• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod city government has temporarily halted all hauling, transfer, and disposal of waste at the development site near the old dumpsite on Buri Road, Barangay Mandalagan, pending a formal technical clearance and disposal plan from the Environmental Management Bureau-Negros Island Region.
Mayor Greg Gasataya said Aug. 14 that the temporary status quo followed the coordination meeting with representatives from the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office, the City Legal Office, the City Administrator’s Office, and project developers Ikthus Bacolod and JQua Construction.
It was agreed upon that EMB-NIR will submit to the city a disposal plan on the garbage in Brgy. Mandalagan, he said.
Other measures currently being finalized include formulating EMB-led transfer protocols, and securing endorsement from the Solid Waste Management Board.
The city said that previous efforts to haul the old waste were delayed because Cell No. 4 of the city’s sanitary landfill had already reached maximum capacity, while Cell No. 5 was still under construction.
With Cell No. 5 now completed and fully operational, it will be the primary option for relocated waste, the city said. | TMD
