Community Perceptions and Corporate Social Responsibility of a Calaca Thermal Power Plant

Abstract

The advent of various power plants in the Philippines using coal as its primary fuel is but among the many authorized projects by the government from the private sector in order to provide more electricity in the demanding local market and to further assist in resolving potential national energy shortage.

Due to the reputation of the technology and it’s historically and scientifically proven adverse effects on the environment and its surrounding people, power plants regardless of fuel are generally consistently frowned upon by various sectors in the society.

This paper reviewed the general environmental and social impacts of operating a coal-fired power plant with focus at the Calaca area of the province of Batangas where the mentioned industry is developing. The technology was also reviewed with special feature of the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) which uses the CFB or circulating fluidized bed technology - an upgraded and more environmentally friendly technology in power plant operations as technically claimed.

For a more direct coastal environmental assessment, after several sampling attempts, a marine water sample testing has been conducted at the Balayan Bay adjacent the mentioned power plant along the timeline during its commissioning stage and along its impending commercial opening in December 2014. The report analysis showed test results for marine water testing outside the selected laboratory’s scope of accreditation for parameters like lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and phosphate (PO4 ). All four parameters have adverse effects to marine life if present in excessive amounts.

The test results were then compared to marine water parameter standards from Aquaculture Asia’s PHILMINAQ (Mitigating Impact from Aquaculture in the Philippines) project and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). It was found out that the sample have relatively unacceptable findings for lead (Pb) by 0.3254 mg/L max, phosphate (PO4) form by <0.06 mg/L and cadmium (Cd) by 0.1265 mg/L as well, noting the laboratory’s testing disclaimers.

A social evaluation was also conducted with a two-day individual survey at the community along the coast of Calaca. The survey was loosely inspired by the format questionnaire from the paper “Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Contingent Valuation Survey in Batangas Bay, Philippines” by C.S. Tejam and S. A. Ross (1997). The survey questionnaire had three segments, which tackled environmental and industrial profile awareness of the area with optional respondent data section.

From the simple valuation, it can be assessed that fishing is the most common activity in the area with lowering fish catch as among the most critical problems of Balayan Bay together with solid waste management. The respondents showed willingness to financially contribute for environmental programs to save Balayan Bay at a major rate equal or below five hundred pesos (PhP 500.00). The respondents showed awareness of the industrial presence along the coasts of Balayan Bay citing environmental, economic and migratory effects to its people.

Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR has also been reviewed from the point of view of the respondents where both tree planting and coastal clean-ups were the most noticed while a significant percentage had no observations at all. The respondents were also asked of recommended sectors to benefit from the CSRs from the Balayan Bay shore-based industries and the top answers were with church, agriculture, health and the education sectors. These CSRs were compared to the recent CSRs conducted by SLTEC where only the health sector was not yet visibly served among the top recommendations by the respondents as per disclosed CSR projects of the SLTEC months towards its commercial operations in 2014.

Key Words: coal-fired power plant, contingent valuation survey, marine water sample testing, corporate social responsibilities