CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Governor Lilia Pineda issued a marching order to the Capitol's environment office and all local government unit chiefs to check and monitor quarry trucks with waste backloads.
Newly appointed Environment and Natural Resources Office (Enro) chief Art Punsalan said Pineda has issued a marching order for all municipal chief executives to monitor areas where the toxic wastes are being dumped following reports that toxic waste from some hospitals in Metro Manila is dumped in the province.
"We are now verifying these and we have been receiving reports of toxic waste backloads from Manila. The Governor has issued a marching order on this and we are moving ahead with our investigation," Punsalan said.
An official of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) on Sunday divulged that some quarry sites and idle lands in Pampanga are being used as dump sites for Manila's toxic wastes.
ADCL's Sonny Dobles said a number of quarry trucks with backloads coming from Manila are reportedly dumping toxic wastes in Barangay Manuali in Porac town.
"Matagal na nilang ginagawa iyan, tinatabunan lang nila ng buhangin para hindi gaanong mahalata," Dobles added.
Porac Vice Mayor Dexter David admitted that the dumping site in the said barangay is illegal as it does not comply with the requirements of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The Provincial Board and the municipal council of Porac vowed to conduct separate investigations on the veracity of the report that toxic and hazardous wastes from public and private hospitals from Metro Manila are being dumped by quarry truckers in Pampanga.
The Enro has been requested by the group to inspect quarry trucks from the exit and entry points in the province to prevent unauthorized dumping of garbage here.
Punsalan said they would bring the issue of illegal dumping of toxic waste before the Provincial Development Council.
He added they would continue the survey, inspection, and investigation of the said reports, including illegal open and controlled dump sites in the province. (Herbert P. Mapiles/With reports from Jovi T. De Leon)