The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be conducting an inspection of all operational sanitary landfills in the country, following the collapse of the Binaliw dump on January 8 that left 36 people dead.
Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the move aims to “identify potential hazards early” to prevent accidents, as he directed all regional offices to ensure strict compliance of sanitary landfills with the safety protocols and conditions stated in their environmental compliance certificates (ECCs).
“The safety of our communities is non-negotiable,” 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. A 20-storey-high mound of trash crushed several structures, including a materials recovery facility, maintenance areas, and administrative offices. The “trashslide” left 36 people dead and 18 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.
The DENR will conduct an impartial and scientific inquiry into the trashslide as Lotilla assured the public of the agency’s commitment “to delivering results that will ensure accountability and prevent future tragedies.”
The DENR has formed a multistakeholder investigative team composed of external solid waste management experts from nongovernment organizations and the academe, which 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.”
In a country where cities that have a sanitary landfill is often considered an achievement, operators, end-users, and regulators may have the tendency to consider the job done as soon as permits are processed and operations commence. This lack of oversight, especially with an issue like trash or solid waste, which most Filipinos consider no longer their problem as soon as it is collected by the city or its contractor, was underscored by the deadly but totally preventable Binaliw trashslide.
Now that the operation and maintenance of sanitary landfills has come into focus, let us hope that the DENR and local governments can give it the attention it deserves.*
