DENR orders landfill inspections
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will conduct an inspection of all operational sanitary landfills nationwide following the collapse of the Binaliw dump on Jan. 8, saying the incident “may indicate broader systemic risks.”
In a statement on Monday, the DENR said that Secretary Raphael Lotilla has directed all regional offices to ensure the strict compliance of sanitary landfills with the safety protocols and conditions stated in their environmental compliance certificates (ECCs).
The directive aims to “identify potential hazards early and enforce corrective measures before accidents occur.”
“The safety of our communities is nonnegotiable,” Lotilla said. “We are now moving to ensure that facilities across the nation adhere to the highest standards of safety and environmental protection.”
Earlier this month, a large portion of the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City collapsed on Jan. 8. A 20-story-high mound of trash crushed several structures, including a materials recovery facility, maintenance areas and administrative offices.
Workers were trapped under tons of garbage as well as steel and machines used in the facility, with search operations lasting for 10 days and the city being placed under a state of calamity on Jan. 12. The “trash-slide” left 36 people dead and 18 others injured.
The DENR has since issued a cease-and-desist order against the dump’s private operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. It also ordered the company to execute a compliance commitment and attend a technical conference with the DENR.
According to Lotilla, the DENR will conduct an impartial and scientific inquiry into the trash-slide as he assured the public of the agency’s commitment “to delivering results that will ensure accountability and prevent future tragedies.”
Independent eyes
To ensure that the investigation will be objective, the DENR has formed a multistakeholder investigative team composed of external solid waste management experts from nongovernment organizations and the academe.
“We are bringing in independent eyes to look at the data,” said Lotilla. “By involving experts from academia and civil society, we are ensuring that our findings are not only credible but also rooted in the best available science.”
“We need to establish the accountabilities and equally, if not more important, the lessons learned from this experience and how long-term measures should be framed to prevent a similar incident in the future,” he added.
The multistakeholder team will also conduct a comprehensive assessment of how solid waste management is being implemented in the country to identify “policy gaps and necessary support, design better systems and improve sustainability.”
Fresh leadership
At the same time, new officials have been appointed to head the DENR regional office in Central Visayas. Career executive officers Audie Salac and John Edward Ang will serve as regional executive director and environmental management bureau director, respectively.
According to Lotilla, “the installation of fresh leadership is intended to remove any potential for partiality and ensure that the investigation proceeds without obstruction.”
The DENR will further appoint a dedicated coordinator for solid waste management to strengthen its solid waste monitoring and enforcement.
In addition to this, Lotilla also issued an administrative order requiring all waste management projects, particularly sanitary landfills, to establish multisectoral monitoring teams composed of stakeholders and technical experts to monitor compliance with ECC conditions.
