DILIMAN, Quezon City — Environmental groups are calling on lawmakers and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to halt the permitting process of the additional 150MW expansion unit of Aboitiz Power's Therma Visayas, Incorporated (TVI) coal plant in Toledo City, Cebu.

According to the Save Tanon Strait Network, Congress should immediately stop the planned expansion and at the same time conduct an investigation because it could pose health risks to the public after independent water quality testing revealed high levels of toxic pollutants in the surrounding waters.

The area surrounding TVI are part of the Tanon Strait Protected Seascape, the second largest Marine protected area in the country and a recognized important marine mammal haven with 14 recorded species of cetaceans habitating here, aside from being a major fishing ground providing resources to more than 2.4 million local fishermen.

"We are seeing an alarming amount of certain pollutants in it's vicinity despite TVI only being in operations for the past 5 years, which poses danger to livelihoods and marine life," climate activist Krishna Ariola of Climate and Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) disclosed to challenge TVIs bold claims of a thriving marine ecosystem underneath their coal jetty.

Studies in the area by experts revealed that boron levels are approximately four times higher than the normal, sulfate levels exceed the baseline by 1.4 times while nickel concentrations are approaching the regulatory limit.

Karo, Leyte Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo 'Gerry' Alminaza, lead convenor of Save Tanon Strait Network, cited that since pollutants are reaching these ecologically-sensitive areas, authorities should raise serious concerns about the direct industrial impact of TVI's operations.

"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 impact's of the plant on their health and livelihoods," Alminaza asserted.
The study also showed that while the immediate effects may not be fully visible yet, the long term consequences include bioaccumulation of heavy metal's habitat degradation and potential toxicity to marine organisms which could significantly impact biodiversity, fisheries and food security.
Environmentalists urged the DENR to take actions 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 concerns over the impact's of the continued pollution from coal which impacts theboverall well-being of host communities.

"Nakakabahala na sa mga nakaraang buwan lamang ay biglang dumami, partikular na ang mga kaso ng cardiorespiratory-related disease sa barangay Bato at sa mga karatig barangay. May paglakataon na 11 ang namatay sa loob ng Isang linggo, tsaka apat ang namatay sa loob ng Isang araw. Ang suspetsa ay may kinalaman ito sa plantang nagbubuga ng polusyon na nakapuwesto sa gitna ng aming bayan," Limpyong Hangin Alang sa Tanan (LAHAT) president Nicolas Blanco pointed out.

" 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 kundi pati sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno na may tungkulin sa mga mamamayang Pilipino—eleksyon man o hindi," Blanco added.