BAGUIO CITY – The Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked to conduct a n assessment and evaluation on the state of the Benguet Corporation’s Antamok open pit site for the establishment of the city’s proposed integrated solid waste disposal facility recommended that the state-of-the-art facility must be established within the 2.1-hctare camote open.
In a terminal report submitted to Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, the TWG members chaired by City General Services office Romeo D. Concio, however, recommended that the 2.1hectare camote pit area should be increased to 10 hectares to accommodate other solid waste disposal facilities to be installed in the area.
The TWG requested Mayor Domogan to make the proper representations with BC management in relation to the proposed increase in the area for the facility.
The TWG report cited there were two options on where the local government could put up the integrated solid waste management facility within the Antamok open pit area, particularly at the 440 open pit and within the camote open pit areas.
Under the 440 open pit site, the TWG found out that there were 35 active small-scale dog holes or audits and 11 inactive small-scale dog holes while under the camote open pit, there were only 10 active small-scale dog holes and 4 inactive small-scale dog holes.
The TWG report noted that under the 440 open pit area, there are 4 structures, clay creek diversion tunnel 1 and 2, twin diversion tunnel 1 and 2, Liang tailings dam and penstock and run-off tunnel that could be directly affected while under the camote open pit, the ones that will be affected are the Liang tailings dam and penstock and run-off tunnel.
The TWG discovered that there are three water bodies that discharge to the 440 open pit, particularly the Antamok River, Amigo creek and RDC/AYN creek while within the camote open pit, there are no bodies of water that will be affected considering that only surface run-off water flows in the area.
Under the rules and regulations of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the distance of the landfill from bodies of water should be at least 300 meters.
The TWG noted that under the 440 open pit, it is reportedly flooded while in the camote open pit, it is not flooded.
Earlier, BC management offered to the local government the use of its open pit site in Antamok, Itogon, Benguet for the establishment of its state-of-the-art solid waste disposal facility in order to help solve the city’s garbage disposal woes.
Subsequently, the City Government, the Municipal Government of Itogon and BC management entered into a tripartite memorandum of understanding for the initial conduct of assessment and evaluation of the property whether or not it will be feasible to put up an integrated solid waste disposal facility in the area.
The city is aggressive in pursuing the put up of its own solid waste disposal facility to solve the garbage disposal problem of the local government that is eating up a huge portion of its annual budget for the hauling of garbage to the Capas, Tarlac sanitary landfill./By Dexter A. See
