Naghain ng kasong kriminal at administratibo ang Quezon for Environment (QUEEN)—kasama ang iba pang indibidwal at grupo—laban kay Department of Energy (DOE) Sec. Sharon Garin matapos nitong aprubahan ang 1,2000 Megawatt (MW) Atimonan One Energy Inc. (AOE) ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant project sa Atimonan, Quezon.

Sa inilabas na ulat ng Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) nitong Lunes, Nobyembre 3, sinabi ni QUEEN lead convenor Fr. Warren Puno na mahigpit umanong tinututulan hindi lang ng simbahan kundi maging ng mga residente ng Atimonan ang naturang proyekto.

“There is overwhelming opposition against the construction of the Atimonan coal plant. It is not just the church but the people of Atimonan and Quezon Province. Besides, the economic and financial arguments are clearly against it,” saad ni Puno.

Dagdag pa niya, “No one is interested in investing in the construction of coal plants anymore, as their era has passed. Even the past DOE leadership has given up on it. DOE Secretary Garin has created a mess, and now she has to face the consequences.”

Probinsya

Unang fully air-conditioned public school, bukas na sa San Pedro, Laguna

Isinampa sa opisina ng Ombudsman ang kaso laban kay Garin dahil sa paglabag umano nito sa Republic Act No. 3019 o Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. 

Bukod dito, ayon kay PMCJ chief legal counsel Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, sinuway din umano ni Garin ang Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 2021-0001 ng Department of Health (DOH) at Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) dahil hindi pa umano nakakapagsumite ng aplikasyon ang project proponent para sa Health Impact Clearance Certificate.

Matatandaang nag-isyu ng coal moraturium ang DOE noong 2020 para ipatigil ang development sa itinatayong coal-fired power plant sa Atimonan. 

Ngunit noong Hulyo 2025 ay muling nag-isyu ang ahensya ng “committed capacity” status para sa nasabing proyekto.