EMB-7 temporarily closes Inayawan Transfer Station

Notice of temporary closure can be seen in the Inayawan Transfer Station after the regional Environment Management Bureau found multiple grounds for the issuance of a cease and desist order for the operators of the station.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Environment Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) has temporarily closed the Inayawan Transfer Station in Cebu City due to the environmental violations of the operators.

Following the inspection of the EMB-7 at the transfer station, they found multiple grounds for the issuance of a cease and desist order for the operators of the station, RMI Solid Waste Management and Hauling Services and DOCAST.

The agency revealed that the operators failed to control the volume of garbage in the area with the pile of garbage reaching 10.8 meters high and the wastes remained beyond 24 hours in the station.

This was violative of Republic Act 9003 of the Solid Waste Management Act as the station was essentially a dumpsite.

EMB-7 notes that RMI, the owner of the transfer station, was recently called out in November 2020 after they failed to submit a compliance monitoring report to the agency and operated without a hazardous waste generator’s identification card.

They committed to implement changes in the transfer station including the installation of roofing, leachate, and drainage control for the stored wastes, but as of July 5, 2021, the EMB-7 did not see these changes implemented.

With this, RMI is being penalized for P105,000 for their multiple violations and they must comply with the recommendations for the next 15 days, after which they will be reevaluated.

They must install the roofing and water treatment facility and secure a hazardous waste generator’s ID, or else they will not be allowed to accept garbage again until these have been complied with.

In the meantime, they will be directly throwing the trash to a sanitary landfill.

Similarly, DOCAST, the hauling contractor of the Cebu City government, has been ordered a cease and desist and will not be allowed to throw or haul garbage to or from the transfer station.

DOCAST will not pay a fine since they are only hauling the garbage, but they will be asked to throw their garbage immediately into the landfill.

EMB-7 said the cease and desist order will remain for 15 days or until the recommendations are complied with.

If not, a penalty of P50,000 per violation may be imposed on RMI.

“Finally, pending compliance, respondents are directed to immediately Cease and Desist from further accepting wastes to its facilities. Otherwise, this office will be constrained to impose a maximum of P50,000 per violation, among legal sanctions,” said the EMB-7 order. /rcg

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