DENR revokes Korean firm’s ECC for Taal spa

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo T. Reyes on Thursday canceled the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) earlier given to Korean firm Jung Ang Interventure Corp that is planning to construct a spa resort in Taal Volcano. In a press briefing, Reyes said the firm failed to comply with the one-week deadline set by the department to comply with the ECC requirements. "They (Korean firm) have been less transparent in their ECC application, have failed to submit the necessary and appropriate clearances and permits, which they have supposedly secured by this time from concerned government agencies for the construction of their resort spa project," Reyes added. He said the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources have given the Korean firm one-week to comply with the requirements “but up to 5 p.m. this day (Thursday), which is office hours, they were not able to comply with our order." "We gave them one week, they failed so we are canceling the ECC," Reyes added. Reyes, however, assured that the Korean firm is not prevented from re-applying for another ECC. He, however, cautioned that if they sent another ECC under the same set of conditions, chances are it would be denied. According Reyes, the cancellation of the ECC would also effectively nullify any existing permits that the Korean firm currently has or managed to secure. Reyes, during a recent interview, said he gave the deadline to the Korean firm so that it could hasten the completion of all the requirements. The DENR has approved the company’s ECC on Nov. 8, 2006 containing 27 conditions. But on a three-page report earlier submitted by the DENR multipartite team to Reyes, ECC conditions 1, 2, 4, 10, and 19 were noted to have been violated by Jung Ang Interventure Corp., which led to the suspension of the ECC. Reyes said under condition number 1, the firm made a violation when it constructed “new access roads and trails" when in fact under the ECC, it was stated that only improvements (of roads and trails) shall be made. Other violations include: - The firm failed to get permits /clearances from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs); Housing, Land, Urban, Regulatory Board (HLURB); National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Department of Tourism, and local government units based on what is stated to condition number 2; - The firm’s failure to apply for an Environmental Management Plan (EMP); - The firm’s failure to apply a “Permit to Cut" order from the DENR-Forest Management Services-CALABARZON Region; - The firm's failure to set up a billboard measuring at least 0.5 meter by 1.0 meter to inform the public about the construction of a spa resort. Reyes, during the same interview, said he is ready to lift the suspension once Jung Ang Interventure complies with government requirements. "The ECC has been canceled by the DENR. In other words, all of the construction, all of the operations will stop for now," Reyes said. "But we are willing to lift the suspension once they comply with all the requirements," he added. Reyes, at the same time, said the Korean firm's protected area management board clearance has also been recalled. He added that Jung Ang Interventure will have to again present its case that the six-hectare resort would not adversely affect the environment. "They will have to go through it (securing the clearance) again. I don't think they thoroughly presented the environmental impact of the project," Reyes explained. - GMANews.TV