CLARK FREEPORT – The imminent closure of the largest waste disposal facilities in Central and Northern Luzon before the end of this year has caused serious and widespread concerns as millions of its populace face grim prospects of a massive garbage crisis.
The Bases Conversion Development Agency and its subsidiary, Clark Development Corp., principal proponents of the 25-year contract with Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWMC), the engineered sanitary landfill builder and operator, have reportedly ruled out any extension or renewal of that contract expiring this October, hence MCWMC should immediately cease its operations of its facilities in Kalangitan, Capas, Tarlac.
Alarms have been raised during a meeting of the National Solid Waste Commission when the Environmental Management Bureau-Region 3 reported that it had been notified by CDC officials about the “planned immediate closure” of the Kalangitan waste disposal facilities as soon as the government’s contract with MCWMC expires this coming October.
Fearing a widespread environmental and health crisis as a result of the imminent closure of the largest waste disposal facility in Central and Northern Luzon regions, front line officials of the environment offices of various concerned local government units in Central and Northern Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region were prompted to write a petition letter to Environment Secretary Ma.Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga including the regional officers of the National Solid Waste Management Commission.
The petition cited the Kalangitan facility as “an integral part to our regional waste management system handling more than 4,000 tons of wastes daily and being the only sanitary landfill of its size in the region that fully complies with the environmental standards mandated by Republic Act 9003.”
“The closure of this facility threatens to precipitate literally overnight, a severe waste management crisis throughout 3 Regions in Luzon directly affecting millions of its populace,” the petition warned.
Expressing similar sentiments over the closure of the Kalangitan facilities, no less than 20 companies engaged in waste management and disposal also wrote petitions to the DENR secretary arguing against the BCDA and CDC action, and warned of the “imminent garbage crisis” facing the people of Central Luzon.
No alternative
The environmental officers of local government units in the three regions at the same time expressed their concerns over the “absence of comparable alternatives, as other facilities are either not fully capacitated, non- compliant with RA9003, too small or financially unfeasible or not affordable for their respective local governments.”
Plans of the BCDA and CDC to convert the existing sanitary land fill into other use such as tourism-oriented development is generally considered as “irresponsible, disruptive and counter-productive.”
To LGUs contiguous to the Clark Freeport, closing Kalangitan without any alternative plan to deal with the massive waste that needs to be disposed daily “is irresponsible of BCDA and CDC” and a “betrayal of their mandate under RA 7227 (Bases Conversion and Development Act) to institute economic progress and development within and around the former US military installations.”
Currently, some 120 cities and municipalities in Central Luzon and a few key cities and provinces in Northern Luzon use the engineered sanitary landfill in Kalangitan.
Waste disposals of nearly all households, business establishments including malls, hospitals, industries operating in cities and provinces in Central Luzon are being serviced by the Kalangitan landfill.
The Clark and Subic freeports are also dependent on the presence of an efficient waste disposal facility for their large quantity of households and industrial wastes.
Another landfill
According to a MCWMC official, the current 4,000-5,000 daily household, industrial and institutional wastes being hauled and disposed in the world-class Kalangitan sanitary landfill can easily be accommodated at a lesser cost to local governments and “far more efficient than the more expensive and less efficient landfill site” located in Floridablanca, Pampanga.
The official alleged that the supposed alternative land fill has yet to secure the necessary permits required by government regulatory agencies, and claimed “its capacity and operational capability remains doubtful as it can only accommodate far less than the Kalangitan landfill facilities.
Right of reply
The BCDA and CDC have not responded to calls for their side on the issue as of posting time. Punto! is open to publish any statement coming from them pursuant to their right of reply. Punto News Team/With MCWMC reports
