DENR orders shutdown of sanitary landfill in Pangasinan

Photo from DENR PENRO Pangasinan.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the shutdown of a sanitary landfill facility in Urdaneta, Pangasinan after it failed to address its environmental violations within the set deadline.

In a statement on Saturday, the DENR said that DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-Region 1 Director Maria Dorica Naz-Hipe and other officials served the cease and desist order (CDO) to stop the operation of the Urdaneta City engineered sanitary landfill in Barangay Catablan on Friday.

According to the DENR, the 18,000 square meter-sanitary landfill was served with two CDOs back in January for violation of environmental laws that include Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000  and Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

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DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda made a surprise inspection on the sanitary landfill on Jan. 27 and gave the management until February 2021 “to implement the improvements, such as constructing a water treatment facility, siphoning the garbage seepage, and identifying an ideal new cell, among others.”

“With the marching order of DENR Secretary [Roy] Cimatu to close all dumpsites by end of March, the demand for sanitary landfills increased significantly in several areas across the country. Sanitary landfills are a better alternative to open dumpsites, but this does not guarantee that they will be given the permit to operate right away,” he said.

Based on DENR data, around 169 open dumpsites are still operating across the country, while 107 have been closed down.

Cimatu previously ordered that 200 open dumps across the country must be shut by March.

CFC