Irisan dumpsite opened for rehab, not dumping

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. sought to clarify that the city government has reopened the Irisan dumpsite to complete the rehabilitation work required of the law and not for waste disposal purposes.

Acting Mayor Daniel Farinas aired this clarification in the Ugnayang Panlungsod media briefing aired over Radyo ng Bayan last Thursday.

Farinas said the mayor sought to correct news reports that the facility has been reopened after months of closure to accommodate the city’s wastes once the city decides to stop hauling activities to Capas, Tarlac due to fund lack.

“We are not reopening the dumpsite for waste disposal. The only purpose is to continue the rehabilitation in compliance with Republic Act No. Act No. 9003 or the National Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (which mandates the scrapping of open dumpsites) so people fighting for the closure of the dumpsite need not panic as we are just following the law,” Farinas said.

Farinas however said that the dumpsite will be used to receive residual wastes that will be sorted out in the area before transport to the cement plant of Holcim Philippines Inc. while a part of the residuals will also be used for restructuring and stabilizing portions of the dumpsite in accordance with the rehabilitation program.

City environment management office head Romeo Concio said Holcim with which the city has a memorandum of agreement allowing the city to dump residual wastes in its Bacnotan plant has imposed strict conditions such as that residual wastes do not contain “organics” and are dry “with only a maximum allowable moisture content of ten percent”. He said the city needs to strictly comply with these conditions thus it would need an area where the wastes will be segregated and sorted out.

Concio said discarded residual wastes will indeed be used to fill up recessed or open spaces in the dumpsite before these can be covered with soil preparatory to the vegetation process, which is also part of the rehabilitation program for the dumpsite.

Concio said the city would need tons of discarded residual wastes as there are numerous recessed portions needed to be filled up especially when the city implements the construction of the perimeter fence around the area.

As to the biodegradable wastes, Farinas and Concio said the city is working out a deal with the Department of Agriculture for a centralized composting arrangement using the open-air composting scheme being prompted by Loakan Liwanag barangay captain Fred Fangonon, starting April.

DA will allow the use of an area in the stockfarm while the city will be in charge of constructing a tire path toward the place and to fence the area for security purposes.

Concio said if plans push through, the city will begin collecting anew biodegradable wastes from the barangays.

Concio said they are working out the collection schedule in the barangays were they plan to revive the twice-a-week collection schedule for biodegradable and residual wastes, respectively.

Farinas also directed Concio to prepare a transition plan for waste disposition in relation to the cessation of hauling activities.

Concio said he is considering the immediate stoppage of the hauling activities due to the dearth of funds for the purpose.