PORAC, Pampanga – Indignant residents of three barangays in Porac have deplored garbage haulers who had been draining their trucks of foul-smelling liquid effluent all over this town to the consternation of residents.
The three barangays affected are Barangay Babo Sacan, Barangay Pio, and Barangay Planas, which plays host to the Prime Waste Solutions Pampanga, Inc., which operates a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
Babo Sacan Barangay Captain Ronnie Mercado said they had already apprehended garbage truck drivers who had been draining their load of foul-smelling liquid from decaying wastes.
Mercado said the garbage trucks mostly came from Pangasinan province and on their way to the Prime Waste MRF in Barangay Planas.
Pio Barangay Captain Melchor Canlapan said they had been also strictly monitoring the garbage trucks passing in their barangay.
Residents of nearby Barangay Calantas, in Floridablanca town, are also complaining of the garbage trucks passing in their barangay.
Calantas Barangay Captain Randy Guevarra said they are currently monitoring these garbage trucks particularly those draining their load of garbage juice.
Last week, Floridablanca town Councilor Arnold Malit Dimla had personally apprehended a garbage truck while in the act of draining liquid effluent in Barangay San Jose. He directed the truck driver and his helper to clean the area before allowing them to leave for Prime Waste.
Marimla said the Floridablanca Sangguniang Bayan will “revisit their Environmental Code” to regulate the garbage trucks entering the town. The truck had come all the way from Pangasinan, amid the directive of the provincial capitol prohibiting the entry of garbage haulers operating outside Pampanga province.
Alfer Nacu, village chief of Barangay Planas, said they are not allowing garbage haulers with garbage juice from entering Purok 1 of the said barangay amid mounting opposition of some 5,000 residents to the continued operation of the Prime Waste MRF.
The Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) of Prime Waste MRF indicates “it covers the sanitary landfill project for residuals and treated hazardous wastes with a total wastes handling capacity of 3,000 tons per day in an area of 100,000 square meters.”
The ECC also indicates that Prime Waste is allowed to operate five landfill cells for baled residual wastes with total capacity of 450,000 tons. Each cell will be located in a 15,000 square meter area.
It is also allowed to operate one landfill cell for treated hazardous wastes such as miscellaneous wastes (pathological or infectious wastes) and stabilized waste (solidified wastes, chemically fixed and polymerized wasted, and encapsulated wastes).
The ECC was approved by DENR Regional Director Martin Jose Despi.