Cebu’s local governments should cluster their landfills to resolve common garbage problems, a top official of the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) said yesterday.
“This has been discussed by the Cebu province for a long time. This needs political will. Towns can agree (for the clustering) and the funding needed for the program,” said Engr. Marco Andrew Silveron, chief of the EMB’s Solid Waste Management division.
Silveron told reporters during yesterday’s Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO-7) forum that LGUs are not required to have their own landfill because it may be too expensive for any one of them to operate.
Silveron said Cebu province can facilitate in terms of clustering the landfills.
He said the EMB-7 and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 can extend technical assistance.
Clustering can be done through landfills which can be established in north and south Cebu.
In the north, an area in Carmen town measuring 10 to 20 hectares of land has been considered, but it is still under study.
In the south, Silveron said there are LGUs that operate landfills after securing Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs).
LGUs that run their own landfills are Talisay City, Toledo City, Asturias, Balamban and Badian towns.
Pinamungajan town is still waiting for their ECC while there is a private landfill in Consolacion town. Aloguinsan’s ECC is still being processed.
“The LGUs also need to enter memorandum of agreement (MOA),” Silveron said.
In Cebu City, Silveron said Barangay Kalunasan is being considered as a landfill area. “But there is opposition from residents there,” Silveron said.
In Mandaue City, Silveron said Barangay Casili is being considered, but residents there have also opposed it.
As far as Lapu-Lapu City is concerned, Silveron said they have yet to determine its soil. “Its water table is also low,” he said.
Environment Undersecretary Isabelo Montejo earlier said areas with soil that is similar to clay is better than limestone for landfills.
He said clay is better suited for lining of water pipes for treatment of wastes.