DENR 7 Exec Says Cebu City’s Landfill ‘Not Really Closed’

An official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 said the Cebu City Government’s Inayawan Sanitary Landfill, which was allowed to operate again, was not really closed.

Dr. Eddie Llamedo, DENR 7 spokesman, said that when the administration of former mayor Michael Rama closed the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill, his administration failed to submit a rehabilitation and closure plan.

“So, for the DENR, the landfill was still operating,” Llamedo said.

He said that with the reoperation of the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill, DENR 7 is providing technical assistance to the city to ensure that the operations and management of the landfill is compliant to existing and applicable environmental laws.

The DENR 7 also allowed the current administration of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to reoperate the city landfill provided that they will commit to use solid-waste technologies, provide adequate drainage facilities to contain leachate and other wastes and have a functional waste treatment facility, among others, Llamedo said.

He said DENR 7 had considered the reopening of the landfill due to the increasing cost of transporting garbage to private firms and the increasing amount of household waste being generated by the city.

Llamedo urged the city to explore waste-to-energy project proposals that will address long-term solutions to the city’s garbage problem.

He also urged the city to establish materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in the barangay level and revive its “no segregation, no collection” policy in the household level. (PNA) RMA/EB/EDS