THE "REVIEWER" FUMES....

By EMBUN MAJID
embun@thestar.com.my | Mar 28, 2011

Chor: Several technical issues need to be reviewed

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ALOR SETAR: Technical glitches have delayed the enforcement of the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleanliness Act 2007, which was initially due to be implemented next month.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the delay was to allow an in-depth study of several technical aspects before the Act was to be en­­forced.

“The Act was tabled before the Cabinet recently and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, after listening to the enforcement aspects, felt that there were one or two technical issues that needed to be reviewed,” he said ………

ANOTHER MOCKERY, she fumes……..

These people are very good at managing by excuses.... and not managing for results. It looks like the PM’s theme of 1 Malaysia, People First, Perfomance Now doesn’t sink in doing their work. It is scary to even think, if a law need to be passed and yet the implementation and worst, repercussion (so called technical) has not been fully thought out. It can mean 2 things,:

(1) the Consultant ( Kue Low) that the Ministry fully depends are not effective or are more interested in having their relevance being there ( off course with the blessing of relevance tuan pegawai who is so worried about position and pencen, or who are already on pension, now its Pay Off time at the cost of the public) until they MAMPUS, (how I wish the government are transparent in telling how much they are paying these so called consultants), and

(2) my friend thought the Act was bulldozed through during the time by the Ah Keow Minister (for reasons well known to a lot of people – 1 + 1 equals one for you and one for me) so no one must question. Now, we all can see the result. Don’t be ashame Mr. Authroity, what has been done has been done, but since it has yet to be implemented, better take time to think through and implement what is best for 1 Malaysia, People First, Performance Now ( Malaysian are already matured by now if they think that all this are not known to people.

Another friend voiced out his concern that, with this so called “ the period to correct technical glitches” , all this give rise to “kawanlonies” to quicky grab whatever projects they could ( of course through the comrades in the power that be) in the name of technologically advance company ( in actual fact without the relevant track record ) but being backed up by the KONSULTANS ) while things are grey, so much so by the time the Act is in being implemented and, the PEMUTIHAN is now complemented, and everybody lives happily ever after.

One other friend also was curious, and asked why with so many independent reports provided by third parties (some sponsored by UN and at times by our government), why don’t they go along with the recommendations, rather they (KONSULTANS) will tell our pegawai what to do (according to their plans). I think its high time, those reports should be made available for public to comment rather than hiding in the closet. Post it into the virtual library. Then at least the public can see that they WALK THE TALK, and NOT TALK THE C_ _K.

Reviewer of Sanitary Board

BUILT ON LANDFILLS.

MANY people cannot afford to buy houses from the open commercial property market and so look to the government authorities to build cheap and comfortable housing units for them.

The demand for public housing is a never-ending problem as the population keeps increasing but the high cost and scarcity of land, especially in the urban areas, are a big constraint on the authorities in their bid to build affordable houses for the people.

So, it is ironic that five blocks of 13-storey flats built under the Public Housing Projects (PPR) programme in Kelana Jaya, with 1,580 fully completed units, are left to rot for several years.

No notice board has been put up at the PPR project site to explain what the problem is, but word is going around that the buildings built on a former landfill are not fit for occupation.

Maintenance workers at the site said they had heard claims that the soil emitted contaminated gas which could cause health problems.

According to the workers, the buildings had actually been left empty for nearly five years.

A clue to this heavily cloaked mystery was literally “unearthed” when a family of a nearby terrace house renovated their house in May last year.

The family was shocked to discover that their house was standing precariously on just a thin layer of soil measuring only 15cm in depth and there was nothing but compressed garbage underneath.

“Plastic bags, tyres, styrofoams — these were what we found. That is the foundation of our house,” Nana Tan said.

“We bought the house with our life savings. This is our only house and we are still paying for it with our hard-earned money. Imagine the big blow when we found out what lay underneath our home,” she said.

Tan said she had no choice but to spend a big sum of money to excavate the garbage and fill up the hollow with soil.

“The workers dug out tonnes of rubbish. The lorries had to make almost 20 trips just to dispose of the mess,” she said.

The complaint was brought to the attention of Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne and Subang MP R. Sivarasa,

Loh and Sivarasa’s aide Aloysius Francis Pinto visited the site last year and filed a report with the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Selangor state government.

