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Environment group Greenpeace assailed independent power
producer TeaM Energy’s “crooked smear campaign” that its
flagship Rainbow Warrior had released untreated
wastewater into the waters of Pagbilao Bay based on
“dubious test results.”
“Greenpeace denounces TeaM Energy’s crooked smear
campaign against the Rainbow Warrior’s peaceful protest
at the Pagbilao coal-fired power plant last 23 to 25 May
2008. Given TeaM Energy’s underhanded agenda to
discredit our organization and deflect attention away
from their own environmental misdeeds, the alleged
results of their sampling—as well as their sampling
procedures and protocols—can only be described as shady
and highly questionable at best,” Greenpeace Southeast
Asia executive director Von Hernandez said.
Greenpeace categorically stated that TeaM Energy’s
accusations are “fraudulent and impossible.”
“Greenpeace is a highly respected international
environmental organization, and as such, we always take
the utmost care with regard to all environmental aspects
of all our operations. Greenpeace ships are no
exception,” Hernandez said.
The huge
amount of coliform contamination claimed by TeaM Energy
cannot be associated with discharges from any functional
ship wastewater- treatment facility, including the one
onboard the Rainbow Warrior, Hernandez said.
“The
ship’s onboard treatment plant is approved—among
others—by the [British & Dutch] Lloyd’s Register under
MARPOL standard ‘IMO MARPOL MEPC.2 (VI),’ which
guarantees that the contents of fecal coliforms do not
exceed 250 per 100 millimeter mpn [most probable
number], and a geometric mean of total suspended solids
of 50 milligrams per liter.
“TeaM
Energy’s malicious attempt to blacken Greenpeace’s
reputation is a misguided tactic meant to evade and
deflect the issues away from its own environmental
accountability,” Hernandez said. He added that coal
plants are notorious for their substantial contribution
to climate change, as well as for their highly toxic
emissions. In September 2005, scientific testing of ash
samples taken from the 735 megawatt (MW) Pagbilao
coal-fired power plant were found positive for hazardous
substances such as mercury, arsenic and lead, he said.
“These
results show a glimpse of the huge burden that coal
plants impose on communities, community livelihood and
ecology,” he said.
TeaM
Energy Philippines earlier called on activist group
Greenpeace to follow the country’s environment laws in
the course of conducting their protest actions.
TeaM
Energy said a chemical analysis was conducted by the
chemical-services section of the power firm on the water
discharged by the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior into
Pagbilao Bay during the course of a three-day protest.
TeaM
Energy said they found high amounts of coliform that
exceeds acceptable levels for a specified body of water
as per the guidelines of the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR).
“What we
found out is quite alarming. The Greenpeace ship
discharged sewage-quality water into Pagbilao Bay that
contains copious amounts of coliform that is 180 times
the tolerable level prescribed by the DENR for such
specified bodies of water,” said Greggy Romualdez, TeaM
Energy external affairs head. He added TeaM Energy
thinks it is not too much to ask of Greenpeace to
observe and respect the country’s environment laws and
regulations.
As per
the DENR’s Department Administrative Order 34, or
Guidelines for Water Quality, acceptable standards for
coliform in Class SC seawater (recreational waters,
fishery waters for commercial and sustenance fishing)
is set at a maximum of 5,000 mpn per 100 milliliters (mpn/100ml).
Water
samples discharged by the Greenpeacec vessel allegedly
contained 895,400 mpn/100ml, way above the limit. The
coliform level of normal seawater in the area, which was
tested for comparison, was only 1,181 mpn/100 ml. |
