DENR shuts down Pangasinan landfill, 107 open dumpsites

AS the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) steps up the campaign to close down all the remaining open dumps in the country by the end of the month, a sanitary landfill in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, was ordered closed for violating environmental laws.

Since January this year, the DENR has shut down 107 open dumps but still needs to close down 169 more before the agency’s March 31 deadline.

DENR Environmental Management Bureau-region 1 Director Maria Dorica Naz-hipe served the cease and desist order (CDO) on March 5 to stop the operation of the Urdaneta City Engineered Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Catablan, Urdaneta City.

Last January, the 18,000-square meter SLF has been issued two CDOS for violations of environmental laws, which included Republic Act (RA) 9003 and RA 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

The Urdaneta SLF was given until February 2021 “to implement the improvements, such as constructing a water treatment facility, siphoning the garbage seepage, and identifying an ideal new cell, among others” following a surprise inspection on January 27.

DENR officials have advised Urdaneta City officials to rehabilitate the SLF. However, during a followup inspection conducted on March 1 by the DENR regional office, the Urdaneta SLF failed to comply with the DENR order.

The operator of the engineered SLF was given a grace period to correct the necessary violations.