Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. on Wednesday, April 24, assured that it is implementing dust control measures at its solar farm in Silay City, Negros Occidental, that has been the subject of complaints by nearby residents.
“Citicore is taking this matter seriously and is taking steps to control the situation”, a statement from the firm said.
The dust is coming from the ongoing construction of a 69 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar power plant with battery energy storage system at Barangay Eustaquio Lopez, Silay City that is affecting residents of nearby Barangay Rizal.
Citicore said dust control measures such as daily soil watering have been in place since the start of the project but intensely dry weather conditions caused by the El Niño phenomenon are creating higher levels of dust than normal.
“We are implementing enhanced measures through the installation of dust nets adjacent to residential areas and limiting speed limits for vehicles. It also rained on Tuesday after a long period of heat, so that will significantly lessen the dust in the air,” Citicore said.
The firm said it will be using molasses to thicken the soil and lessen the dry particles that can be blown in the wind.
“We are in touch with the barangay and LGU to provide assistance for affected members of the community, including medical missions and other assistance to the nearby communities,” it said.
“This is an isolated case in our construction of solar plants. We assure the community that we are working round the clock to the address this issue and request for their cooperation,” Citicore added.*