Still a ‘no go’ for Bayambang sanitary landfill
BAYAMBANG – The planned sanitary project in this town has not been given a green and go status.
According to Mayor Leocadio de Vera on Thursday, he is still awaiting the provincial board’s decision endorsing the resolution of the Sangguniang Bayan of Bayambang granting a private firm the authority to build and operate a multi-million peso sanitary landfill.
He said the fate of the project is now in the hands of the provincial board, saying that as far as he is concerned, he is in no hurry.
But he told newsmen that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has already written many local government units threatening to impose fines at P50,000 per month for maintaining open dumpsites.
Under the Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act No. 9003, LGUs were given by the DENR up to three years within which to switch from open dumpsites to sanitary landfill.
Since the planned sanitary landfill in barangay Dusoc, Bayambang can serve the requirements of all towns and cities in the province, De Vera said the town will actually save many LGUs from spending to construct their own sanitary landfills.
The public hearing on the resolution of the municipal council was held on October 20, two weeks after the municipal resolution was forwarded to the provincial board.
Meanwhile, many said the resolution of the municipal council may have already been deemed approved because 45-day period mandated by the Local Government Code within which the provincial board can review resolutions passed by municipal and city councils has lapsed.
But the provincial board has not issued any statement to affirm the approval.
Meanwhile, it was determined that the opposition to the landfill project mainly came from residents of two barangays of San Carlos City, namely Magtaking and Taloy whose presence were hired.
The protest rallies were reportedly organized by a wealthy businessman for the public hearing October 20 in Bayambang and almost every week at the provincial capitol in Lingayen.
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