‘Housing in landfill would be harmful’

The conversion of the Inayawan landfill into a residential area is not a good idea, an environment official said.

The landfill contains large amounts of methane gas that make it prone to explosions and attractive to disease-carrying microbes, said Mar Tabuco, pollution control officer of the Environment Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“The landfill should be converted into an area that would require less exposure to the people,” Tabuco told Cebu Daily News.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama earlier floated the possibility of using the site for  socialized housing.

Tabuco will meet Cebu City Hall representatives today to discuss safety measures  for the landfill, which was closed to mixed garbage dumping  last April 1.

He said City Hall needs a “very good developer” to convert the area into a project that would be less hazardous.

Tabuco said Cebu City still needs to get clearance from the DENR for any development in the landfill.

Tabuco earlier reminded landfill management to accept less septic waste to avoid an overflow of the wastewater treatment facility, which needs repair.

Tabuco said if the facility continues to receive septic waste, the pond wall should be raised and  chlorine volume increased to treat wastewater.

The Cebu City government gave septic waste hauling firms until July 15 to deposit waste at the  landfill while they finish setting up a septage treatment plant.

Councilor Edu Rama, who chairs the city’s solid waste management board, authorized the extended deadline, said Randy Navarro, head of the Inayawan landfill.

The South Road Properties  management no longer accepts septic waste.

Mayor Michael Rama ordered the landfill closed to septic waste last June 1 after a DENR  test showed that wastewater from the dumpsite has been polluting the Mactan Channel. /Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya