EMB-7 lifts suspension of Consolacion landfill

CEBU, Philippines —  The sanitary landfill in Barangay Polog, Consolacion, Cebu may now resume its operation after the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) - 7 has lifted the cease and desist order it earlier issued against the operator, Asian Energy Systems Corporation (AEC), for violations of the environmental laws.

EMB-7 director William Cuñado granted the request of the landfill management to lift the CDO after having complied with the rehabilitation procedures required of them by the government.

“Per evaluation of the submitted documents, it was found out you have already satisfactorily complied with all the requirements for the lifting (of) the CDO,” Cuñado wrote to Benjie Tadique, project director of AEC. 

EMB-7 ordered on May 7, 2019 to stop the landfill operation in Consolacion after it was found to have violated the provisions of Presidential Decree 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System and Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

Based on the findings of the inspection conducted by EMB-7 personnel on April 23, 2019 and May 5, 2019, the landfill management failed to implement its Environmental Management Plan (EMP) resulting in a landslide on May 4, 2019.

EMB-7 called for a technical conference on May 8, 2019 where landfill management committed to address and abate the pollution and environmental concerns.

Cuñado said all the commitments have been complied with by the management. They have also submitted to EMB-7 the program of work for the approved Waste to Energy - Methane Gas Capture Systems using SERRS Technology of Thailand in collaboration with Alterna Verde Corporation (AVC), Philippines.

The phase 1 of the WTE project is expected to be completed on December 15, 2020.

Cuñado assured the public that they will continue to monitor compliance of the facility to environmental laws.

"With the great challenges that all of us are facing in terms of solid waste management in the region, EMB 7 assures the public that we will continue to monitor compliance of the operations of our waste management facilities,” Cuñado said. — Mitchellle L. Palaubsanon, FPL (FREEMAN)