CRM may give go signal for solid waste facility

The Coastal Resources Management Office interagency board may be able to give its approval this month to the major permit siting application of the Solid Waste Task Force to build a solid waste facility in Marpi, said Peter Barlas, acting Director of CRMO.

In a public hearing Tuesday night, representatives from various government agencies and consulting firm Harding Lawson Associates emphasized the importance of carrying out the project which will pave the way for the closure of Puerto Rico Dump.

The Marpi landfill will include the construction of a small waste-to-energy incineration to increase the life of the landfill, lower the cost per ton for solid waste system , significantly reduce the site of the leachate holding pond and provide electrical power source at Marpi.

A transfer station will be established to reduce traffic to Marpi and increase convenience of residents, reduce litter on Middle Road through San Roque and Tanapag and allow for separation and processing of recyclables.

Sanitary landfills are well-engineered, well controlled land disposal sites for solid, nonhazardous waste which will be compacted after covering with a layer of soil. To prevent lecheate from entering the soil below the landfill, a liner will be constructed to protect the existing groundwater from contamination.

While some studies have suggested that development of a well-constructed landfill can enhance property values more than depress them, many people still have expressed concerns on its effect on land values.

However, current requirements on landfill setbacks and siting procedures create an enclosed environment of landfill which results in minimal impact on surrounding structures.

On the concern in connection with the landfill gas, new landfills are required to have equipment to collect and pump gas which can be burned or refined and used a commercial fuel.

It takes approximately two to five years after closing a cell of the landfill for landfill gases, such as methane, to begin forming. The task force said effective control of the gas production and migration are essential elements of the landfill design. “Very wet soil acts as a hindrance to gas migration, possibly causing the gas to migrate even further from the landfill,” the task force said.