By PJTremedal
Cagayan de Oro City – Alson’s Consolidated Resources Inc. Bioethanol Manufacturing Plant project who’s under protest by the Kagayanon Watershed Alliance (KAWAL) and other environmentalist groups here to include some from the government sector awaits for its Environmental Certificate Compliance (ECC) approval from DENR.
With the Congress Committee on Ecology who led a public hearing this week passed a resolution to the effect in continuing its thorough investigation of the project and asked the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to “hold in abeyance” its issuance of the ECC until it will be solved.
Chaired by Congresswoman Belma Cabilao of Zamboanga Sibugay together with its members Congresswoman Mary Ann Susano of Quezon City, TUCP Partylist Congressman Raymond DC Mendoza, and Congressman Rolando” Klarex” Uy of 1st district of Cagayan de Oro City.
Pursuant to a House Resolution No. 852 passed by the 2nd District Congressman Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City to conduct a full investigation of the proposed project to be established within the two Barangay Mambuaya and Bayanga is highly opposed and can cause environmental damage, especially to the Cagayan Rivers.
The committee came in full force to hear the concern of everyone, pro or con the house committee should be not biased for its recommendation to Congress.
In HR 852, Rodriguez cited the company’s (ALSON’s) want to construct a 16-Hectare bioethanol manufacturing plant in the two barangays which is capable of producing 100,000 liters a day using cassava grown commercially in nearby agricultural lands.
The environmental controversies rises when, the city council passed Ordinance 10885-2008 reclassifying the land use in Barangay Bayanga and mambuaya from agricultural into agro-industrial to pave way for the project construction and operation.
Concern Citizens, environmentalist, professors and students, the church and other sectors led by the Kagayanon Watershed Alliance (KAWAL) higly opposed the construction and operation of Alcantara and Sons Consolidated Resources, Inc. Bioethanol Manufacturing Plant.
Ethanol fuel is an alternative to gasoline. It can be combined with gasoline in any concentration up to pure ethanol (E100). Anhydrous ethanol, that is, ethanol with at most 1% water, can be blended with gasoline in varying quantities to reduce consumption of petroleum fuels and in attempts reduce air pollution. In the
However, KAWAL warned that cyanide, a by-product of bioethanol which considered as deadly poison could accidentally spill into the Cagayan Rivers and can cause environmental damage and eventually death of living things to include man.
Cagayan River accordingly is the source of life and water for the Cagayanon’s and other people living near the riversides, the river is also considered an eco-adventure destination of which the city government had been invested millions of pesos to have it worldly known for tourists.
Not only cyanide contamination is the problem but, according to Dr. Hartmul Prichel, 1998 Nobel Prize Winner for chemistry as cited in HR 852, there is little energy to be gained from ethanol and warned that converting agricultural land to produce cassava or jathopra(“tuba-tuba” in the local dialect) could lead to hunger as farmers shift planting from planting food to these products.
This, Congressman Rufus Rodriguez asks the committee on ecology of the House of Congress to seat and investigate for the people of Cagayan de Oro’s future.
Meanwhile in the public hearing conducted this week, Engr. Gerome Magkasi, acting project manager of the proposed project said, that with its conventional water waste disposal system that will be changed to zero liquid discharged technology from the western world experts, hopes for the issuance of the environmental compliance certificate needed to pursue the project.
“It is not only our problem as of now, the approved ECC, but the full acceptance of the people of Cagayan de Oro” Malaki pa ang problema (a big problem still lieas ahead of this proposed project)” He said.
Meanwhile Dr. Ed Abalastro, consultant to the company said that what they want” is a balance understanding between man and the environment, which science will be used as a measure to gained development and technologically safe for our people development and economic upliftment.” He said.
As HR 852 strongly recommend that to ensure that the proposed bioethanol plant would not cause environmental problems to Cagayan de Oro rivers and nearby areas, while KAWAL said, that the city government should go slow in approving bioethanol plant especially if these are constructed inside a watershed areas like Barangay Bangaya and Mambuaya.
PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDAL
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