Jancom proposes to build P5-B landfill in Gapan City

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija — The Jancom Environmental Corp. (Jancom) has submitted to the city government a proposal for a P5-billion sanitary landfill here.

In its proposal, which Jancom president Alfonso Tuzon presented to Mayor Ernesto Natividad during a recent meeting at City Hall, the company identified an "ideal sanitary landfill site" in Sitio Makatulang in Barangay Macabaklay, some 20 kilometers from the city proper.

Natividad told The STAR that he and other city officials are seriously studying the proposal which, if approved, will mean enormous economic benefits for the city.

"We have no commitments yet. We still have to evaluate their proposal and make sure that this will not pose any environmental hazards," he said.

He said they are planning to visit the sanitary landfill in Hong Kong to see how it is being managed and operated and whether this technology could be applied with the same efficiency in this city which produces 15 tons of wastes a day.

Jancom entered into a waste-to-energy contract with the government in 1997 under the build-operate-transfer scheme.

The contract, however, became the subject of a legal battle but it was later declared valid by the Supreme Court.

Jancom proposes to establish the Gapan sanitary landfill with the help of Onyx Vivendi Environment, a Paris-based company.

Onyx, which operates in over 40 countries, is reportedly the world leader in incineration, composting, treatment of hazardous wastes, collection, sorting, recycling and transfer of wastes and is the third largest international waste management company.

Onyx operates 134 landfill sites worldwide and is treating 20 million tons every year.

According to Tuzon, Jancom is willing to design, construct, operate and maintain at no cost to the government three transfer stations and transport equipment and the sanitary landfill in Gapan.

These transfer stations will be located in government-provided areas within Metro Manila — along the coastal road in Parañaque, at Pier 18 in Manila and in Payatas, Quezon City.

"The transfer stations will be advanced prototypes of those currently being utilized in Hong Kong and managed by Onyx, our principal partner in this project," he said.

He said the transfer stations will be used to receive, disinfect, sanitize and thoroughly process residual wastes collected from Metro Manila.

The wastes will then be transported to the sanitary landfill in Gapan in sealed container vans.

According to Tuzon, each transfer station will be capable of handling 1,500 tons of garbage per day, will be accessible under all weather conditions, and will have a computerized weighing system which will constantly monitor air, vector, odor, water and noise levels.

Besides, he said the transfer stations will have sufficient bays and are designed to accommodate all types of hauling vehicles, ensuring round-the-clock, unhampered operations.

The engineered sanitary landfill, Tuzon said, will be equipped with leachate and biogas collection and management systems, groundwater monitoring wells, daily soil cover, and automatic washing of all hauling vehicles, among other features.

The project, he added, will also involve the construction of a permanent access road, an initial landfill cell and other related structures.

Tuzon said the landfill cell will be equipped with an impervious lining system which is a combination of compacted clay and geosynthetic liners which will act as barrier between the original ground and the wastes that will be permanently deposited at the landfill.

The proposed landfill, he said, can be converted into a park or golf course after 15 to 20 years of operating life.