Saturday, June 07, 2008 Landfill needs improvement: DENR advice
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 has urged Talisay City Hall to improve the management of the sanitary landfill in the mountain barangay of Tapul.
“Talisay City did a good job in solving their solid wastes management problem. However, much is yet to be done to improve the solid waste management system that is already in place,” read the March 5 letter of DENR 7 Director Alan C. Arranguez.
Arranguez told Mayor Socrates Fernandez that the DENR 7 technical staff made an ocular inspection last April 9 and noticed that the City has indeed done its part to address the solid waste management problem at the landfill.
However, Arranguez cited five points to further improve the City-run facility:
* Completion of the perimeter drainage system and fence;
* Regular maintenance of the drainage system;
* Recovery of the materials at the source (barangay or household level) and or at the landfill site using the material recovery facility;
* Maintenance of the leachate treatment system and;
* Installation of the required gas vents.
For her part, engineer Christine Homez, city planning and development coordinator, echoed Arranguez’s recommendations, saying that immediate compliance with the DENR’s requirements “will surely prevent or minimize adverse environmental impact, which includes water source contamination, pollution and global warming.”
Same recommendation
Homez said she has recommended improving the status of the landfill by establishing drainage systems, leachate systems and installation of gas vents.
The opening of the sanitary landfill in Tapul, was in compliance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, that outlaws open dumpsites in the country.
However, the City encountered problems when the DENR 7 noted that the landfill in Tapul has reportedly been operating without the necessary environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
Apart from the lack of waste management facilities, the City Hall cited the non-transfer of title of some private lots as one of the hitches of its compliance with the DENR’s requirements for ECC. (GC)
