot, Ozamiz City will be fatal for the whole 18,000 hectares Panguil Bay. Added to these, the CFPP in Iligan City and Kauswagan will also poison the Iligan Bay. Studies show that the waters in Iligan Bay flow to Panguil Bay as the waters in Panguil Bay move around the bay and then join the whole Iligan Bay. With the circular motion of these bodies of water, all the poisons that go into the water from these three (3) coal fired power plants will be concentrated and will be very toxic for the bay and the people that depend on these for their living. These bays are rich fishing grounds that support the livelihood of tens of thousands of small-scale fishers in northwestern Mindanao. The coasts of these bays are hosts to a number of beach resorts where many Mindanaons flocked during weekends. Flanked by more than 10 municipalities and three cities belonging to three provinces (Lanao Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Misamis Occidental) and two administrative regions (Regions 9 and 10) these areas are concentrated with people. A study by Gitib, Inc., an NGO working for sustainable development based in Ozamiz City, it will place the lives of not less than 300,000 people in these two provinces in danger. The Panguil Bay alone, it has an area of 18,000 hectares of water area and has a total coastline measuring 116 km from Clarin, Misamis Occidental to Brgy. Liangan, Maigo, Lanao del Norte (FAO 133).

As many as 9,323 fishers owning more than 5,000 boats depend on the municipal fisheries of Panguil Bay for their livelihood in 2005. But however, if the coal fired power plant will be constructed in Ozamiz alone, study shows that for every 100 mw that a coal-fired power plant will generate, it will emit 25 pounds of mercury a year. The proposed 300 mw Ozamiz Power Generation, Inc (OPGI) coal plant will emit 75 pounds of mercury in a year. It only takes 0.002 pounds of accumulated mercury to contaminate a 10 hectare lake rendering marine life forms unsuitable for human consumption. Meaning to say that the coal ash from the Ozamiz Power Generation Incorporated (OPGI), when it will start operation will emit 37,500x poisons enough to destroy 375,000 hectares of body of water which is almost 38 times bigger than the 18,000 hectares Panguil Bay area. So devastating is the impact it will even reach neighboring provinces of Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte. The same impacts will be felt by the people living within and near Kauswagan and Iligan City.

Fifth, is the fact that the people are not democratically and substantially consulted about these dirty coal fired power plants. This reinforces our belief that since coal fired power plants around the world carries tract record of destruction and death of communities and people then it is politically expedient for the abovementioned Local Government Units to get rid of genuine consultation process.

With lots of transparency issues hounding this coal fired projects, there must be something fishy that they have to hide this from the public.

With these abominable impact already established, the Local Government of Ozamiz, Kauswagan and Iligan will have to do is to stop and reject the project. We, climate justice, environment groups and concerned Mindanaoans call on these concerned LGUs not to destroy our future and our children’s future. ––Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, Coal Resistance Movement, Gitib, Inc.- a Resource Center for Sustainable Development, Freedom from Debt Coalition-Western Mindanao, Power Alternative Agenda in Mindanao–Western Mindanao, Kampanya ng mga Kabataan para sa Kinabukasan, Our Rivers Our Life (OROL) –Philippines, Youth for Climate Justice, Campsic, Sanlakas-Mindanao, Bukluran ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Mindanao