Wednesday, April 09, 2008 DENR warns vs dumpsites in Negros Oriental By Victor L. Camion
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has warned local government units in Negros Oriental to stop operating uncontrolled dumpsite facilities.
In a forum conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) held at Bethel Guest House recently, Antonio Cabrido, chief of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro), said they would start penalizing next year those local governments that continue using uncontrolled dumpsites.
Cabrido stressed that these uncontrolled dumpsites contribute a lot to the contamination of groundwater because of leachates.
"Leachates (from uncontrolled dumpsites) directly contaminate groundwater sources," he said.
An Online Medical Dictionary defines leachates as liquids percolated through waste piles. It can also include various minerals, organic matter, and other contaminants that can easily contaminate surface or ground water.
Bayawan, Tanjay, Canlaon, Siaton, Valencia, Sibulan, Pamplona and Manjuyod are among the towns and cities that still operates uncontrolled dumpsites, Cabrido said during a forum in connection with the celebration of the Philippine Earth Day "Tubig ay Buhay: Ating Pagyamanin at Linisin" on April 22.
However, Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez Jr. said the local government of Valencia is thinking of using a public land in Barangay Dobdob for the proposed sanitary landfill.
There is also a proposed Metro Dumaguete clustered sanitary landfill in Barangay Tunga-tunga, Dauin, Negros Oriental, he added.
Based on the proposal, the towns of Zamboanguita, Dauin, Bacong, Valencia, Sibulan, San Jose and Dumaguete City will use the proposed sanitary landfill in Dauin.
As of April, he said the proposal has yet to be finalized, he said.
Mayor German Saraña, on the other hand, said the local government of Bayawan has acquired a five-hectare lot for its sanitary landfill.
Cabrido stressed that in six cities and 19 municipalities in the province, only Bais City has a sanitary landfill. Other cities like Dumaguete are operating controlled dumpsites.
Controlled dumpsites, Cabrido said, is allowed by the law.
