OpinionsEye OpenerAssessment of landfill suitability

Assessment of landfill suitability

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Garbage disposal has been a major headache for Dumaguete which generates as much as 80 metric tons of rubbish every day.

The Technical Working Group created by Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo to prepare the Closure Plan of the existing 50-year old dumpsite in Bgy. Candau-ay and also to advise him about the suitable site for the establishment of Sanitary Landfill.

The primary purpose of looking for a suitable site is to implement final disposal of the wastes by sanitary methods and with minimum environmental impact. This is also in compliance to RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 which mandates LGUs all over the country to establish sanitary landfills after Feb. 16, 2006.

Since alliance building as regards clustering of municipalities for SLF construction and operation can result in economies of scale (World Bank/NEDA et al. 2007), there is a need for a cluster of LGUs to have common disposal facilities.

Section 44 of RA 9003 provides that — Pursuant to Sec. 33 of R.A. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code, all provinces cities, municipalities and barangays, through appropriate ordinances, are hereby mandated to consolidate, or coordinate their efforts, services, and resources for purposes of jointly addressing common solid waste management problems and/or establishing common waste disposal facilities.

However, there are some factors to be considered in clustering. These are: willingness to host, change of leadership, social acceptability, economic viability, income and cost-sharing scheme, proximity of the SLF facility, availability and suitability of the area, willingness to cluster, and willingness to pay tipping fee.

Since Aug. 11, the TWG has been able to conduct quick assessments during its ocular inspection of four candidate sites for the SLF:Malaunay in Valencia on Aug. 11; Balili in San Antonio, Sibulan on Sept. 11; Sulodpan in Bacong on Sept. 14; Tunga-tunga in Dauin on Sept. 19; Calabnugan in Sibulan, and Napakao in Siaton on Sept. 26.

Basis for the assessment are the DENR/National Solid Waste Management Commission guidelines on the suitability of sites for sanitary landfills (NSWMC Re. No. 64,s. 20013), Section 40 of RA 9003, and Rule XIV of the IRR for RA 9003 prescribing the minimum considerations for siting with 13 specific parameters and corresponding exclusion and conditional criteria.

The exclusion criteria refer to the requirements that have to be fully and absolutely satisfied during the initial screening of proposed landfill sites. The conditional criteria are “remediable” criteria that could render a site suitable if siting considerations are complied with or mitigation measures are implemented.

Section 1 of NSWMC Res. No. 64 provides that the following parameters shall be used to identify and screen feasible sites for categorized sanitary landfill facilities: Proximity to groundwater resources, Proximity to perennial surface waters, Local geological conditions (underlying rock formation), Seismic conditions (proximity to faults), Soil properties and availability of cover material, Topography (terrain and slope), Vulnerability to flooding, Proximity to residential areas and other sensitive land users, Proximity to ecologically sensitive or environmentally critical areas, Consistency with current or proposed land use classification, Proximity to airports, Landfill area and lifespan, and Haul distance, accessibility and road conditions.

Following such parameters, from my own personal quick assessment during the initial screening, Calabnugan, Sibulan,and Tunga-tunga, Dauin have satisfied most number of siting requirements.

Napakao, Siaton, #6
The Technical Working Group had to walk – under the excruciating heat from the sun – about 20 kms. to and from Bgy. Napakao, Siaton via Bgy. Salngan walking along arduous, winding pathways and awfully rough, rugged, stony, and muddy terrain just to see ourselves the site for sanitary landfill and conduct the necessary assessment.

The 10-hectare site, which is about 50 kms. from Dumaguete, is almost surrounded by flowing water and creeks, with rice farm, bamboos, native trees, and some houses. My quick assessment: Technically, environmentally, and economically, the site is not good for sanitary landfill.

Calabnugan, Sibulan #5
My quick assessment after ocular inspection: The 10-hectare site in Calabnugan, Sibulan is better than Tunga-Tunga, Dauin for sanitary landfill in terms of distance (8 kms from City Hall), travel time (18 minutes from City Hall), technical, environmental, and economic requirements.

