• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod city government has started using Cell No. 5 of the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa despite lacking an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and a Notice to Proceed (NTP).
Bacolod administrator, Atty. Mark Steven Mayo, also the officer-in-charge of the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO), said Aug. 5 that the city transitioned to Cell No. 5 after Cell No. 4 reached critical capacity.
He cited public safety risks caused by the overfilling of the fourth landfill section.
“We are now utilizing Cell No. 5 of the Bacolod sanitary landfill because Cell No. 4 is completely full. (This is) for public welfare and safety, which is the paramount consideration of Mayor Greg Gasataya’s administration, that is why we started using it,” Mayo said.
He said the city sent an official communication to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in the Negros Island Region July 30, to notify the agency of the critical condition of Cell No. 4 and the necessity of opening Cell No. 5.
“We notified them, but there was no response coming from the EMB, and we could not wait for a reply (before using Cell 5) because Cell No. 4 was already full and dangerous,” Mayo added.
The city administrator explained that the pending status of Cell No. 5’s ECC stems from unaddressed compliance issues associated with Cell No. 4 from previous the management, where records indicate no proof of an issued ECC or NTP.
The compliance issue and other matters are expected to be clarified during an EMB public hearing on the ECC application for Cell No. 4 on Aug. 20 at the Bacolod City Government Center. | TMD
