MANDAUE City officials expressed optimism that the Barangay Binaliw landfill in Cebu City will resume operations before March, following commitments made by its operator to comply with environmental requirements set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Mandaue City Councilor Carlo Fortuna said Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PWS), the company operating the Binaliw landfill, was given three months by the DENR to meet compliance standards.
“Prime is the one providing for the Barangay Binaliw landfill in Cebu City, and the focus of our discussion was for them to be able to resume operations,” Fortuna said.
“They were given three months by the DENR, supposedly until March, but they committed that they will comply with the requirements before March,” he added.
Fortuna said the most critical issue being addressed is wastewater disposal, which is essential to prevent environmental contamination.
“Although they already have a treatment facility, they said it needs to be more compliant because of the volume of waste. They are trying to avoid groundwater contamination,” he said.
Concerns were also raised regarding the lifespan of the landfill facility. Fortuna said the operator could not provide a definitive timeline.
“I asked until when the lifespan of the landfill is, but they did not have a categorical answer,” he said. “If you look at the history of that landfill, it was a landfill before, and now they are transitioning to a materials recovery facility.”
According to Fortuna, Prime has reduced the amount of waste being sent to the landfill and invested in additional equipment to extend its usability.
“They invested in more equipment since last year so the lifespan of the landfill can be extended,” he added.
However, Fortuna noted that the landfill’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) is only valid until 2025, raising concerns about its continued operation.
“We need to clarify that because if the ECC is until 2025, they need to secure another one to continue operating the landfill,” he said.
Fortuna said improper waste piling practices were also flagged during the discussions, particularly the formation of large mounds of trash.
“That was called to their attention, the slope and the way they are piling the waste,” he said. “A landfill is designed so that you dig, dump the waste, and cover it with soil. It should not be like building a mountain of trash because that is not the correct practice.”
Prime explained that the piled waste came from previous operations before the company took over management of the site.
However, Fortuna said this explanation was insufficient.
“They said that was accumulated waste from before the new company came in.
But I find that not enough justification to continue that kind of design because it is very dangerous,” he said.
Despite this, Fortuna said the landfill has a large area of 17 hectares and that the operator’s current direction is to reduce waste volume.
“They are focusing more on segregation and the materials recovery facility so that the volume going to the landfill is not that big,” he said.
Fortuna said further action will depend on the DENR’s assessment, but added that city officials are cautiously optimistic.
“So far, with their commitment and assurance, we are satisfied with their explanation. But it does not stop us from looking at other alternatives and planning for the future,” he said.
He emphasized the need for multiple waste management solutions for Mandaue City.
“As much as possible, we want to have multiple solution providers,” Fortuna said. “We should not just rely on one landfill. If there are waste-to-energy proposals or providers, we will consider those.” (ABC)
