THE Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Natural and Environment Resources (DENR) has sent out warning notices to several local government units (LGU), including Dagupan, for their continued failure to comply with RA 9003, specifically for operating open or controlled dumpsites.

According to EMB’s Regional Director Joel Salvador of the Environmental Management, several mayors are already facing cases before the Ombudsman filed by non-government organizations but he did not identify the erring town executives in the region.

Under Republic Act No. 9003, or the Solid Waste Management Act, operation of open dumpsites and controlled dumpsites are already illegal.

He was silent, however, on any pending action against Dagupan, the host of the forum, for its continued operation of the open dumpsite in Bonuan district.

The DENR official revealed that throughout the country, there are 1,172 LGUs still using the banned open dumpsites while only 34 have constructed their own sanitary landfills while another 50 are still undergoing construction.

In Pangasinan, only Urdaneta City has a sanitary landfill which was opened recently.

The law imposes a fine of P500,000 on LGUs for failing to build own sanitary landfills.

CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES

Meanwhile National Solid Waste Management Commission Provincial Director Eliseo Ildefonso urged forum participants including representatives from neighboring towns to consider cheaper ways to dispose of wastes if LGUs cannot afford to construct sanitary landfills.

He said sanitary landfill may not be feasible for many towns since it requires huge funding.

The successful “Zero Waste” program of Sual town through garbage segregation and recycling was cited as the best success story for a cheaper waste disposal system.

The system enables the community to use residuals like plastic products as added mix for making bricks and hollow blocks.

Ildefonso said another option is the use of incinerators but acknowledged that there is resistance to it due to the possible negative impact on the environment.

Ildefonso, speaking during a consultative forum on engineered sanitary landfill initiated by the

Dagupan City government, said a sanitary landfill is just one of the options for LGUs as an alternative to open and controlled dumpsites.

Dagupan organized the forum to look into possible joint waste disposal systems that it can undertake with neighboring LGUs under the clustering system.

The City Waste Management officer-in-charge Teddy Villamil said representatives of these LGUs are a step closer towards signing a memorandum of understanding on the need to put up a clustered engineered sanitary landfill.

DAGUPAN’S LANDFILL

Dagupan, under the previous term of incumbent Mayor Benjamin Lim, bought land in San Jacinto town intended as a sanitary landfill site.

However, the city lost both the money and the land after it was determined that the area was placed under the coverage of the agrarian reform program before the sale was transacted.

In an earlier report from the city hall, Lim was quoted as having expressed interest to revive his sanitary landfill project in San Jacinto but it did not state how he proposes to do it since the city has lost any claim to the P16 million agricultural land.

SEGREGATION

Meanwhile, the communities were urged to collaborate in promoting effective waste management.

Salvador said waste segregation, recycling and composting must begin at the household level.

Barangays, he pointed out, must take the lead in ensuring that waste management programs are properly implemented.

Salvador stressed that barangay officials who fail in this responsibility could face sanctions.–LM (With report from DOS/PIA Pangasinan)

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