Loh told StarMetro yesterday that they had checked through many channels and had pressed for a solution, but their efforts came to a dead end when they found out that the housing estate was developed by a subsidiary of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

“The state is in need of more PPR housing units for the people and the five blocks are as good as abandoned. This is a waste of ratepayers’ money and the people must be told what is happening,” Pinto said, when contacted.

“Termite infestation, foul smell, mosquitoes, all these are there but why isn’t any action taken?” he asked.

Today, six months after their site visit, they are still unable to get an answer from the authorities.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the solid waste laboratory of Universiti Malaya confirmed the area’s surface soil contamination and residents are advised to refrain from agricultural activities.

The study revealed that the landfill closed in 2000 was formerly a mining area.

During its operational period, it received a total volume of 1.57 million cubic metres of solid waste.

The lack of a liner system caused the land to be contaminated by waste residue, leachate and landfill gases.

About half of the houses are unoccupied. A check with the current occupants, who are mostly tenants, revealed that they knew little about soil contamination, let alone the questionable stability of the buildings’ foundation.

A house owner, who had just bought the property, said he did not know about the area’s landfill problem but heard that he was not supposed to plant fruit trees there.

“I like this place. It is peaceful and strategically located,” he said.

It is apparent that cracks are appearing in many of the houses, while the grounds have shown some signs of cave-in.

The fact that a condominium is standing right next to these terrace houses is also worrying.

But developer Selaman Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Yaacob Jailani insisted that the company’s houses built near the PPR site had a strong foundation and there was no risk to the residents.

“It is safe to stay there because the houses are on piles, and had been further reinforced with suspended slabs. There is no reason for worry,” he said when contacted.

Yaacob said the landfill had been closed for quite some time and the company’s consultant engineers had confirmed that the area was fit for development, adding that the MBPJ had granted them approval.

He said the 120 terrace houses in the area and two blocks of low-cost five-storey apartments further away, had received the certificate of fitness for occupation three years ago.

Yaacob said he did not know what was wrong with the PPR flats because they were under another developer.

Efforts to contact the MBPJ on the matter were futile.

Pics and story courtesy of YIP YOKE TENG of StarMetro: January 16. 2009

NEXT

MAYBE…..after I do some homework…but it will come!

On an adjacent landfill next to these 5 blocks of PPR abandoned flats

will rise a 5 blocks 15 storey commercial complex. I pass this everyday.

The developer is now excavating the remains of the landfill and trucks after trucks line two exits.

TO FILL OR NOT TO FILL

A reader, Reviewer of Sanitary Board, sent me this email in reply to comments made in Making Money, Not Sense posting of 4^th March.

Rather than putting it in the comment box, this comment deserves a posting in itself on this blog. The Reviewer’s comments are a commentary to issues raised by Annonymous and Shalom. Allow me to register my thanks to the Reviewer.

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Dear Sampahman,

I can’t help interjecting into this dialogue as the issue concerns the well being and the rights of every Malaysian when it comes to their right having clean and healthy environment as well as prudent public spending from the tax payers money and assessment fees collected by the authorities to spend and serve the public. I am with one of the agency and have the privilege of following the progress of the development of the RDF plant since its construction days. I am writing in the capacity of RAKYAT who wouldn’t want to be hood wink with all kind of gimmicks in the hand and gloves operation any more. I too have the opportunity to visit the plant several times during the progress. And during the visits, sometimes with ministers, authorities and technical consultants from state and federal, the operators has expressed and shared their experience as well as their concerns/request to make and to ensure the operation and services works well.

The operator can only improve things within the boundary, however, beyond the boundary it is the responsibility of other authorities, but the external factors are critical to the effectiveness of their plant. Their plant are not meant to process and keep waste, rather process to reduce waste and minimize waste going to the landfill. Going a bit into history, I was made to understand in their presentation to Minister of KPKT, Minister of Environment, and Minister of EPU and the State Authority that the Semenyih landfill will be closed once the operation of the RDF plant is commissioned and the very landfill will be upgraded to a sanitary landfill and the inerts from the RDF will be send into the inert sanitary landfill.

