DENR says W2W project ideal for Dagupan
AN official of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department Of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 1 finally admitted that her office has been pushing for the implementation of a waste-to-energy project in Dagupan City for the past five years to solve the city’s worsening solid waste woes.
Engr. Maria Dorica Naz-Hipe, EMB director for Regon 1, said while waste segregation is already being done by the local government units, there is also a need to promote the waste-to-energy project.
“So, hopefully by next year, our budget for the waste to energy will be approved so we can further promote the waste to energy project,” Hipe said.
“Kasi, alam namin na limited din ang land for sanitary landfill eh kung maubos na itong mga lupa na pang SLF, the waste to energy facilities can be our last resort,” she told reporters in an interview at Monarch Hotel Thursday.
Hipe said initially sourcing funding for it was a problem but the private sector can be encouraged to also invest in the project in partnership with LGUs.
She noted that there used to be two LGUs in Pangasinan that wanted to pursue waste-to-energy and one of them was Dagupan.
“In fact they (Dagupan) already obtained an environmental compliance certificate but it looks like it did not materialize. But we’re hoping to see its realization soon,” Hipe said.
In Dagupan City and during the administration of former Mayor Been Fernandez, it partnered with Sure Global W2W, a U.S. based company headed by Jillian Boughton to build the W2W project.
“ We are promoting this, it is included in our budget proposal,” Hipe said.
She added that the waste-to-worth energy technology is now being practiced in many countries and depending on the technology and its pollution control facilities as well as its design, operation and maintenance, it can be adopted in the country.
Hipe also said being proposed by her office is a small-scale (waste-to-energy facility) that worth P16-million. Dagupan’s proposed W2W facility received a grant of P15 million. U.S. dollars and would be built at no cost to the city government.
The waste-to-energy can turn not only plastics but also tires, furniture and others to energy. (Eva Visperas)
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