Ludo power plant status: EMB-7 submits report to council

CEBU, Philippines - The Environmental Management Bureau-7 has already submitted to the Cebu City Council a report on the status and environmental compliance of Ludo and Luym Corporation Power Plant in Barangay Sawang Calero.

EMB-7 director William P. Cuñado addressed his report dated June 28 to Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.

 Cuñado's report narrated the history of how the Ludo and Luym Corporation started to operate a 10-megawatt power plant in Barangay Sawang Calero.

Cuñado said that in April 1982, the company installed the 79,380 kg/hr Yoshimine coal-fired boiler to provide electricity for the operation of its manufacturing plants in the area.

The plant was not covered by the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System considering that it was established before the enactment of the law, thus exempted from securing environmental compliance certificate.

On February 5, 2001, the company renewed its permit to operate but the Yoshimine boiler was already delisted from the permit due to its non-operational status.

"Since then the firm has been regularly renewing their PO year after year with the decreasing number of installations," the report reads.

Since September 10, 2015, monitoring was conducted by EMB pursuant to the Republic Act 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.

"On February 4, 2016, inspection was conducted by the EMB-7 relative to firm's application for the additional one unit 5,500 kg steam/hr 350 BHP Biomass fired Combi Boiler. Emission test on the said boiler conducted by firm thru a DENR accredited 3rd party emission tester showed compliance with the emission standards set in Section 1, Rule XXV of DAO 2000-81, IRR of R.A. 8749," the report shows.

A permit was subsequently issued incorporating the additional boiler but the release was held in abeyance pending the compliance of the Pollution Control Officer.

On April 19, 2016, the EMB found out that the corporation violated the Republic Act 8749 for operating two units of diesel-fired generator without a valid permit to operate.

On April 28, 2016, the City Council also rejected the installation of 30-MW power plant, which it said is harmful to the environment.

The EMB-7 report is expected to be tackled by the City Council during their next regular session. (FREEMAN)