• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday, Aug. 13 defended the proposed clustered sanitary landfill in La Castellana town amid the opposition from some sectors and concerns over its possible environmental and health impacts.
Lacson said the project is in accordance with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which requires local government units (LGUs) to establish sanitary landfill facilities for proper waste disposal.
He acknowledged that not all LGUs, particularly municipalities, have the financial capacity to establish their own facilities.
The law allows a host LGU to accommodate a sanitary landfill facility that can serve other local governments.
In this case, Lacson said that La Castellana will host the clustered waste management facility with assistance from the Negros Occidental provincial government.
The facility is expected to serve nine LGUs in southern Negros Occidental.
Lacson said the facility will implement strict waste segregation measures and will only accept non-recyclable materials.
“Very strict naman eh,” Lacson said, explaining that recyclable materials such as plastic bottles will not be allowed to end up in the landfill.
He cited the experience of San Carlos City, where waste sorters continue to operate even within the sanitary landfill facility to conduct final sorting and remove materials that should not be admitted to the landfill.
Lacson said plastic bottles and other recyclable materials will be separated and processed for possible reuse.
He also noted the recent developments in Murcia, where recycled plastics have been used in producing plastic chairs, saying a similar approach could be explored in La Castellana given the volume of plastic bottles that could be recovered.
“Again, we are within the law,” Lacson said, expressing appreciation to La Castellana officials and residents for agreeing to host the facility.
He said the project would benefit the entire province by providing more LGUs with access to sanitary landfill facilities and improving solid waste management.
La Castellana Mayor Anejo Nicor and Vice Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan assured residents and critics that safety measures would be implemented in the operation of the Clustered Waste Management Facility.
The facility has drawn concerns from some residents over potential environmental and health risks.
Nicor and Mangilimutan appealed for an open-minded and cooperative approach, emphasizing that the municipal government has no intention of putting the health and safety of residents at risk.
The top municipal officials maintained that appropriate safeguards would be put in place to ensure that the facility operates responsibly and in compliance with environmental and solid waste management requirements. | GPB
