Benguet Corporation (BC) has proposed to Baguio City and the Municipality of Itogon to undertake the final rehabilitation of one of its Antamok open pits located in Itogon with a project that will involve an engineered sanitary landfill (ESL) with a renewable waste to energy project (WTE) component.
The pit has a capacity of 535,400 cubic meters and could easily handle the disposal of the expected daily volume of 150 to 200 metric tons not only from Itogon and Baguio but also the surrounding areas of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay.
In a MOA between Baguio and Itogon signed by Mayors Mauricio Domogan and Victorio Palangdan on January 6, 2017 and a further letter to the City Council, Benguet Corporation’s Executive Director Isidro C. Alcantara informed them that all the necessary project feasibility studies will be done in consultation with the local government officials to ensure that all their concerns will be addressed.
Initial findings show that the ESL could provide a solution to the garbage disposal problem that can run indefinitely since it will provide and recycle biodegradable raw material input to the WTE that is estimated to generate as much 25 megawatts. Additionally, the ESL will avoid any potential health-related issues that may arise from the ill effects of insufficient handling of garbage in a major city.
Currently, Baguio sends its garbage to Capas, Tarlac for a distance of 155 kilometers and spends about P80 million yearly. The proposed Antamok site is only about 18.5 kilometers from Baguio and Itogon of which 12.5 kilometers is a concrete all-purpose road while only 2.5 kilometers needs only to be widened and improved to access the ESL site. Expected savings for Baguio alone could be as much as P45.0 million. An encouraging factor is that the project can then be launched very quickly without any cost spent for land acquisition, road building and with minimal site development.
BC will assign in perpetuity the 42 hectares open pit site for this purpose. A joint venture with an industrial partner and developer, Goldrich Natural Resources Exploration and Development, Inc., will be formed for the construction and development of the ESL at no cost to Baguio and Itogon. Another project proponent using the latest renewable energy technology is being invited to put up the WTE and Baguio and Itogon are expected to benefit from the WTE company.
A Technological Working Group and Assessment Team (TWG) has been created composed of the representative from the two local government units (LGU), Benguet Corporation, the regional Environmental Management Bureau and Mining and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and Goldrich. The TWG will assess and chose the technology, craft the corporate structure and address the public interest requirements for the project. The final proposal will be presented for approval to the mayors and their respective legislative councils prior to implementation.
Upon conclusion and acceptance of the project feasibility study, BC and the two LGUs will formally submit the proposal to the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) and MGB as the amendment of and approval of the Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Program (FMRDP).
It is expected that the DENR and MGB will support the proposals which are both recycling and renewable energy projects being espoused by the DENR.
HENT
