MANILA, Philippines – A community environmental office has deferred the issuance of a clearance for two 50-megawatt waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities to be established at the San Mateo landfill in Rizal after records showed that the landfill encroaches a protected area.

Rappler obtained a copy of the decision that found the San Mateo landfill – where the WTE facilities are proposed to be built – has “possible statutory issues” under the expanded protected area law. The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Real, Quezon, issued the notice.

The Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) located the San Mateo landfill within a national park that was formed under Proclamation No. 1636. The proclamation covers parcels of land in Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Quezon. The national park is beside the Pamitinan Protected Landscape and the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape.

“[I]nitial records indicate that the existing sanitary landfill operation associated with the proposed WTE project may require further legal and technical validation relative to its operations within the boundaries of PP 1636,” the notice read.

Because of these concerns, the environmental office said the proposed WTE facilities in the vicinity of the landfill are still subject to further review of authorities, including the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The office ordered the San Mateo Sanitary Landfill and Development Corporation, led by Dennis Sandil, to halt additional development activities in the area until the matter is resolved.

Dumping waste in protected areas is illegal. But the government does not completely disallow development projects in protected areas. These projects are subject to review and clearance from the protected area management board.

– Rappler.com