QC council hits MMDA plan to use incinerators

The Quezon City Council is against a move by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to use incinerators in dealing with the trash problem in the metropolis.

The 26-member council recently approved a resolution in which it said that incinerators would pose an environmental hazard due to the release of toxic gases.

It clarified, however, that it would not be opposed to the use of smokeless incinerators.

Resolution No. SP-5462 S-2012 was approved on second reading on Feb. 27 and confirmed on March 5 by the city council.

Introduced by Councilors Dorothy Delarmente and Gian Carlo Sotto, it pointed out that Metro Manila residents generate an average of between 8,400 to 8,600 tons of garbage every day.

Due to the huge volume of trash, the MMDA has constantly been looking for solutions to the waste disposal problem such as the use of incinerators.

The city council, however, noted that although the move proposed by the government agency seemed to be ideal, the repercussions would be “undesirable and devastating to the environment” due to the huge levels of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases that would be released into the atmosphere.

“Various scientific studies have shown that incinerators, except smokeless incinerators, may cause grave problems in surrounding communities, not to consider that these devices are notoriously expensive,” the councilors said in the resolution.

They added that the city government had already passed an ordinance which pushes for waste segregation, recycling, reusing and composting—trash disposal methods that are environment-friendly.