Gasataya: City now ready for safe closure plan of old dumpsite
BACOLOD CITY -- Sangguniang Panglungsod Member Greg Gasataya confirmed yesterday that the solid waste management committee is now implementing the safe closure and rehabilitation plan on the old dumpsite in Brgy. Felisa after they received an authority to close from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Gasataya issued this statement before the Pollution Control Division of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) during their technical conference yesterday.
Gasataya assured the DENR officials that the City will implement the rehabilitation for the existing dumpsite while they are now following the procedures for the establishment of a new sanitary landfill situated adjacent to the existing dumpsite.
He further stressed that "unless the DENR will give a 'go signal' for using the new dumpsite, the city will continue utilizing the old one."
On the other hand, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that the city is not remiss on complying the law because they exert all means to have a new dumpsite.
"Bacolod City is very lucky compared to other local government in terms of compliance," he declared.
Leonardia said "the only difference is that in other cities, the officials are helping and supporting each other, but here in Bacolod the dumpsite issue is always sabotaged by our political detractors.”
He explained that his detractors wanted that Bacolod City will be a "city of smell" so that they could make this as an issue in the 2010 election.
Meanwhile, the city government will conduct a separate meeting with the officials of Brgy. Felisa on the result of the technical conference yesterday. Leonardia received an information that the barangay officials will close the dumpsite.