Deodorizer sought for Baguio waste facility

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Management Bureau (EMB)-Cordillera has called the attention of Baguio City to apply disinfectants to abate foul odor emanating from the waste transfer facility station.

“May we respectfully call your attention to the stated recommendations in the report and that we are fervently hoping that you will cause for the immediate implementation of the same,” EMB-CAR regional director Reynaldo Digamo said.

Based on the monitoring report, recommendations were

made for the city government to continuously record the incoming as well as outgoing waste from the transfer station.

Moreover, the city must regularly apply deodorizer or disinfectants to abate any foul odor where the waste are hauled to the Urdaneta Sanitary Landfill in Pangasinan.

Baguio City has been dumping waste in temporary transfer station in along Marcos Highway near Tuba, Benguet.

The joint monitoring teams from the Office of the City Mayor, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Sangguniang Bayan of Tuba, City Solid Waste Management Division led by General Service Office OIC Eugene Buyucan conducted monitoring last month in the area as an offshoot of the separate inspection reports from several offices.

From March 3 to April 3 this year, a total of 159.33 tons estimated average per day collected based on the summary of the incoming waste.

The transfer station caters to 128 barangays of Baguio City including the public market, parks and commercial establishments.

The monitoring report further adds the waste from the transfer facility are removed from the transfer station within 24-hours of its receipt.

Findings reveals that the odor from the transfer station remain tolerable. While the steel plates and chutes of the facility are installed.

Operation of the facility starts at 4 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Previously, EMBCordillera has also vowed to tightly monitor Baguio City’s waste transfer station.

Chief of the EMBCAR Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division Engineer Alex Luis said an earlier order from regional director manifest the continuous monitoring of the agency to the operation of the transfer station to avert any negative environmental effects.

Luis added as per letter of the Department of Agriculture, the waste transfer facility will be operational until April 1, 2019.