The Energy Development Corp. has vowed to protect the forests and the environment in Mt. Talinis, saying “it is in our DNA to do so.”
Lawyer Alan Barcena EDC said the company shares the concern and passion of the environmentalists in protecting the forests and watersheds because the rely on the same forests for their operations.
“Steam,” he said, “is a water-based product. If we don’t take care of our watersheds, we can’t get steam,” he said.
EDC officials came to a special Kapihan sa PIA forum to answer allegations raised by environmentalists who complained about the cutting of over 500 trees in Nasulo, Valencia, to make way for a new geothermal plant.
The EDC obtained permission from the Department of Environment & Natural Resources to cut the trees to make way for the new plant.
The environmentalists, however, scored the lack of an impact assessment study prior to the granting of the tree-cutting permit, as they pointed out that Mt. Talinis was one of the areas previously identified as an environmentally critical area.
The EDC assured that they will plant more than 100 trees for every tree that was cut. They also announced plans to go into other renewable energy alternatives like solar and wind power.
