Friday, June 30, 2006
City collects P800T from trash violators
Cebu city Hall collected P800,000 from 20,000 violators of a local ordinance implementing the Solid Waste Management Act, one year after its implementation.
The collected fines represent the P500 compromise penalty of residents who violated City Ordinance Nos. 2031 and 1361, which complement the Solid Waste Management law.
Councilor Nestor Archival, chairman of the committee on environment, said the City could do better in implementing the law on waste segregation if it had enough garbage trucks.
Lack of trucks
The City started implementing Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and its enabling local ordinances last July 1.
“We still have not fully implemented the ordinance because we really lack garbage trucks that can collect segregated wastes every night, but hopefully before the Asean (summit), we will get the additional trucks that we need,” Archival told reporters yesterday.
Ordinance 2031 requires waste segregation and waste classification into biodegradable, non-biodegradable, reusable/recyclable, hazardous, and bulky wastes.
It prohibits the mixing of separated wastes, disposal beyond the scheduled time and outside the day of collection, and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Violators will be fined P1,000 or imprisoned for one to six months, or both, as deemed by the court. They can, however, pay P500 as compromise fee.
All fines collected will go to the City’s coffers.
10 to 20 more units
Ordinance No. 1361, on the other hand, prohibits spitting, urinating and defecating in public places, and posting of posters, handbills or scrawling graffiti on the walls of buildings.
Archival said they are having difficulty collecting segregated garbage during the designated days since the 15 garbage trucks available can’t cover all 80 barangays.
The City already bought five compactor trucks but they have yet to be delivered.
Archival is hopeful the City can buy 10 to 20 more trucks before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in December. (LCR)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 30, 2006 issue)
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