About 23 haulers have expressed interest in removing 67,530 cubic meters of lahar deposits clogging Ibid Creek in Barangay Biak-na-Bato, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Provincial Environment and Management Office (PEMO) head Julie Bedrio said Thursday, Nov. 12.
The haulers attended an orientation conducted by the provincial government on Thursday, Nov. 12, and are required to submit formal letters of intent, Bedrio said.
The letters must specify the number of trucks they will deploy and the volume of debris they plan to haul.
The clearing operation follows the provincial government’s receipt of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB). The permit allows the disposal of lahar deposits that accumulated in the creek following recent eruptions of Kanlaon Volcano.
An ECC was required because Ibid Creek is situated within the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park, a protected area, Bedrio said.
To prevent over-extraction, the provincial government will install an ECC billboard and ground markers delineating the exact boundaries approved for clearing.
Bedrio said operations will begin as soon as possible once hauling schedules are finalized, with a target of about 30 truckloads per day.
Hauler-buyers will be charged fixed fees for the volcanic debris in accordance with an existing ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.*
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