In a press conference on Friday, environmental groups called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Congress to investigate Aboitiz Power’s Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) coal plant in Toledo City, Cebu, and halt the permitting process of its additional 150MW expansion unit after an independent water quality testing revealed high levels of toxic pollutants in the surrounding waters.
The waters surrounding TVI are part of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, the second largest marine protected area in the Philippines, a recognized Important Marine Mammal Area with 14 recorded species of cetaceans and a major fishing ground providing resources to 2.4 million Filipinos.
“We are seeing an alarming amount of certain pollutants in its vicinity despite TVI only being in operations for the past 5 years, which poses danger to livelihoods and marine life, challenging TVI’s bold claims of a ‘thriving’ marine ecosystem underneath their coal jetty,” says Krishna Ariola, Climate and Energy Program Head of Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED).
The findings revealed that boron levels are approximately four times higher than normal, sulfate levels exceed the baseline by 1.4 times, and nickel concentrations are approaching the regulatory limit. The water quality sampling stations fronted the TVI power plant and its jetty.
“The fact that pollutants are reaching these ecologically-sensitive areas should raise serious concerns about the direct industrial impact of TVI. We implore our local and national leaders to hear our calls to investigate their operations and stop the expansion unit that Aboitiz is planning to add while communities continue to raise concerns not just on toxic pollutants, but on the impacts of the plant on their health and livelihoods,” says Bishop Gerry Alminaza, convenor of the Save Tañon Strait Network.
The study showed that while the immediate effects “may not be fully visible yet, the long-term consequences include bioaccumulation of heavy metals, habitat degradation, and potential toxicity to marine organisms, which could significantly impact biodiversity, fisheries, and food security.”
The groups urged the DENR to take action in preventing more pollution in the strait, citing a recent order from the Court of Appeals mandating the department to issue long-overdue guidelines declaring water bodies that exhibit high levels of pollutants as non-attainment areas under the Clean Water Act.
Residents from Cebu also raised concern over the impacts of continued pollution from coal to the health and overall well-being of host communities.
“Nakakabahala na sa mga nakaraang buwan lamang ay biglang dumami ang mga kaso ng cardio-respiratory related diseases sa Brgy. Bato at sa mga karatig-barangay. May pagkakataon na 11 ang namatay sa loob ng isang linggo, tsaka apat ang namatay sa loob ng isang araw. Suspetsa namin ay may kinalaman ito sa plantang nagbubuga ng polusyon na nakapwesto sa kagitnaan ng aming mga kabahayan,” says Nicasio Blanco, local fisherfolk from Toledo and President of Limpyong Hangin Alang sa Tanan (LAHAT).
“Lahat ng binubugang polusyon ng planta ng Aboitiz ay dumidiretso sa aming pagkain, tubig, at hangin. Sana isa ito sa mga isyu na tinututukan hindi lamang ng mga kandidatong naghahain ng plataporma sa publiko, kung hindi pati sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno na may tungkulin sa mga mamamayang Pilipino, eleksyon man o hindi,” he added.
