For many years now, the dumpsite located in Bgy. Candau-ay has been operating beyond its full storage capacity. Its continued existence posed hazards to public health, at the same time, has threatened the environment, livability situation of the people, and placed the sanitary conditions of the city at risk.
Numerous notices have been sent to the city government warning about the dangers that the landfill poses to the immediate community and to the entire city. A number of “closure orders” and “authority to close” have been issued to clamp down the dumpsite. Unfortunately, the dumpsite continues to operate and the accumulated volume of solid waste deposited had already reached beyond its intended storage capacity.
Given this situation in Dumaguete, the big question is, which should come first, closure of the Candau-ay dumpsite or building of a sanitary landfill?
But here are the forthcoming issues if we close it today: where shall we put our mounting garbage? Leave the trash to pile high uncollected in the streets? Or allow households to burn their garbage?
Section 37 of Republic Act No. 9003 otherwise known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 provides that no open dumps shall be allowed three years following the effectivity of the Act, further, controlled dumpsite shall be allowed five years following the effectivity of the Act. Therefore, all open and controlled dumpsites should have been phased out and closed as of Feb.16, 2006.
Thus, my proposal is to construct first the sanitary landfill and make it available for use before shutting down the dumpsite in Candau-ay. However, we need to move fast because the process alone of siting and developing the sanitary landfill takes so much time. We don’t want to see the problem left unsolved within the term of office of the present administration simply because of lack of material time.
I, therefore, suggest that the following steps be taken when planning to build the sanitary landfill and complete shutdown the Candau-ay dumpsite:
Siting Study for Sanitary Landfill. Screening of at least five potential sites to identify at least three candidate sites (that meet most of the site selection criteria):
Technical, economic, and environmental feasibility.
Outputs: Environmental audit report, economic analysis comparing the three candidate sites, safety, and engineering study.
Recommend one site based on all of the comparative assessments conducted.
Estimate the size of sanitary landfill site required for a minimum life of 10 years.
The size of the landfill pit depends on the amount of trash that will go into it. All pits should be narrower at the bottom to prevent them from collapsing.
Note: For health and safety reasons, a sanitary landfill site should be at least some meters away from earthquake fault lines, from fresh water such as rivers, streams, ponds or swamps; away from homes, wells or other drinking water sources, away from coastal water, protected forests; and not a flood zone.
Social and political acceptability.
Resolution of social acceptability by the barangay council. A barangay assembly is required.
Resolution of social acceptability by the Sangguniang Bayan/Panlungsod. Public hearing is required.
Procurement of lot or site for the sanitary landfill
Planning and Design
Environmental Impact Assessment Study for ECC issuance
Program of Work preparation and approval
Bidding and Procurement of supplies and materials
Construction in 10 months to a year, P13 to 15 million (where one hectare good for 10 years)
Preparation for Candau-ay dumpsite closure in six to 10 months, P2 to 5 million (stabilization of critical slopes, soil and vegetation cover, perimeter/surface drainage system, leachate collection system with ponds and tanks, gas mgt system, monitoring wells, fencing and signages)
Physical closure. Cessation of all forms of dumping.
Post closure management (operation, maintenance, and monitoring)
Post closure land use (agricultural, open space/parks, MRF and composting).
In the legal arena, there is an aphorism that says “justice delayed is justice denied.” In the case of the Dumaguete garbage dumpsite vs. landfill issue, time is of the essence. If we don’t act now, we may never be able to solve this predicament ever. Thus, all of us will become useless spectators of a problem that could have been solved if only we took action without delay.
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Author’s email: wea_129@yahoo.com
