DENR warned on waste-to-energy tech
ENVIRONMENTAL organizations said the government should block further approvals of waste- to- energy ( wte) projects, which they said will lead to a deterioration in air quality.
Eco Waste Coalition’s Ochie Tolentino said the technology will undermine the country’s effort to curb environmental degradation and pursue a low-carbon development path.
“[ Once] we allow burn wte technologies, our citizens will be locked in to years of dirty, toxic, and costly solid waste management systems. Burn wte facilities emit greenhouse gases and toxic fly ash and bottom ash. Allowing these facilities will sabotage our country’s efforts to clean our air and implement the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act,” Mr. Tolentino was quoted as saying in the group’s statement e- mailed to reporters Friday.
“We urge ( Environment) Secretary (Regina Paz L.) Lopez to take the lead in promoting ecological and sustainable solutions to the country’s garbage problems. We already have cities, municipalities and barangays that are successfully implementing safe, proven and low- cost ecological management of municipal solid waste and their experiences can be replicated across the country,” Mr. Tolentino added.
The groups, part of the Stop waste-to-energy (wte) Alliance, said the DENR has not acted on a petition sent by various environmental networks on Sept. 1, 2016.
The petition calls for a repeal of the National Solid Waste Management Commission Resolution No. 669, series 2016, which allows the entry and operations of burn wte projects. The NSWMC is chaired by the DENR.
Meanwhile, a parallel anti- wte forum was also held in Davao City organized by the Sustainable Davao Movement, Ateneo University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council and the Eco Waste Coalition.
The forum included presentations by Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, former chief technical advisor of the United Nations Development Program on global ( UNDP) environment waste projects.
“There is no such thing as ‘clean incineration,’” Mr. Emmanuel, former chief technical advisor of the UNDP on global environment waste projects, said in a separate statement released on Monday.
“All incinerators release toxic particulates, toxic gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, toxic metals such as lead and mercury and other pollutants in addition to dioxins,” Mr. Emmanuel added.
Dioxins are toxic at very low levels and are known to cause various types of cancer. A single particulate of the kind that is released to the environment will remain for up to 150 years if on topsoil more than 500 years if in bodies of water.