Rama sets full closure of landfill this January

CEBU, Philippines - Cognizant of the danger to public health and environment brought by the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill, the Cebu City government is set to completely shut down the facility on January 15.

“Next year would be the ultimate closure of the landfill,” said Mayor Michael Rama yesterday.

He eyes the setting up of a P3.5-billion mixed-use development project at the landfill proposed by the Korean-based company. The project will be under a public-private partnership scheme that would be at no cost to the city.

The company is said to develop, rehabilitate, and convert the landfill as site for multi-purpose development projects.

The accumulated plastic wastes and tons of wastes deposited at the landfill would also be processed and converted to “fluff plastic fuels” to be sold as fossil fuels at either P1 or at P0.50 per kilo to the APO Cement Plant in the City of Naga, Cebu and other local cement manufacturers or paper mill companies.

The final rate, though, will still be deliberated by members of the Solid Waste Management Board.

Lawyer Jade Ponce, chairman of the city’s Land Management Council, said south district barangays are still dumping at the landfill residual waste of at least 200 tons of garbage a day.

“We are strictly closing it down to give way for a huge project that would increase the marketability of the South Road Properties. (This would be an) ultimate closure. (It would) not even be used as an alternate site for dumping; no exceptions,” he said.

On March 30, 2011, Rama ordered the closure of the landfill “to all forms of municipal solid waste, except segregated and residual waste.”

And effective December 10, 2011, a cessation order was issued against the dumping of all forms of solid waste at the landfill. 

The order also came with a directive that all solid wastes be transported to a duly licensed facility, such as the private lot in the City of Naga currently used as alternative dumpsite catering to all south barangays in south district. 

The 15-hectare Inayawan Landill facility has been in operation for the past 15 years it has already reached its maximum capacity and now poses hazard to public health and the environment.

A recent study by the University of San Carlos entitled “Fate and transport of chromium, lead and mercury in the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill” highlighted the risk caused by dangerous metals.

The study revealed the alarming above tolerable levels of toxic substances at the landfill above average levels and likely generated from mercury-contained household solid waste products. —(FREEMAN)