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The
proposed cluster sanitary landfill project to be hosted by
the town of Albur is still on a deadlock as oppositionists
claim anew that a water source of the municipal waterworks
will be contaminated if the project is pushed through.
Opposing
the project is an organization called Hukbong Alburanon Nagpakabana
(Hugalna) led by Engr. Teodulo Pinlac.
The
group claims that the proposed dumpsite, which will host the
neighboring towns of Cortes, Corella, Baclayon, Alburquerque,
Maribojoc, Dauis and Panglao, does not meet the minimum criteria
required for sanitary landfill projects under RA 9003, or
the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
However,
last-termer Albur Mayor Efren Tungol, in a letter to Hugalna
dated February 5 2007, reiterated his reason for pursuing
the project which is "the flagship project" of his
administration.
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The
mayor warned the group to take legal action against
Pinlac and his group if the latter continues to spread
"wrong information" to the public regarding
the project.
Tungol
calls the oppositors' group as "nuisance, non-existent
and 'non-living things" and that he will not recognize
their objection and protest to the project until they
are "duly accredited by the DOLE, SEC or any accrediting
agency."
In
an interview with the Chronicle, Pinlac pointed out
that the landfill which will be situated in barangay
Dangay of said town will destroy one of the municipality's
main source of potable water and an aquifer.
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He
bared that the Dangay aquifer supplies drinking water to Albur's
five barangays.
Pinlac
said their group could not understand why the mayor refuses
to stand by his constituents when their objections are legitimate.
In
a letter to Tungol, Hugalna appealed for transparency and
to strictly follow Sec. 40, Art. 6 of RA 9003 which sets the
criteria for situating sanitary landfills.
Under
the said provisions, sanitary landfills must be "consistent
with the overall land use plan of the LGU. The [project] site
must be accessible from major roadways or thoroughfares and
should have an adequate quantity of earth cover material that
is easily handled and compacted;
"The
[project] site must be chosen with regard for the sensitivities
of the community's residents [and] must be located in an area
where the landfill's operation will not detrimentally affect
environmentally sensitive resources such as aquifer, groundwater
reservoir or watershed area."
According
to Pinlac, they discovered recently that a public bidding
for the project was held, however, the same was declared a
failure.
He
questioned that how could the project's proponents pursue
and conduct a public bidding when, in fact, there are still
no technical and scientific studies provided to stakeholders.
Pinlac
cited that while social acceptability is a crucial requirement
for such a project, there has been no Environmental Impact
Assessment, feasibility study other requirements presented
during public hearings conducted by its proponents.
The
opposing group is appealing to the mayor and the project proponents
to "prove that indeed barangay Dangay qualifies"
as a project site.
Following
the adoption of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
of 2000 (RA 9003), all open dumpsites operating in the country
are required to be converted into controlled dumpsites or
closed down in 2005. It also stated that the only acceptable
garbage disposal facility is a sanitary landfill.
Considering
the costs of building and operating sanitary landfills, clustering
was recommended for neighboring towns to cooperate and manage
a common garbage dumpsite.
The
Albur sanitary landfill originally included Tagbilaran City,
however, due to the volume of garbage it generates, city officials
have decided to build its own waste segregation and recycling
plant which is currently under study by an international recycling
specialist.
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