Navotas raises alarm over closure of dump

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco expressed alarm yesterday over dire repercussions to the environment and the people, not only in his own municipality but also of neighboring Obando in Bulacan, if the Tanza-controlled disposal facility (CDF) in Navotas is closed prematurely.

This developed as local residents of Obando, led by leaders of militant cause oriented groups, continued to barricade the barges bearing tons of Navotas’ garbage from getting to the Tanza facility.

Tiangco said the barricade, which he has from the beginning tagged as illegal, is now well on its third week.

The present situation has forced the Navotas government to shift to emergency mode to head off a potential health hazard. The mayor said he has negotiated with a contractor to temporarily take responsibility for disposing the town’s garbage.

The mayor earlier informed Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Mike Defensor that the operations of the facility has been stopped since April 25 due to the barricade, severely compromising the disposal of the town’s garbage estimated at a daily volume of 800 to 1,000 tons.

"We would like to raise our concern regarding the premature and untimely closure of the Navotas CDF. To abandon the project now at its present elevation may cause future environmental problems," Tiangco said in a letter to Defensor even as he sought the DENR’s intervention.

Tiangco asked Defensor to explain the situation to the municipal officials of Obando and their constituents on the effects of the barricade and the subsequent untimely closure of Tanza facility.

The mayor has also set a similar letter to Obando Mayor Zoilito Santiago informing him of the situation.

The Waste Management Project at Tanza is the municipality’s way of complying with RA 9003. The facility, which began operating in 2002, is actually in its final stage leading to its proper closure on Dec. 31, 2005.

Tiangco explained that proper closure involves certain measures that, however, cannot be complied with by the Navotas government if the facility is closed before its intended closure date.

The STAR gathered that Obando is grappling with its own problems in disposing its garbage. The problem has become so serious that, ironically, even Obando’s Liga ng mga Barangay has asked the Navotas government of allow Obando to use the same Tanza facility.

Ten of 12 barangay chairmen of the town passed a resolution, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR, detailing the problem asking their mayor to make representations with his Navotas counterpart so that they may be allowed to throw their garbage in the facility.

In a two-page resolution passed last Jan. 21, 2005, the Obando barangay chiefs revealed among others that it has been a long time that their town has not had its own dump. It also said the local government until now has no concrete idea where to dispose the town’s garbage. The barangay heads also said they could further save on the (cost of purchasing) odor-killing enzymes and on filing materials used in the temporary private disposal sites in Obando if they will be allowed to use the Tanza facility in Navotas.

Tiangco failed to comment on the request.