Thursday, November 26, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
By Rimaliza Opiña
BAGUIO is not the only local government unit (LGU) that struggles in convincing people on the benefits of owning a sanitary landfill.
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) officials say other LGUs in the country have not established their own landfills as well because of the difficulty in obtaining the public's acceptance.
"Landfills are hard [to] sell even in other areas," said Engineer Raul Cabungay, senior environmental specialist of the EMB-CAR, in an interview aired over DzEQ.
In Cordillera only three municipalities have started with the development of their landfills. These municipalities are Bangued in Abra, Alfonso Lista in Ifugao and La Trinidad in Benguet.
Cabungay explained the establishment of a landfill is a requirement in the solid waste act.
LGUs particularly those assigned to manage solid waste should continue devising strategies, which would help convince the public, especially those who live in areas eyed as landfill sites, to accept the operation.
If properly constructed, landfills would lessen air and soil pollution, said Engineer Alex Luis, officer-in-charge of the EMB's pollution control division.
Residents of Sto. Tomas Apugan, Baguio and those in nearby "sitios" have opposed the establishment of a landfill in the Barangay, citing the possibility of air and water pollution.
Both officials of the EMB clarified, a landfill, compared to an open dumpsite has the least pollution level.
Aside from using clay soil, another layer of high dense polyethylene liners will also be used to prevent liquid waste from penetrating the soil, which many fear would pollute water aquifers, Luis said.
Cabungay added landfills cater mostly to residual waste that makes the amount of leachate produced is also minimal.
Pending the establishment of landfills, the EMB meanwhile, reiterated for the public to segregate waste and reuse materials, which could still be used, in order to minimize the amount of waste produced.
The agency releases brochures with a list of the decomposition rate of the most common waste produced in every household.
Paper has a decomposition rate of two to four weeks, one to three months for leaves, six months for orange peels, five years for milk cartons, ten to 20 years for plastic bags, 50 to 80 years for plastic containers, 80 years for aluminum and tin cans, 450 years for plastic soda bottles and 500 years for glass bottles.
Styropore meanwhile, does not decompose because it is petroleum-based.
Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on November 27, 2009.
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