The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reminded all local government units (LGUs) to immediately put a stop to the operations of open and controlled dumpsites nationwide for the protection of communities.

In a Sunday report by RH 5 Val Gonzales, Jacqueline Caancan, DENR Officer-in-Charge and Assistant Secretary for Environment and concurrently the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) director, signed a memorandum dated April 22, instructing all regional EMB directors to order all operators of sanitary landfills (SLFs) to submit contingency plans in case of fires and other emergencies within 15 days.

The contingency plans include the prevention and actions to be taken when blazes and slope collapses occur, and to address the leakage of moisture from garbage as well as gas explosions, such as installing and maintaining gas venting and monitoring systems.

Caancan emphasized that open dumping was strictly prohibited and that the safe closure and rehabilitation plans for open dumpsites must be carried out at the earliest possible instance.

For dumpsites that have been closed down, the regional EMB offices were tasked to verify the status of the sites’ rehabilitation, implement the appropriate measures, and provide technical assistance in compliance with existing guidelines.

The EMB stressed that preparedness is crucial in preventing hazards that could put the public, their properties, and the environment at risk, especially during this season of extreme heat.