THE Cagayan de Oro City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) on Thursday, November 16, said the reported pollution of the river near Barangay Pagalungan and San Simon which reportedly is causing skin irritation among residents as well as fish kill reports in the same area are not true.
Clenro said the sanitary landfill in Barangay Pagalungan has been in operation for almost seven months and all criteria and conditions set forth in Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) report were strictly followed.
Oliver Egypto, head of the Solid Waste Management Task Force, said the allegations against the sanitary landfill in Barangay Pagalungan are just sweeping allegations as the result in the laboratory tests are saying otherwise.
Egypto added there were no recorded violations in the operation of the sanitary landfill.
On September 27, Water Quality of the Sanitary Landfill was monitored using the parameters such as pH, temperature, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Dissolved Oxygen, Total and Fecal Coliform.
The recent result of the water analysis showed that the parameters for the creek discharge at Iponan River were within standard.
Bencyrus Ellorin, City Hall consultant, meanwhile, urged the complainant to provide evidence of the alleged fish kill and leak of garbage lecheate from the landfill.
On October 18, barangay council of San Simon passed a resolution for the reported health hazard caused by the landfill such as fish kill, floating worms, water contamination, and itchiness on the bodies of the residents of the barangay.
The resolution also included a call for the immediate transfer of the landfill to another location far from the Iponan River.
Egypto said they were able to secure the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and mentioned it to Rodolfo Nacario, the barangay captain of San Simon.
"Nakurat ko ana kay pag raised ko ana kay kapitan, ang iyang giingon kay 'Ay, dili ko motuo anang ECC,' (I was shocked when I raised it to Barangay Captain Rodolfo Nacario, he said ‘I will not believe in the ECC’)" Egypto said.
Pagalungan village chief Eric Naparete, meanwhile, said he did not issue any complaints in regards to the alleged problems posed by the landfill.
Naparete said he has not received any report of a fish kill and of residents supposedly complaining of skin irritation.
"Kung tinuod nga naay kagaw, unang maapektuhan ang Pagalungan ayha pa dayun ang San Simon. Mabuot ba nato sabton nga nanglaktod lugar ang kagaw, giuna lugar ang San Simon (If the its true that there are germs, the first to be affected is Barangay Pagalungan then Barangay San Simon. Does this mean the germs skipped Barangay Pagalungan and started affecting Barangay San Simon)?" Naparete said.
Naparete echoed Clenro's statement saying there was no leakage of garbage lecheate in Iponan River.