Trash transfer station closed for environmental violations

CEBU, Philippines —  The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 has stopped the operation of the trash transfer station in Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City owing to environmental violations.

DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) served on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, a cease and desist order to the transfer station’s operator, RMI Solid Waste Management and Hauling Services, as well as to the hauler of trash in Cebu City, Docast Construction.

EMB also ordered Docast to move to a sanitary landfill all the trash it has brought to the transfer station.

The cease and desist orders were issued after inspection of the transfer station on July 5, 2021 showed that trash is left there for more than 24 hours, which violates Section 25 of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

EMB also noticed that the piles of garbage have reached approximately 10.8 meters, which pose danger to the lives of people in the area, particularly the waste pickers. The situation, EMB said, essentially makes the transfer station an open dumpsite.

RMI was fined P105,000 fine for failing to secure a DENR Hazardous Waste Generator’s ID and Discharge Permit, for failing to submit Compliance Monitoring Report, and for failing to install a wastewater treatment facility.

Of this amount, P80,000 is the total fine for the eight times RMI failed to submit reports since 2017. Each instance incurred a fine of P10,000. The remaining P25,000 is the fine for failing to secure the ID and permit.

The firm has 15 days to pay the fine.

DENR also noted that violations were committed on October 27,2020 when a Notice of Violation was issued against RMI.

During a technical conference on November 24, 2020, RMI committed to clear the remaining wastes at the transfer station and to install protective roofing/covering for the solid waste to avoid exposure to rain, among others.

During the July 5, 2021 inspection, however, the DENR technical personnel found out that RMI failed to fulfill its commitment when it still failed to install roofing, leachate and drainage control, and for allowing wastes to stay at the station for more than 24 hours.

The order dated July 7, 2021 signed by DENR-7 OIC Regional Executive Director Paquito Melicor, Jr. and EMB-7 Director Lormelyn Claudio states that RMI shall not accept trash at the station pending compliance to the order.

“Otherwise, this office will be constrained to impose the maximum fine of P50,000 per violation, among other legal sanctions,” the order reads.

City Plan

At the Cebu City Hall, City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr. assured that the closure of the transfer station will not stop the city’s garbage collection and disposal.

“Di kabalak-an. Dili gyud mahugaw, mobaho ang syudad just because of that order,” he said yesterday.

John Jigo Dacua, head of the city’s Department of Public Services, said the city will dispose of its garbage straight to the landfill in Barangay Binaliw for now.

“I already instructed Ma’am Grace Luardo to inform the barangays to dispose directly to the Binaliw landfill,” Dacua said.

Luardo is the head of the City Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Team (CESET).

Dacua said Docast will also continue to collect trash from the source and ferry it to the landfill.

Councilor Joel Garganera earlier described the transfer station as a “dumpsite.”

It was also reported that the stench from the garbage pileup has reached parts of neighboring Talisay City, which is one kilometer away.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama said the City Council will take the issue up in its next session.

Waste Pickers

Meanwhile, aside from disrupting the flow of garbage collection and disposal, the closure of the transfer station has also disrupted the livelihood of hundreds of waste pickers who rely on the station as their main source of income.

They could only express their disappointment verbally as they witnessed the service of the cease and desist order Wednesday.

“Asa na man lang mi ani para palit gatas sa akong anak og pagkaon sa akong pamilya?” one of them said. — Mary Ruth R. Malinao, JMO  (FREEMAN)