However, in April 2006, due to the leachate issue leaking into the rivers in some landfills, the Cabinet instructed 16 landfills to be closed, including the Semenyih landfill which the state is not ready with an alternative site, since the understanding is that the RDF upon completion will reduce 20% of the volume of MSW going to the landflll and the landfill will be upgraded into sanitary. The State made a plea to the operator to accept the MSW in order to assist the State to reduce the volume from going to the landfill. The operator only completed 2 of the 4 lines and even the RDF power plant is not even constructed at the point in time. However, due to the critical situation at the time, I was told that the operator agreed with 2 conditions: (1) that a nearby landfill site could be used for post process (60%) and (2) the access road to be build by state government.

GUESS WHAT, EVEN AT THIS TIME OF WRITING , AND THE PLANT IS FULLY COMMISSIONED, THE STATE HAS YET TO DELIVER THE NEARBY LANDFILL SITE (DUE TO ECONOMIC REASONS AS STIPULATED IN THE AGREEMENTS) AND THIS EXPLAINS WHY THERE ARE AT TIMES WASTE PILED UP AT SITE. I WONDER HOW THE MINISTERS FELT IF THEY DO NOT HAVE TOILETS IN THEIR OWN HOME, WHILE DEPENDING ON NEIGHBOURS, AND WORST HAVING OTORITIES TO TELL WHEN AND WHERE TO SHIT?

REGRETFULLY, A 2 KILOMETER ACCESS ROAD TO THE PLANT FROM THE MAIN ROAD FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE ALAM FLORA LORRIES AND CONTRACTORS IS NOT IN SIGHT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE OPERATOR IN ORDER TO ASSISTS, SPENDS ALMOST RM500K TO DO A BQ FOR THE ROAD, BUT AFTER PROVIDING IT TO THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES, THE BQ IS STILL WITH ALICE IN THE WONDERLAND. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE INTERCHANGE TO BUKIT TAGA R LANDFILL COST AROUND RM38 MILLION. (LIKE THE MALAY PROVERB SAID, “ANTARA DUA DARJAT”

SORRY SELANGORIANS, I THINK WE ARE THE SECOND CLASS CITIZEN AS THE WILAYAH FOLKS ARE DUMPING 2100 TONS OF MSW A DAY IN OUR YARD, BUT THERE GOT ALL THE FACILITIES. LET’S SEE WHAT GREATER KL PLANS WILL PROVIDE US, SEE WHAT VALUE CHAIN THEY GAVE TO SELANGORIANS. I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE CASTE SYSTEM OF (PARIAH VS BRAHMIN) REMAINS IN INDIA ONLY.

FACTS DON’T LIE. A GOOD 5 YEARS HAS PASSED, WHAT HAPPEN TO THE AUTHORITIES, FEDERAL AND STATE FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS? SHOULD SOMEONE WAKE THEM UP? OR THE POLITICS OF SPY VS SPY CATCHING UP WITH THEM, SO MUCH SO THAT THE MAJLIS PERBANDARAN ARE CAUGHT IN THE WHIRLWIND AND THE OPERATOR ( WHO SPEND EVERY SINGLE CENT OF THEIR OWN FUND PLUS THE BANKS MONEY TO BUILD THE PLANT , WHO CARES, AND THE PUBLIC WHO IS SUPPOSE TO GET THE SERVICE, WHO CARES? AFTERALL, THE STATE PUBLIC LISTED COMPANY INCHARGE OF THE WASTE MANAGEMENT HAPPILLY ANNOUNCE TO THE WORLD THAT THEIR TURNOVER HAS INCREASED TO ALMOST RM100 MILLION. WHOSE MONEY? RAKYAT. FOR WHAT? TO BURY THE WASTE. BRAVO. RAKYAT DIDAHULUKAN, MALAYSIA BOLEH.

Now, I would like to attempt to address the comments made by the writer for the landfill. I have nothing against the landfill, BUT it must be the last resort (off course sanitary) and after the waste have gone through minimization and treatment and all the recycling extraction, not only the physical materials, but also the energy inherent in the waste ( which I understand that there is probably in excess of 80% in the volume). If we can reduce the waste to only 5% of the volume, the landfill operators should be happy as they could sign a contract to manage the landfill for the next 250 years, just like YTL did for their energy distribution contract in Australia. The public is so naïve, that’s why the long term contract is needed to ensure the facilities are run by professionals who knows the business well. Off course, assuming technology development hibernates. Like Mr. Friedman, the economist in US said, the model of public services now focus on PRIVATISING THE GAINS AND SOCIALIZE THE LOSS. Good recipe for DISASTER.

