Senator Raffy Tulfo expressed fears local government units (LGUs) in Central and Northern Luzon will resort back to using illegal dumpsites and river ways to discard effluents “increasing vulnerability to flooding” if the Kalangitan Sanitary Landfill in Capas, Tarlac will shut down next month.
Tulfo, in his privilege speech on Tuesday, said the impending closure of the lone engineered sanitary landfill poses massive environmental and health problems in the two regions.
The 100-hectare Kalangitan landfill is serving the densely populated Central and Northern Luzon comprising more than 150 local government units and industries including private hospitals over the past 25 years.
Most hospitals in Metro Manila are also sending their hospital waste to the Kalangitan landfill for disposal.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and Clark Development Corporation (CDC) have asserted their stand to shut down the operation of the Kalangitan landfill which is being operated by the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) as its service contract expires on October 6.
“Kapag aalisin po natin ang Kalangitan landfill, the necessary effect would be that these local government units served by the landfill would revert to dumping into our waterways and other illegal dump sites which run the risk of not only poisoning our water supply,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo, who also chairs the Senate committee on public services, cited the plan of BCDA and CDC to shut down the operations of the Kalangitan landfill amid the clamor of LGUs to reconsider as it will trigger environmental problems.
“Mula noon at hanggang ngayon, basura pa rin ang ating problema mula sa maliliit na mga munisipyo hanggang sa pinakamalaking siyudad,” according to the senator.
Tulfo said the DENR has approved the closure of the Kalangitan landfill “contrary to their policy as set forth in law.”
“This is an issue we cannot afford to leave unaddressed,” Tulfo said.
“Explain their actions and prove to us – or rather, prove to the public – that this would not lead to another disaster waiting to happen,” Tulfo said.
According to Tulfo, if the plan of BCDA and CDC to close the Capas waste facility would cause environmental degradation, he urged both government agencies to recall their order to stop the MCWMC operations.
“Kung ito ay sinarado, panigurado ba tayo na kakayanin ng mga natitirang mga landfill ang volume ng basura na ikakarga rito? And can they do it in such a way that still complies with our Solid Waste Management Act,” asked Sen. Tulfo.
The Senate unanimously approved its referral to the committee on environment natural resources and climate change for further actions, following his privilege speech. This, amid reports that BCDA, CDC, and DENR, had allegedly told affected LGUs to utilize some 10 “preferred waste facilities.”