BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-CAR) here recommended that both the city government of Baguio and the municipal government of La Trinidad impose strict segregation of waste at source and proper segregation of waste to be collected in their respective pick up points to help solve the garbage disposal problems in their localit6ies.
This was the content of a report transmitted by the EMB-CAR to City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan in relation to the inspection conducted by the personnel of the agency in the staging area of the two local governments located at Longlong, Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet.
The report also recommended to the city government to reprimand the jumpers or volunteers once they refuse to clean and vacate the lot utilized as storage area for their recyclables the soonest.
For MA Camilo freight services, the commissioned hauler of the city and the municipality, the report cited that in preparation for the upcoming rainy season, it must elevate the ground or the area mainly utilized as a temporary containment area by adding more soil.
In addition, the EMB-CAR added that as per agreement during the technical conference held last year, a high density polyethylene liner must be installed at the staging area where collected waste are temporarily deposited while waiting for the transfer to the bigger truck.
The EMB-CAR report cited to ensure that the surface water diversion canal be established in the area to avoid water mixing with the garbage in order to ensure minimal leachat production at the transfer station.
The EMB-CAR also recommended for the construction of a sump pit for the drainage of runoff from the area to reduce concentration of possible water pollutants, especially runoff going to the sampling stations established for the purpose of monitoring water quality in the creeks surrounding the staging area.
For the EMB-CAR, the report cited that it must undertake close coordination with concerned local governments, the hauler and the Aranetas for progress of the implementation of their respective commitments during the previous technical conference and the recommendations of the latest and past reports to guarantee that there will be no water contamination in the bodies of water situated within the surrounding areas of the staging area.
Among the general observations of the inspection team include there was foul smell from the staging area which comes from the collected waste but the same has been minimized due to the institution of appropriate mitigating measures, the volume of waste from the city was larger due to scheduled collection for the day, collected waste are not purely residual waste, evidences of biodegradable waste are still visible and accordingly, the waste came from the markets of the city and La Trinidad and there are remnants of waste on the ground even after the backhoe transferred the waste from the ground to the truck.
By Dexter A. See
