Capitol to implement WTE plant

THE Cebu Provincial Government will implement waste-to-energy (WTE) operations in the planned sanitary landfill in Barangay Dawis Sur, Carmen.

Rodel Bontuyan, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) chief, said the WTE operations are part of their longterm goals.

On Thursday, Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu, third district) had said she was against the putting up of a landfill in Carmen as it would be harmful to the residents and environment. She favors the construction of a WTE plant instead.

According to Bontuyan, Penro must consider the requirements in operating a WTE facility before this can be implemented in the landfill.

He said they must determine the amount of waste that will be thrown in the facility, specifically residual waste--the only kind of trash that can be processed in a WTE plant.

Another requirement in constructing and operating WTE technologies is for a local government unit (LGU) to obtain an approved 10-year solid waste management plan (SWMP) before it can dump residual waste in the facility.

Garcia, a gubernatorial candidate under Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, said constructing a landfill in Carmen or in other parts of Cebu was not a solution to the garbage problem.

Some Carman residents have also opposed the construction of the landfill, fearing it will affect their water source.

Before Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III started his first term, Naga City was the only LGU that had an SWMP. As of Friday, April 26, 33 LGUs already had an SWMP.

Bontuyan said residual waste from LGUs of fourth, fifth and some parts of the sixth district will be dumped in the landfill in Carmen.

He said operating a WTE facility needs serious study.

“In fact, some environmental groups have aired out their apprehension on the said operations due to its harmful effects to the environment, which is why we are cautious in the study and implementation of this project,” Bontuyan said.