BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government has summoned the Environmental Management Bureau–Negros Island Region (EMB-NIR) to a technical conference on Wednesday, August 12, to clarify concerns surrounding the excavation, handling, hauling and disposal of waste materials from a former dumpsite along Buri Road in Barangay Mandalagan.
City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu, in a letter dated August 7 addressed to EMB-NIR Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Vicente S. Losbañes, requested the bureau’s participation in the conference set for 2 p.m. at the City Mayor’s Office Conference Room 2.
The meeting was called following a summary report prepared by the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) and submitted to the City Legal Office (CLO) concerning the compliance of a private developer with a Stoppage Order issued over alleged illegal dumping of solid waste.
Chiu said the city wants the EMB-NIR to clarify the circumstances surrounding the issuance of Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) for properties being developed in the area, particularly the excavation of waste materials from the old dumpsite.
“We should come up with a clear disposal plan. That’s why we are calling on the EMB because they should be at the forefront of protecting the environment and our people,” Chiu said.
“But why did they allow the excavation of the garbage and leave it out in the open? We will check the documentation because the issuance of the ECC was highly questionable,” he added.
According to the BENRO report cited in the city’s letter, the excavated materials originated from the former dumpsite. The developer had previously sought authority to dispose of the recovered materials at the Bacolod Sanitary Landfill Facility in Barangay Felisa.
The report also documented previous technical conferences involving the EMB-NIR and the subsequent discovery of what the city described as unauthorized dumping in the old airport area in Barangay Singcang. BENRO then undertook enforcement and corrective measures.
Chiu questioned why excavation of the former dumpsite was allowed without a clear disposal plan and regulatory framework.
“We wanted to know why they (EMB) allowed the excavation of the old dumpsite without clear plans and clear regulations. You cannot just open an old dumpsite, but the EMB allowed it through the issuance of an ECC,” he said.
The city said several technical and regulatory matters need clarification, including the nature and volume of the recovered materials, proper excavation and handling procedures, the legality and suitability of proposed receiving sites, environmental safeguards during hauling and disposal, and the identification of a lawful final disposal arrangement.
The CLO specifically requested the participation of Engr. Victor Thomas D. Ureta, citing his involvement in previous technical meetings, inspections and discussions concerning the characterization, handling, transport and proposed disposition of the recovered materials.
The city also asked the EMB-NIR to make available the project’s ECC and relevant evaluation records, the developer’s waste management, excavation, segregation, hauling, treatment and final disposal plan, and records of inspections, technical evaluations, meetings, recommendations and regulatory directives concerning the project.
The city further wants the EMB to provide its technical classification of the excavated materials and the applicable requirements for their handling, transport, reuse, treatment or disposal.
It also seeks clarification on the use of private properties as receiving or filling sites, including the permits or clearances required, as well as the technical and legal basis for alternative disposal arrangements discussed during previous conferences.
Representatives of BENRO, the City Planning and Development Office, the Office of the Building Official, the project developer and other concerned offices and parties are expected to attend the conference.
The city said the meeting is intended to establish a common factual and technical understanding of the issue and formulate a definite, written and implementable plan to prevent further unauthorized disposal.
The plan should ensure compliance with Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the conditions of the ECCs, and other applicable environmental laws and regulations./PN
