DENR chief to speed up transfer permit for Petron ash stockpile

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on Wednesday swore to facilitate a permit allowing Petron Corp. to transfer the ash stockpile discharged from its oil refinery in Limay, Bataan.

The ash stockpile has reportedly affected the environment and the health of people in the area.

"I will ask Ramon Ang to submit an application to transport the ash, so that we can process it immediately,” Lopez told affected residents in a dialogue, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources [DENR] said in an emailed statement. Ang is the president and CEO of Petron.

Petron intends to transfer the ash stockpile from its Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR) to a cement plant also within the refinery complex.

During the dialogue, Lopez called on Ang, who reportedly said that Petron would gladly move the deposits of what he said was lime powder, not ash, to a plant within the PBR for use as raw material in manufacturing cement.

Ang, who is also the president and chief operating of conglomerate San Miguel Corporation, said this would address the problem of dust that affect the resident in the area. SMC is the parent of Petron.

NOW: Lopez talking with Mr. Ramon Ang, owner of the coal power plant allegedly to have caused ash spill in Bataan. pic.twitter.com/IM99ffVQdL

— DENR (@DENR_Official) January 11, 2017

Sec. @iamGinaLopez : Petron is giving their commitment, and so is DENR. I won't allow anyone to suffer. #environment2017

— DENR (@DENR_Official) January 11, 2017

Residents of Limay town have been complaining about cough and asthma and itchiness from the ash coming from the PBR complex and a coal-fired power plant operated by SMC Consolidated Power Corp., another unit of San Miguel.

The complaints prompted the DENR  Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) to issue notices of violation against Petron and SMC Consolidated.

Lopez said she would exert "all effort" to ensure that PBR and SMC Consolidated " comply with environmental laws and not cause people to suffer."

The Cabinet official also said the DENR would coordinate with the Department of Health regarding the medical conditions reported by the residents.
 
“I am sure that Mr. Ang would not do something that would jeopardize a billion-dollar operation. I commit and make sure that you would be okay,” she told the residents.
 

Sec. @iamGinaLopez to talk with Department of Health in addressing the health conditions of the residents affected by Bataan ash spill.

— DENR (@DENR_Official) January 11, 2017

In an order dated January 9, the EMB ordered SMC Consolidated to explain why the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for its Limay facility should not be revoked or canceled. The company has until January 13 to reply.

In a separate order, the bureau directed Petron to stop dumping newly-generated bottom ash in the area while the ash spill incident is under investigation. — Ted Cordero/GMA News