Environment office junks landfill plan

THE search for an engineered sanitary landfill for Baguio and other Benguet towns faces another setback.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) disallowed the development of an engineered sanitary landfill (ESL) in Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet, which lies in a protected area.
DENR regional executive director Clarence Baguilat said the development of an ESL in Sitio Tapak in Ampucao will violate the National Integrated Protected Areas System law.

This prohibition was relayed to Baguilat by Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau Director Mundita Lim.

Lim told Baguilat the development of the ESL cannot be allowed since the proposed site is covered by the Lower Agno River watershed reservation.

The DENR forwarded the decision to Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan, Itogon Mayor Oscar Camantiles, Ampucao village chief Eddie Amuasen and Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan.

Among the effects of developing a portion of the watershed into a landfill site is the possible contamination of water due to seepage of leachate into the ground.

Earlier, Fongwan, Domogan and Amuasen entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Amoucao site as an ESL with a South Korean company as investor.

Initially, the regional Protected Areas and Management Bureau voted for the area to be given a certification to proceed in securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate but the recent directive dimmed hopes, especially for Baguio City, to have a permanent dumping ground for its residual wastes.