Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco yesterday defended the 10-hectare garbage disposal facility project that is set to be established in his district, saying that it will even save the municipality at least P30 million. In a statement to The STAR, Tiangco said that the site, which is four kilometers away from the nearest residential area, is an ideal location for such a project because the garbage will be transported by barges since the area is not accessible by land.
"Transporting garbage by barges is practiced in several modern cities around the world," Tiangco asserted. Particularly, he said, the transport of garbage by barges is practiced in New York City and Tokyo, Japan.
"With the Tanza facility, the municipality of Navotas will be able to save at least P30 million per year since it will not be needing the services of a contractor, who is responsible for hauling garbage from the present transfer station at the corner of CA and R10 roads to its final destination," Tiangco pointed out.
"The savings would be put to use in pursuing its various development projects," he added.
Earlier, residents of Navotas expressed their opposition to the putting up of the dump as embodied in the Municipal Ordinance 2002-04.
The residents, who belong to the Koalisyon ng Mamamayan sa Navotas Laban sa Basura sa Tanza and Kontra Basura sa Tanza , claimed the Navotas Council passed the ordinance last Jan. 15 allegedly without comprehensive public consultation and thorough assessment.
The project is situated at the edge of Barangay Tanza facing Manila Bay.
The residents also raised fears of red tide prevalence in the area should the proposed landfill project push through.
The groups are also campaigning to prevent the establishment of the dump and compel the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to act on the matter and work for the recall of the permit given by the municipal government to Philippine Ecology Systems Corporation (PHILECO) in the operation of the disposal facility.
But Tiangco clarified that proposed dumpsite in Barangay Tanza is covered by an "all-encompassing law," RA 9003, which allows the use of a Controlled Disposal Facility by local government units for a period of five years from the effectivity of the law.
He said that the project was allowed to operate only for a year.
The mayor also assured that the project planners had considered the environmental impact of the facility with safety measures that will be put in place.
Tiangco said a buffer zone and litter fences will be built to ensure that garbage is properly contained; the waste will also be sprayed with organic enzymes upon loading onto the barges and when it reaches the disposal facility to eliminate bad smell; and that a six-inch daily soil cover will be put as protection against stench and scavenging birds and animals at the disposal site.
Further, the project, Tiangco said, will have a "closure plan" that will make the site safe after its use and that gas vents will likewise be installed to prevent methane gas from building up beneath the soil.