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Thursday, August 25, 2005
Legislators nix Tuba request for landfill exemption
By Jane Cadalig
THE Provincial Board (PB) of Benguet refused to endorse Tuba's request for exemption from coverage of Republic Act (RA) 9003 which mandates local government units (LGUs) to construct a sanitary landfill waste disposal facility by 2007.
Tuba sought the legislative body's endorsement of its request to the National Solid Waste Management Committee.
But the PB, in a resolution, said it could not support the municipality because the latter's appeal runs counter with the law, and is also inconsistent with the province's campaign for environmental protection.
Board Member Aloysius Kato, chairman of the PB committee on environment, instead advised Tuba municipal officials to proceed with the establishment of its sanitary landfill.
This, as he explained that Tuba already started right in its waste management program when it was included as one of the 50 municipalities chosen as models in the local government unit-wide ecological solid waste management system.
Tuba ranked No. 18 among the LGUs that are already way ahead in implementing RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, as certified by then Environment Secretary Elizea Guzon in January 2003.
"Tuba should not retract, it has already started right. It should instead proceed implementing the provisions of the law," Kato said.
The municipality earlier passed a resolution asking the National Solid Waste Management Committee to exempt the town from the implementation of the sanitary landfill project.
Tuba municipal officials stated in their resolution that the town's solid waste is only minimal that the construction of a sanitary landfill is no longer a need.
Tuba is a second-class municipality generating around 3,000 kilos of garbage a month.
Officials claim that this volume does not include reusable and recyclable waste materials, "hence, a sanitary landfill is not feasible."
They said instead of putting up a sanitary landfill, the town should construct and maintain the controlled dumping facility.
RA 9003 mandates all LGUs to convert their controlled dumpsites to a sanitary landfills by 2007.
(August 25, 2005 issue)
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