• THERESA MAE DULMAN
A youth-led environmental group challenged the Bacolod City government to hold public consultations regarding the integration of the Waste-to-Energy project into the city’s Ten-Year Solid Waste Management Plan.
The Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) Inc. said that they support improving Bacolod’s waste management to address flooding and rising waste levels, but insist that any solution be rooted in transparency, public participation, and scientific evidence.
Despite requesting a public hearing on January 15, NICE said that the city passed the Bacolod Integrated Recycling and Technology Hub ordinance without holding a single consultation.
“If the Waste to Energy project is being positioned as a long-term solution, then the City Government must fully disclose the technology to be used, the feasibility studies, and the environmental and health safeguards. (WTE) should not mean “What’s The Explanation,” NICE Secretary General Joshua Villalobos said.
The group urged Mayor Greg Gasataya and the City Council to prioritize informed governance over what they called ‘WTE propaganda’ by releasing all relevant Department of Energy documents to the public.
The group added that the city government has yet to respond to their February 10, request for the 2024 Department of Energy assessment on Waste-to-Energy potential.
NICE raised several unanswered questions including emission controls, legal compliance to Clean Air Act, and health impact assessment.*
