Why The Geothermal Plants will Have Negative Effects on Humans and the Environment in the Cordillera? Global notorious energy giant Chevron, and the Henry Sy-affiliated Aragorn Power and Energy (APC Inc. ) are putting up geothermal plants in Kalinga, Mountain Province, Benguet and part of Ifugao threatening to displace people from their communities, poison the environment and endanger health of people. Chevron and APCs geothermal energy project in the province of Kalinga, targeted for full operation by 2018, covers 25,682 hectares. The two others; one to be put up in Mainit, Bontoc, Mountain Province and in Daclan, Bokod, Benguet cover approximately 76,000 hectares, the latter having been awarded to PRC-Magma Energy Resources Inc with APC group owning 33 per cent. What does this mean? Besides the destruction of ancestral lands, crop lands and hunting groundds, and the desecration of the land itself, this means the drainage of underground fluids that can lead to a number of disturbing effects including: 1. Drying of hot springs and geysers in the surrounding area, leading to loss of scenery and tourism, and loss of rare thermophillic plants and algal growth. (many examples in USA, eg loss of Brady springs, Nevada, Steamboat Springs geyser, and Long valley springs, Kristmannsdóttir,2003) 2. Toxic waste water entering clean aquifers due to lowering of the water table. 3. Violent explosions caused by build up of a ‘steam pillow’ in empty hot underground reservoirs, which have previosly killed people working in geothermal plants. (see Goff and Goff, 1997). 4, Subsidence or sinking of land. In Waitakei, New Zealand subsidence of 15m (40cm/year) occurred at one plant. 5. Landslides can occur due to tempertaure and water level in rocks, especially in tectonically active areas.(See Goff and Goff, 1997 for examples of major landslides induced by geothermal plants.) 6. Local weather changes caused by emission of steam affecting clouds. (Kristmannsdóttir,2003). 7. Induced earthquakes caused by lubrication of faults when waste fluid is reinjected into the rocks. Rybach, 2003 shows considerable increase in frequency of earthquakes near geothermal sites. 8. Air and chemical pollution, including radioactive element Radon, toxic elements Arsenic, Mercury, Ammonia, Boron (highly toxic to plants) and other polluting heavy metals. Waste steam is sprayed over surrounding vegetation (usually rare species in geothermal areas), while waste water is either reinjected (inducing earthquakes), or pumped into streams and lakes untreated, as treatment is considered too costly to be economically viable. (Kristmannsdóttir,2003). In lake Þingvallavatn, a large area of the lake bottom was found to be biologically dead due to toxic hot waste water pollution from nearby geothermal plants,which is altering the lake ecology. Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) is also emitted, causing a bad smell and forming the acid rain causing compound SO2 in the atmosphere. . Emitted Carbon dioxide (CO2) and H2S are heavy gases and can linger in valleys causing increased pollution for local populations.(Kristmannsdóttir,2003). In drilling alone, terrible noise is caused by geothermal plants. During drilling it can reach above the pain threshold of 120dB and once in operation reaches 90dB. In the open landscape such noise can be heard for some distance and reduces the value of tourist sites and local recreation. (Kristmannsdóttir,2003). Surface disturbance of wilderness also has high impact as active sites tend to be in rare landscape types of very high scenic and toursitic (economic) value including ‘colourful striking landscapes, hot springs, lavas and glaciers’. (Thórhallsdóttir, 2007). Disturbance includes roads, powerlines, factories, heavy lorries and drilling equipment. The geothermal will not benefit the Cordillera people. Records will show that despite the presence of Ambuklao and Binga with combined 200 MW of generated hydro power and the 1,000 MW capacity of San Roque Dam, just a little more than 70 per ent of the Cordillera are energized. There is a long painful history of exploitation of the land and the people, especially in Benguet, for energy reasons. The road of -so called development is full of deceit, lies and shameless oppression of the government of the Cordillera people. Let us say no to this impending demonic act again. Sign the petition and let the world know we do not want Chevron or any other exploiting multinational in our lands again. Michael A. Bengwayan, Ph.D We can stop this madness. Please sign the petition at change.org/petitions/pres-benigno-c-aquino-111-stop-the-intended-geothermal-plants-in-kalinga-mountain-province-benguet-and-part-of-ifugao-by-chevron-and-apc-group
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 22:15:43 +0000
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