A sanitary landfill in the Municipality of Alburquerque, Province of Bohol may face closure after alleged violations to the environmental law.

Alburquerque Mayor Don Ritchie Buates, chairman of the Alburquerque Cluster Sanitary Landfill (ACSL), called for a board meeting on the challenges in the operation of the sanitary landfill, one of which is leakage or seepage at the retaining wall.

The landfill is said to be a project of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) with the Local Government Unit of Alburquerque as manager of operations.

The landfill accommodates about 25 garbage trucks, or at least 15.7 tons of garbage daily from 18 towns, including Tagbilaran City, and the towns of Panglao and Dauis in Panglao Island.

Mayor Buates sought the permission of the ACSL Board on the appropriate measures to deal with the challenges in operating the landfill.

He underscored that he is ready to have the landfill closed.

The LGU has asked help from TIEZA as the closure will have adverse effects on Alburquerque’s economy, and on the rest of the towns that have come to depend on Alburquerque to facilitate garbage collection.

“Dapat i-remind sila sa Alburquerque Cluster Sanitary Landfill na component sa tourism industry sa Lalawigan ng Bohol. Once masarado totally ang landfill, walang turista pupunta dito kasi mabaho ang Panglao, mabaho ang Dauis, mabaho ang Tagbilaran, mabaho ang Loboc,” Buates said.

(via Leo Udtohan/GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak)