LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu: Weeks of periodic rain and poor engineering of waste piles may have caused the Binaliw landfill landslide, according to a report by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Central Visayas (MGB-7).
The findings came after a site inspection by the MGB-7, an agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), on Friday (Jan 9), following the collapse of the sanitary landfill facility in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City.
Investigators reported how the landfill sat on sloping ground, with large piles of garbage placed above lower areas, which can increase pressure and make the ground unstable.
According to a consultant of landfill operator Prime Waste Solutions (PWS) Cebu, the landfill had reached about 35 metres in height—with trash stacked in layers and flat steps, called benches, placed every six metres to support the pile.
The report said weeks of periodic rainfall from the prevailing shear line and easterlies may have oversaturated or soaked the garbage, making it heavier and weaker, which likely contributed to the collapse.
It also cited possible lapses in engineering and safety planning, especially in managing the slope and the placement of garbage during dumping operations.
A video posted by a resident on Facebook showed part of the landfill’s materials recovery facility building collapsing onto a massive pile of garbage, which trapped workers who were inside the structure.
Investigators also confirmed that the segregation and wastewater treatment facility was heavily damaged during the collapse.
Some leachate pipes, which carried contaminated liquid from the landfill, were also damaged or destroyed.
The DENR in Central Visayas has issued a cease-and-desist order against PWS following the initial site inspection done together with the Environmental Management Bureau Region VII, and the Provincial and Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Offices.
The order suspended all landfill operations, including the acceptance of waste. However, the ongoing rescue, retrieval, and cleanup operations are permitted to continue.
It also summoned the company to a technical conference to establish facts about the incident and submit a compliance plan within 90 days.
A “thorough and impartial investigation” by the DENR and other concerned bodies is underway to determine the actual causes of the tragedy that claimed several lives.
As of 7:20 p.m. on Monday (Jan 12), authorities have confirmed 10 deaths, while 26 landfall workers remain missing. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