Tunga-tunga, Dauin #4
In our recent conversation with Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Alanano, the municipality of Dauin during his incumbency as mayor had reserved about 20 hectares of land area in Bgy. Tunga-tunga as a sanitary landfill area under the town’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan as approved by DENR. A portion of the area was already bought by the municipality. Municipal ownership of a portion of the area and the CLUP approval containing the zonified landfill area were also confirmed by Municipal Planning & Development Coordinator Rosabelle Sanchez in a short talk with her. She said that there was already an initial geologic study made by the MGB of DENR whose result was favorable.

Tunga-tunga is one of the 23 barangays of Dauin town. When we visited the proposed site in the barangay we measured its distance and travel time from Dumaguete. The site is about 19 kms from Dumaguete. Travel time is 26 minutes. The underlying soil of the site is clay which is good for SLF.

Sulodpan, Bacong #3rd
Many people are making the area as a source of livelihood by extracting sands for hollow block making and construction materials. We personally saw during our inspection some individuals extracting sands and a number of trucks loading the materials.

Utilizing a quarry estimated at three hectares which has been illegally extracted with sand for more 20 years or more, and now having a current height of about 20 feet, is hazardous. This might contaminate groundwater sources and create an environmental nightmare. The sandy soil in the proposed site is not suitable for liner construction. Suitable soil such as clay may be brought in to the site or, certain materials could be used to amend the existing soil and reduce its permeability. Bentonites have often been used for this purpose since it swells heavily upon addition of water and thus, forms a low-permeability medium. This makes the creation of SLF in the area expensive.

Former Dumaguete City Administrator Engr. Dominador Dumalag Jr. reported that the sand was deposited in the area and in neighboring barangays during a huge flood sometime in 1950 that destroyed so many houses and lives. The cause of the flood was in upper Bacong and Dauin area. An earth dam caused by a landslide broke down due to heavy rains. He said that after typhoon Sindong in 2011, he and his provincial staff inspected the area and had the opportunity of talking to the people in the vicinity who related to them that they thought it was the end of the world when a huge landslide occurred opposite the PNOC viewing area in Dauin.

An earth dam was again created in the galley at the foot of Cuernos de Negros but not much water was impounded. He expressed his personal belief that Bacong is not a suitable site for a landfill. He said, across Bgy. Camanjac in the upper Sibulan area, in the vicinity of the Perdices lot could be a suitable area to consider.

Engr. Dumalag stressed that Bayawan City landfill is a must-see site. Technical they were assisted by the DED (German Development Service). The location and operation of the landfill could be a basis for future landfills.

Balili, San Antonio, Sibulan #2
There are houses within 250 meters from the proposed site. The site is hilly, its slope is about 30 percent or more, there is water source downstream, and there are noticeable endemic species of trees. There are coconut trees, bananas, etc. The area is covered with green vegetation and healthy growing plant species.

Malaunay, Valencia # 1
Going uphill to Malaunay, there are portions that are land and rock slide prone.

Based on the written report of TWG members Dr. Jorge Emmanuel and Engr Stanley Ebelewics, the Maluanay site is about 420 meters of the main Ocoy River in the south-southeast direction and about 470 meters of a major tributary of the Ocoy River in the east-northeast direction. Based on elevation data from Google Earth, the site, at an elevation of about 650 meters, is upgradient of the Ocoy River and of the tributary. Most of the perennial Ocoy River and its headwaters flowing south of the Malaunay site are within 750 meters of the site. If not properly contained, runoff from the site could contaminate the Ocoy River, its headwaters, and one of its major tributaries.

There are at least 12 houses visible within 100-150 meters of the proposed site. Within 1 km are many houses, at least one basketball court, and possibly a school.

As part of the TWG, the foregoing are just mostly my quick and initial personal assessment. It is highly recommended that a more detailed assessment in terms of the technical, environmental, social and economic dimensions of the candidate sites should be done thoroughly by the TWG to aide planners, policy and decision makers in informed decision making.

What is more crucial to the success of the proposed SLF project is the political and social acceptability by the affected communities.

________________________________

Author’s email: [email protected]

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