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Relocation recommended for Limay community near power plant


The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has recommended the relocation of residents of a community in Brgy. Lamao in Limay, Bataan, following reports of health conditions caused by ash coming from the coal-fired plant that powers the Petron Refinery.

"They have to relocate the people there because they are within the industrial zone," said DENR Undersecretary Art Valdez. "Whenever there is a shift to monsoon wind, the ash will definitely go to the community."

The residents —  informal settlers who started living in the area when the plant was already operational — claimed many of them have gotten sick because of the ash.

Petron recently conducted a medical mission in the community but found that the residents' health problems —  mostly upper respiratory tract infection and skin problems — were not caused by the ash.

"It's really more of dermatitis. If they claim its because of the ashfall, the scabies should have affected exposed areas of the skin. In this case, hidden parts of the body were the ones affected," said Petron medical director Georgina Duque.

A doctor, on the other hand, said the respiratory ailments could not have come from the ash.

"Even in places where there are no refineries, anywhere in the Philippines, you can acquire it because epedimiology-wise, it's not caused by the environment. It's more
because of the prevailing climate, the surroundings as well, such as the overcrowding in houses," said Dr. Homer Paras.

The DENR has already installed an emission monitoring system in the area to monitor any presence of harmful substances in the air.

"It will be able to monitor sulfur oxide, hydrogen oxide and all of those in realtime,
whether its compliant of the environmental compliance certificate," Valdez said.

Valdez also said Petron has implemented measures to lower the ph levels of the ash coming from the plant to more tolerable levels. “They poured and sprinkled neutralizer and they put topsoil on the ash."

Ramon Ang, president and CEO of Petron, said said the plant and its surrounding areas are free of ash contrary to claims of the residents.

"Walang ka dust-dust yung buong area, pati yung barangay. Yung Alangan River na contamined with putik o kung anuman, aba hindi totoo," he said.

He added that the ash is in fact limestone powder that is a byproduct of the coal plant. This substance, he said, is then being use in their cement factory.

These explanations, however, failed to satisfy Coal Free Bataan Movement, which, together with the residents, threw its support to the Department of Health's move to
have blood samples of some of the residents undergo laboratory test overseas.

"They will see if there is presence of heavy metals in the blood and if it has any
connection with the operation of the plant,” said Derek Cabe, the group's coordinator.

Ang welcomed the move. “It's good if they were able to send it. "Mabuti kung naipadala nila. Kahit saan nila ipa-test basta huwag nila palitan resulta, we are okay." —KBK, GMA News

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