‘Water quality near Navotas landfill remains poor’ — DENR chief

Last Sunday, 10 May, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared the Navotas Sanitary Landfill (NSLF) ‘fire out,’ following the final inspection of the officials from the national and local government of Navotas City on Monday morning to ensure the site remains stable.

After the smoke visibly subsided across the 144-hectare facility, making the whole environment hazardous and unhealthy for the people living near the site, the flames have now been reported fully extinguished and are now shifting to stricter environmental maintenance.

Regardless of the improvements, the Acting Environment Secretary Mitch Cuna said that while the air quality is improving, the water quality remains an issue for the government, leading to legal repercussions for the landfill’s operator.

Cuna added that the sampling results were not good, as they issued a notice of violation of the Clean Water Act, and the environmental department, as well as the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), are now reviewing the landfill operator’s liabilities.

The Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said that there’s a possibility of catching another fire if the site is neglected, as methane gas is still present beneath the surface.

Meanwhile, the SMAI or San Miguel Corporation President Ramon Ang, who acquired the 28.6-hectare of NSLF from the Philippine Ecology Systems Corp (PhilEco), had given heavy equipment, fuel, and soil free of charge to expedite the fire suppression.

Japanese ambassador Endo Kazuya and the International Corporation Agency from Japan provided technical expertise for assistance.