Application for Certificate of Non-Coverage PACUAN-GUINOBAAN HYDROPOWER PROJECT

1. Pre-Construction Phase

Preconstruction phase activities include pre-feasibility, feasibility study and associated surveys and detailed engineering design. The activities during this phase of the implementation of the project are mostly office assignments, except for surveys needed to complete the feasibility study. These surveys are topographic survey, bathymetric, soil boring, sea/ocean gauging and environmental survey work. These activities have very minimal environmental impacts. 2. Construction/Development Phase

Site clearing will be conducted in areas where construction will take place such as the weir site, the s portal, the power house, upper and lower headrace, tail race and access road alignment. Access road construction shall entail cutting of slopes and filling of low areas. With the presence of barangay roads within the project site, access road construction will be limited to upgrading and maintenance of the said existing roads. Tunnelling work will be carried out using the blast and drill method. The tunnel will be about 2 km long. With a planned diameter of about 3 meters, tunnel excavation will generate about 23,000 cubic meters of spoils. Subsequent to the site clearing is the civil works. This entails the actual construction of the different components of the hydropower project. 3. Operational Phase The operations of the project will entail the raising of water level upstream of the weir, diversion of water from a section of Pacuan-Guinobaan River to generate electricity and the transmission of power into the grid. The relatively significant impact of the operations of the power plant is the reduction of water flow between the weir and the power plant, a distance of about 2 km. This hydropower project is not expected to affect the irrigation project since its intake is located downstream of the power plant. Diverted water for power generation will be discharged back into the river through the tailrace at the power plant located upstream of the NIA irrigation intake. 4. Abandonment Phase Hydropower facilities, particularly run-of the river type have long service life. However, in the event of phase out of the Project due to obsolescence or other reasons, all project components will be decommissioned. As necessary, a systematic dismantling of installed equipment and machinery under proper supervision by the Proponent will be carried out. All used equipment and machinery shall be disposed in accordance with procedures acceptable to the DENR including but not limited to sale of materials to scrap dealers, auction of useable materials and equipment and return to their source of origin.