Another illegal garbage dumpsite rises in city
DAGUPAN City Hall is under fire for dumping garbage extracted from the its open dumpsite to two private lots in Bonuan Boquig, still officials of Barangay Tambac in the city decided on setting up its own dumpsite in the barangay to the consternation of the residents.
The new source of irritation is the growing pile of garbage on yet another private property in Sitio Gayaman, Barangay Tambac owned by Kagawad Danny Sabolboro of Barangay Tambac.
Deliberately hidden from the public and the prying eyes of the media, the ongoing dumping became known when residents in adjacent areas came forward to protest the nauseating stench from the open dumpsite.
Residents in Sitio Gayaman, suffering from the smell of decaying garbage, have expressed fear over the health risks of the waste in their neighbourhood through a hand-written letter sent to Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Leduina Co, copy furnished Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).
The complainants, who preferred to be known collectively as “Concerned Citizens of Barangay Tambac”, deplored the dumping and the burning of garbage near residential houses, blaming barangay officials for this.
“Dito nagtatapon ng basura at dito din po sinusunog malapitsa bahay namin,” the letter reads.
They confirmed that trucks regularly unload garbage in the area and expressed fears that as soon as the rains come, the dumped garbage would spread uncontrollably to adjacent residential homes.
The residents asked the DENR and the SP to investigate the situation before it gets worse.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has already ruled that the hauling and dumping of garbage from the dumpsite to a private property is illegal and violates environmental laws.
The DENR recently warned that it will not allow more dumpsites to rises in Dagupan.
It also considered that the transfer of garbage from the dumpsite to any place constitutes a violation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological and Solid Waste Management Act and would hold the lot owner liable as well.
Rodolfo Ocampo of the DENR, maintained that the transfer and dumping of garbage to another place require Environmental Compliance Certificate, but pointed out that there can be no two dumpsites in one town or city.
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