MANILA – The closure of the Capas landfill may lead to the proliferation of illegal dumpsites, including the use of waterways to discard garbage “increasing vulnerability to flooding.”
Sen. Raffy Tulfo expressed such apprehension in a privilege speech on Sept. 10, given that the country’s lone engineered sanitary landfill has served for the past 25 years some 150 local government units, commercial and industrial establishment and hospitals in the densely populated regions of Central and Northern Luzon.
The Kalangitan Landfill in Capas is also the go-to facility for hospital wastes from Metro Manila.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the owner of the landfill site, and the Clark Development Corp. which signed the lease contract with Metro Clark Waste Management Corp., have served notice of the cessation of its operation this October.
“Kapag aalisin po natin ang Kalangitan Landfill – the necessary effect would be that these local government units served by the landfill– would revert to dumping into our waterways and other illegal dumpsites which run the risk of not only poisoning our water supply,” Tulfo said.
“Mula noon at hangang ngayon, basura pa rin ang ating problema mula sa maliliit na mga munisipyo hanggang sa pinakamalalaking siyudad,” noted the senator who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services.
Tulfo also found “disturbing” the approval of the Kalangitan Landfill closure by the Department of the Environment and Resources, citing that it is “contrary to their policy as set forth in law.”
In an apparent challenge to the DENR, Tulfo said: “Kung ito ay sinarado, panigurado ba tayo na kakayanin ng mga natitirang mga landfill ang volume ng basura na ikakarga rito? And can they do it in such a way that still complies with our Solid Waste Management Act or RA9003?”
The senator called out both the DENR and the BCDA “to explain their actions and prove to us – or rather, prove to the public – that this would not lead to another disaster waiting to happen.”
And if they cannot prove it, “Nananawagan ako sa mga ahensiyang ito na bawiin na agad ang kanilang proposed action, alang alang na lamang sa mga kababayan nating maaaring biktima na naman ng kalamidad.”
Immediately after his privilege speech, the Senate approved unanimously its referral to the Senate Committee on Environment Natural Resources and Climate Change for further actions. Punto News Team
