CHtodisposeofwood chips from S. Korea

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu has authorized the Mandaue City Government to dispose of the wood chips that were stored in a warehouse in Barangay Guizo for the safety of the residents nearby. The City asked BOC yesterday morning to allow the City to dispose of the wood chips after a fire razed the warehouse four times. The BOC gave the City the go signal yesterday afternoon.

Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing said the wood chips were last spotted in flames last Sunday morning.

The wood chips were part of the wastes transported from Jeju, South Korea to Mandaue early this year.

The City will shoulder the expenses for the disposal of the shipment, a move welcomed by BOC District Collector Atty. Elvira Cruz.

BOC, she said, met challenges in the disposal of the wood chips as their office doesn’t have a bud- get for it.

Cruz then directed the BOC offices to immediately release the wood chips to the City.

Cruz already ordered the “immediate condemnation” of the shipment after receiving a report last June 27 that a fire broke out in the warehouse.

She said that the shipment “poses danger and is injurious to public health.”

Quisumbing said they got a certification from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that the wood chips are non-toxic so they can dump it in the city’s dumpsite or in Consolacion.

He said the City has an equipment that can handle non-toxic garbage.

“There’s actually not a lot of wood chips anymore. Most of these are debris, ash. I am even willing to pay for it so it will already be disposed. I really want to get it out of Barangay Guizo,” he said. /