Dumaguete City gov’t assures landfill won’t push through without DENR’s full approval

THE DUMAGUETE City government has reassured all stakeholders that it will not build the proposed sanitary landfill (SLF) in Barangay Candau-ay without “a categorical YES” from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). In a statement last week, the local government acknowledged the assessment of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau that a sanitary landfill “may not be the most practical landuse for the site.” “Hence, the city government is seeking clarification with DENR if engineering interventions such as rehabilitation of present river dikes (currently ongoing), planting of bamboo trees and building of solid wall around the SLF site to prevent flooding or overflowing of river could mitigate the risk and make the site practical for an SLF.” Mayor Felipe Antonio B. Remollo said the site could also be used as a Materials Recovery Facility. Mr. Remollo has confirmed to the DENR in April the city’s plan to comply with the closure order on the present open dump site in the same barangay, prepare a transition site for solid wastes, and construct a sanitary landfill. — BW