Mayor Greg Gasataya, in coordination with the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO), met with representatives of Ikthus Bacolod and JQua Construction, developers of the old dumpsite along Buri Road in Barangay Mandalagan, to discuss measures for the proper disposal of extracted waste exposed at the site on Thursday, August 13.
Gasataya assured the developers that the city will assist in clearing the stockpile of waste, pending the recommendation of the Environmental Management Bureau-Negros Island Region (EMB-NIR), a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.
“This concern has been brought to my attention as early as October of last year,” Gasataya said, recalling how the absence of a clear disposal plan resulted in the city’s issuance of a stoppage order against another developer for the alleged illegal dumping of extracted waste.
“At that time, we did not have a clear option because the city landfill was already at full capacity. This prompted us to establish Cell No. 5,” the mayor said.
He stressed the need for a clear disposal plan from the EMB, including the methodology to ensure the safe transfer of extracted waste from the old dumpsite to the recommended disposal site.
“Our options are already there, but we are awaiting the recommendation from the EMB,” he added.
Bert Tacardon, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ikthus Bacolod, expressed appreciation for Gasataya’s intervention and efforts to find solutions to the waste concerns at the old dumpsite, which is now being developed as an investment site.
During the technical conference spearheaded by the City Legal Office and BENRO on August 12 it was agreed that the EMB-NIR will conduct a series of technical conferences with private developers to ensure the safe transfer of the waste prior to the conduct of waste hazard testing at the site.
The recommendations of the EMB-NIR will then be endorsed to the Solid Waste Management Board for approval and immediate implementation by the concerned stakeholders.
During Thursday’s meeting, BENRO also issued a request for a status quo on the hauling, transfer, and disposal of extracted waste from the construction site being developed by Ikthus.
BENRO said the implementation of appropriate measures may take some time as the EMB-NIR is scheduled to conduct another technical conference with the concerned developers on August 18. Gasataya, however, made it clear that the city’s direction is to pursue a definite and immediate solution to the garbage woes at the old dumpsite
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