Traces of what residents claimed as bottom ash coming from another smaller coal power plant of 150 MGW which is already operational were still visible in some leaves of mango trees.
“Dati puting-puti ang lupa pero nawala dahil sa ulan. Kaya lang kahit pansamantalang walang alikabok, ang problema hindi naman naaalis ang baho na masakit sa ilong at ang mga bata inuubo,” Flaviano Wenceslao, 68, resident of PEX site said.
Bad odor from unknown source/sources depending on the direction of the wind is experienced by residents in the surrounding areas of the refinery complex and by even travellers.
Anita Boletres, 52, voiced the same problem: “Pangulong Duterte, sana malunasan ninyo ang aming problema. Walang oras na hindi mabaho rito na nakakasakit sa dibdib at inuubo ang mga anak at apo ko.”
The old woman claimed she has been residing in the area for 20 years. Her house sits in an upland area with mango and coconut trees near a creek that divides the community and the 600- MGW col power plant.
From a distance, mounds of soil were seen in the dumping ground for bottom ash in the SMC site, one of two sites ordered stopped last Friday by the Environmental Management Bureau.
EMB Region 3 director Lormelyn Claudio said that bottom ash can only be disposed in a dumping site approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. No area has yet been approved within the oil refinery complex.
