Agsungot residents wary of landfill plans

CEBU, Philippines - Residents of Barangay Agsungot where a private landfill is proposed are still apprehensive about the planned establishment of a private landfill amidst the looming total closure of the sanitary landfill in Inayawan.

The residents were not satisfied with the presentation of A.V. Mendoza and Associates, consultant of Cebu Eco Ventures, during the public hearing in Agsungot last July 3.

Barangay councilwoman Noli Anne Alcover, chairwoman of the barangay’s committee on health, said that the company failed to convince them that the landfill will do no harm to their environment and will pose no risk to public health.

Some residents also questioned the issuance of the Environment Compliance Certificate to the developer without prior consultation from the residents and other stakeholders that will be affected.

Cebu Eco Ventures secured an ECC from the Environmental Management Bureau-7 last June 15 but residents were only informed about the project during the public hearing.

Joselito Vasquez, who represented the office of Councilor Nida Cabrera during the public hearing said that the issue on the issuance of ECC without prior consultation from the residents was already brought before the Solid Waste Management Board.

Vasquez said that social acceptability is supposed to be an important component of the ECC.

Vasquez said that many also questioned why the company passed the qualifications for ECC when during the hearing, the company had no mitigation plans and environmental impact assessment plan to present.

Vasquez said the environmental impact assessment is very important since the property lies within the Butuanon Watershed.

Alcover said that residents raised the same issues like the concerns on smell, water pollution of the nearby river and other health hazards it may pose to the residents, especially as there is a public school near the property.

Cebu Eco Ventures plans to put a three-hectare private landfill using the same technology and facility as that in Subic. The landfill will consist of three garbage cells with two leachate collection tanks and a leachate treatment plane ton-site.

A portion will serve as the transfer station. Between garbage cells is a diversion drainage ditch. The whole area will be surrounded with plants of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs as according to the layout submitted and presented by the company.

But Alcover said the company has not given them a concrete plan and projection of how it will impact the barangay.

The barangay has not issued a barangay clearance because they await the second public hearing that has not been set.

The company has filed an application for a locational clearance at the City Planning and Development Office and the city planning is confused whether or not to refer the application to the solid waste management board. (FREEMAN)