THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)-Davao guaranteed that the waste-to-energy (WTE) facility to be implemented in Davao City would not deteriorate the city’s safe air quality.
DENR-EMB-Davao ambient air quality monitoring unit head Melvin Dapitanon said that prior to the approval of the project, he said the city government, in coordination with the agency, had thoroughly deliberated and studied it.
No Burn Philippines (NBP) is one of the groups who are against the WTE facility, who even called to boycott all local officials seeking candidacy who supported for its approval to the city council in the 2019 midterm election.
Former city vice mayor Bernard Al-ag denied the group’s claim that the project was not transparent and would violate the Clean Air Act.
Dapitanon said that the public would not have to worry since the WTE facility will have a “high-end technology”, which other countries have been using throughout the years.
“WTE is being considered in Davao City since our sanitary landfill is kalot then tabon (the soil is being digged then buried the garbage),” he said.
He added,”Our landfill is overly exhausted since the Solid Waste Management in the city has not been properly implemented”.
He said most of the wastes, including biodegrable, are being dumped in the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill in Tugbok District.
The environment official said the city’s current landfill has long been exhausted, causing the city to result in the utilization of the WTE facility.
Meanwhile, the 10-hectare WTE project worth P2.5 billion in Biao Escuela, Tugbok District is projected to begin before the year ends.
In a previous report, the funding of the project will be coming from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. (RGL)