Naga city to open sanitary landfill next year

By Juan Escandor Jr. NAGA CITY---The Naga City sanitary landfill in Barangay San Isidro in this city is set to operate in April next year after the total closure of the open dumpsite in Barangay Balatas, an official said Wednesday. Engineer Joel Martin, head of the Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO), said about 50 percent of the open dumpsite has already been covered while the operationalization of the sanitary landfill is being readied. Martin said they are fast-tracking the construction of the sanitary landfill while the requirements provided by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are being complied with. He said the SWMO has to complete the relocation plan of 14 families living within the area of the sanitary landfill and the monitoring of water quality of Dangkanan Creek and Yabo River. After compliance, Martin said, the notice to proceed with the operation of sanitary landfill will be issued by the DENR. He said Naga City is generating 90 tons of garbage every day and the city government is looking for the waste diversion system in order that only 50 percent of the garbage generated will be dumped in the sanitary landfill. Martin said the technology to be used will be “maximum yield technology (MYT)” wherein all biodegradable wastes will be turned into compost, methane production and separation of wastes that are to be recycled. He said the recycling of waste materials include the production of hollow blocks mixed with plastic materials, plastic tiles and conversion of plastic to petroleum. Martin said part of the strategy to reduce garbage is the establishment of material recovery facility of which 17 have established out of the 27 barangays in Naga City. He said the 11 barangays without material recovery facility has no space for its establishment. “We will create a mobile material recovery facility to serve the 11 barangays in order to maximize our diversion efforts,” Martin said. He said the closure of the open dumpsite involve the covering of the garbage with earth of which the first layer comprised of clay loam, the second layer will be silty loam and the final layer the topsoil. Martin said once the open dumpsite is completely covered they will cover it with vegetation and then an oxidation pond will be constructed to treat the leachate.