A Dream Landfill Which is Real

SOMETHING SMELLS

Negros Daily Bulletin

By Lourdes Ledesma

While the DENR is trying to make the quantum leap from open dumpsites to sanitary landfills for the whole country belatedly, let us look around at our more developed neighbor countries, how they have made it. One of the benchmarks in progressing from a third-world category to a more developed status, is how a nation handles its own trash. 

In this instance, let’s look at Singapore, also an island nation, once one of the Malay States under British rule. Under the strong leadership of Lee Kwan Yew, he led his people to RECYCLE, REDUCE, and REUSE! These were the slogans that led to zero waste. But what is unique to Singapore is that they created a sanitary landfill out of two small islands and connected them with a rock embankment. Located eight kilometers south of Singapore and covering an area of 350 square kilometers, the Semakau Offshore Sanitary Landfill was built at the cost of US$370M, and can hold 63 million cubic meters of garbage, enough to accommodate Singapore’s landfill needs till the year 2045. Isn’t this great planning? The area inside is divided into 11 bays, known as “cells,” which are lined with thick plastic and clay to prevent any harmfull seepage into the sea. Since the landfill was opened in 1999, four of the eleven cells have been filled, and covered with earth and grass. 

Waste from Singapore is first incinerated in the city’s four incinerators to reduce its volume. Construction material is also processed, while toxic wastes and asbestos are packaged in such a way that it cannot leak into the environment. Then it is towed to the island by giant barges. Two thousand tons of processed wastes are dumped daily into Semakau landfill. To ensure that the surrounding areas stay pollution-free, bulldozers level and compact the wastes and then top it off with fertile soil. 

The decision to build a landfill outside Singapore was made in the 1990s when the previous landfill on the island had nearly reached capacity. As land in Singapore is expensive real estate, it was decided to build a new sanitary landfill in the smaller islands off-coast that would be environmentally friendly. 

Engineers, scientists and environmentalists have labored over its design and construction to insure that it would be ecologically sound, safe, and that the biodiversity of the sea and other wildlife would not be harmed. What distinguishes Semakau from other landfills is that it is clean, and free of smell. Mangrove forests that were destroyed during its construction have been replanted and today they serve as biological indicators that no harmful material has leaked from the landfill. The island harbors rare plant and bird species, and corals abound offshore. Its various ecosystems still continue to flourish and today Semakau has become a tourist attraction. The Minister of Environment and Water Resources, Yacoob Ibrahim, said when he opened the island for recreational activities in July, 2005: “This is a way for Singapore to show the world that, as a nation, this is a very responsible way to manage our waste and our environment.” The message he is sending is, that trash and conservation can co-exist. Today there are guided nature walks along the island’s coast, while sports fishing and other groups also have their own excursions. 

Environment Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. was quoted by Malaya after he came from Singapore to attend the Water Leaders’ Summit and address the Southeast Asia Business Forum: “There is definitely hope for the country’s garbage problem. As leaders, we are constantly searching for models that we can emulate and base our improvements upon, and Semakau landfill is one of them.” He goes on to say that: “Making the shift from open dumpsites to acceptable disposal facilities as provided for in the law is being intensified by the DENR with the support of local governments. We have already identified 211 potential sanitary landfill sites nationwide to effectively manage disposal of the country’s wastes.” Records of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) showed that there are 16 existing sanitary landfills in the country. Nineteen landfill sites have been issued environmental compliance certificates (ECC) and are undergoing construction. 

Will Bacolod City’s landfill site be issued the 20th ECC? When?*