Tarlac execs set barricade vs Canadian trash dumping

TARLAC CITY -- Vice Gov. Enrique Cojuangco Jr. and 3rd district congressman Noel Villanueva after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan recently passed two resolutions intended to address the “dumping of Canadian garbage at the Kalangitan sanitary landfill in Capas town.

Both said they would lead in barricading the landfill if imported garbage is again dumped in Tarlac.

Cojuangco’s treat of barricading landfill site came when asked what to do if the management of the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation, operator of the land fill, will continue to accept garbage shipped from Canada or any other country despite the passage of SP resolutions.

Last week, the SP unanimously approved a resolution “totally banning the dumping of imported waste” at the landfill. The SP also approved a resolution “demanding the rescinding/cancellation of the MCWMC- Bureau of Customs contract” on the imported waste.

But a local government legislative resolution carry no criminal penalty, as opposed to a local ordinance,  and “only represents the general sentiment of the people” which means MCWMC officials will not be jailed even if they violate the SP resolution, or if ever they again admit garbage from other countries.  

“The dumping of the waste from Canada is a violation of the authority and conditions, granted by the provincial government on the operation of the landfill. Only the waste from Tarlac, Clark Eco-Zone and surrounding towns and cities are allowed”, Cojuangco said.

Cojuangco said, “it is wrong to allow waste of foreign origin, be it toxic or not, to be dumped anywhere in the Philippines, much more in Tarlac”.

The issue stemmed from the recent dumping of 26 container vans of waste from Canada. A total of 103 40-footer vans of thrash entered the country from that country, 48 of which landed at the Manila International port in 2013 and 55 at the Subic Free port in 2014.

In the investigation conducted by the SP, MCWMC president Rufu Colayco admitted to have allowed the dumping of the Canadian waste at the landfill but denied they were toxic or hazardous.

But Colayco was rebuked by Cojuangco saying “no one can definitely say they are not hazardous since no comprehensive study was ever conducted (on the Canadian waste)”.

Cojuangco also accused the “MCWMC of repeatedly violating the terms and conditions of the landfill operation”.

He said, “last July 14, the MCWMC received a letter from the provincial government demanding to stop the dumping of the Canadian waste but the following day, 8 container vans were again admitted at their compound”.

The eight container vans were not allowed to unload their cargo of garbage and, to this day, remained impounded “pending clear legal basis of where they should go” by order of the provincial government.  

For his part, Villanueva remarked, “the MCWMC’s most blatant violation is its failure to emplace polyethylene lining on other parts of the landfill as admitted by Colayco during the SP hearing”.

“Without the non-permeable lining underneath to prevent harmful liquid waste from leaching to the ground, the (MCWMC) landfill is no longer a sanitary landfill but an ordinary dumpsite”, said Villanueva in whose district is located the controversial MCWMC facility.

The congressman also warned, “it would be a disaster if just 1 of the millions of used diapers (from Canada) contains a highly contagious air-borne disease. The health of the people is gravely at risk”.   

It was gathered that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) have conducted “random toxicity study” but there was no “health-hazard analysis” by the Department of Health (DOH) on any of the 103 container vans containing mostly used diapers. 

“I share the sentiment of the vice governor (Cojuangco) – no foreign thrash should enter the country. And if the MCWMC will continue to allow the dumping of foreign waste, I will join him and the people to barricade the landfill entrance to prevent these garbage from being dumped, and if that happens, I will personally move for the closure of the landfill”, added Villanueva.

Villanueva is set to file a bill at today’s resumption of the 16th Philippine congress to pave the way for a congressional investigation on the controversial imported waste.