Navotas landfill fire extinguished, but…

MANILA, Philippines — While the Navotas sanitary landfill fire has been declared extinguished, water quality in nearby areas is still in poor condition, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said yesterday.

“Sampling results were not good. (The operator) was issued a notice for violating the Clean Water Act,” Cuna said. “The operator, I was told, submitted a position paper after the notice of violation, which is being evaluated now.”

Notices of violation have been issued to Philippine Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco) for non compliance with Environmental Compliance Certificate conditions, including failure to submit a mandatory safe closure and rehabilitation plan.

The DENR said the operator failed to install and maintain air pollution control devices and systems. It also did not comply with daily soil cover and did not complete the abandonment plan.

Rehabilitating and closing the sanitary landfill, which has been acquired by San Miguel Corp., is PhilEco’s obligation, Cuna said.

“Environmental negligence has consequences. We will not allow operators to walk away from their responsibilities,” he said.

The DENR has initiated a case buildup with the Office of the Solicitor General.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said maintenance is necessary to prevent the fire from reigniting.

Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya said he is “happy to hear that the technical assistance provided by the disaster relief team has been useful in this matter.”