THE Environment and Management Bureau (EMB) Cordillera regional office disclosed that the proposed engineered sanitary landfill (ESL) of Itogon in Tapak, Ampucao is not suitable in the area.
Reynaldo Digamo, EMB-CAR regional director, said in his report that the ESL, aside from within the protected area under the National Integrated Protected Area System Act, the area covers part of the Lower Agno Watershed Forest Reservation.
A site assessment was conducted by representatives of EMB-Car and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Cordillera with the representatives of Itogon and Barangay Ampucao on August 2 to look into the viability of the area as an ESL.
In a memorandum on September 4, it was concluded the proposed site for sanitary landfill did not meet the absolute criteria set in the National Solid Waste Management Commission Resolution No. 64 series of 2013 specifically items 1,2,3,5,6,7, and 9.
The criteria include proximity to groundwater resources, proximity of perennial surface waters, local geological conditions, soil properties and availability of cover material, vulnerability to flooding and proximity to ecologically sensitive or environmentally critical areas.
A copy of the environment bureau’s letter was forwarded to Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan citing the findings and recommendations in the proposed ESL in Tapak.
Palangdan previously manifested the proposed ESL can cater including Baguio City in Ampucao.
The Itogon official added out of the nine barangays of the municipality, barangay Ampucao covers the widest area. In the proposed ESL, residuals can only be accommodated.
The proposed area, once realized, aims to solve the garbage woes and can accommodate trash from Baguio, La Trinidad, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay.
Last year, some 256 residents along Philex-Kias road have signed the petition opposing the proposed ESL site calling President Rodrigo Duterte to intervene in the proposed ESL in the area.
The petitioners recommended the delisting of the area under the National Protected Areas System (Nipas) Act of 1992 being part of the Lower Agno Watershed and Forest Reserved.
According to the petitioners, residents living near, along and below the proposed area deserve clean air and a healthy living.
Moreover, the creeks and rivers downstream that supply water to San Roque Dam, some part of the province of Pangasinan depends on the rivers and creeks as their source of water for their daily household and livelihood use.
The petition is also seeking for the intervention of the President and his non-approval of the segregation of the proposed area in the LAWFR and the delisting of the area from the Nipas law.