The report titled “Air Quality and Health Impact of Coal-Fired Power in the Philippines” provided an analysis of the air quality, toxic deposition, and health impacts of coal plants in the Philippines, as well as its cost to the public and the economy.
Annually, 56 kg are deposited in protected areas around the country. Of the total projected annual mercury deposition, about 27 percent occurs on cropland, 13 percent on forest and scrubland, 53 percent into ocean and freshwater ecosystems, and seven percent into built-up areas. “The addition of large capacity plants will see this area extend further west, all the way to Paracale, Camarines Norte. A few kilometers away, acid deposition from the Bataan plants are observed over Manila Bay. This hotspot spans over approximately 33 protected areas, many of which are forestlands,” it said.
Pollution from the current operating fleet was responsible for an estimated 640 air pollution-related deaths in 2019, as well as 1,300 new cases of child asthma, 149,000 days of work absence, and 240 preterm births, it added. Under the current scenario, cases of premature death normalized against population density are highest in Batangas, followed by Misamis Oriental and Pangasinan.