Back to the comment, my views in red:

“You mentioned the RDF is a more economic option as it's developed without CAPEX from the rakyat's money. This is a fallacy as any CAPEX is included in the life-cycle cost in determining the tipping fee. Who pays the tipping fee at the end of the day? The rakyat of course. “

I totally agree with you that the CAPEX is included in the life-cycle cost in determining the tipping fee (those who don’t do this should not be in the business). But I think what Shalom in his comment meant that the CAPEX for construction of the plant is paid via the operator’s own fund and loan from the bank. Unlike Bukit Tagar for example, the Federal Government pay for owners’s land ( I heard about RM200 million), than gave contract to build the cells ( I heard another RM200 million) and then build the interchange at Batang Berjutai another RM38 million. And for every ton of waste received in the cell, DBKL has to pay another RM49 per ton ( I stand to be corrected), that’s RM102,900 per day from a 2100 tons of DBKL’s waste. Please double check just in case my calculator is wrong. Now isn’t that rakyat’s fund as opposed to the plant.

In the RDF case, this is where the operator was too optimistic with their business model when they assumed a low tipping fee as they were confident the recycleables and renewable energy would sustain the project. It looked good on paper, but in reality the plan went awry due to the plant's shortcomings. As you said the RDF business model is sound, but,requires "support" from the power-that-be. "Support" from the power-that-be invariably means financial support that equals the rakyat's money.

Theres’s nothing wrong with the business model. ( as validated by professional consultants I was told ) However, the little I know about business model, if the numbers does not stack up as what predicted, than there would be a problem. And that’s what happens to the plant. Cost of post disposal was affected due to the none decision by the authorities till today (5 years has passed), and the proposed site given for disposal was 4 times more than what has been agreed, it will definitely affect whatever model any one could put. The support required by the operator is issues outside of the boundary as mentioned above, i.e. near landfill site and access road. Even if, they are any request , its only for fairness in comparing apple to apple.

The RDF (which is actually a technology from Bangalore, India, and not Malaysian) is not working well not because it's mismanaged as you mentioned, but simply because the plant is not sustainable. It's an open secret that a significant volume of untreated MSW from the plant is disposed to a nearby dumpsite, even from the early days due to the plant failing. It is also a fact that the Kajang Municipal Council is looking for alternative means to handle their MSW as the RDF is clearly not able to provide the solution.

Wrong again. Yes, the technology is from Bangalore, but it was only on lab scale. They bought the pattern, set up a pilot plant which cost millions with their own fund ( so many others are lucky enough to get time and time again grants and has yet to produce respectable results). And they work with local research house and universities to finally patent a process that can handle local waste and not Indian waste. So, if you are not aware, please be advised, ok. A technology is a technology. From what I understand, their technology is the process (the software) and the hardware is the machines that they want it to be locally manufactured as they believe in localizing the facilities construction using local expertise and knowhow for the construction.

This mean savings the outflow and at the same time increase the multiplier effect to the domestic economy and provide more jobs locally. Malaysian contractors are very well advance in civil works, so are the process plants in petrol chemical, gas processing plant, chemical plants, rubber productions, palm oil refineries, aviation, shipyards and the list goes on.

Hardware are not rocket science, but not having a proper managing of it, can be disastrous. Don’t have to look far :Sport centers, stadiums, court complexs, schools, low cost house, Istana Rakyat (oops.. Istana Negara) and lots more. Talk about those related to waste, brogan, how much compensation the rakyat has to pay, the 7 island incinerators that fail to operate till today, the 5 incinerators that has yet to perform, and one incinerator that produce I megawatt at USD25 million (USD TWENTY FIVE MILLION) and resolving 100 tons of waste (others cost USD 1 Million per megawatt, and other renewable cost about USD6 million, and this cost the public USD25 million. ( As rakyat, I think some people should call MACC to verify).

Now, latest we have some party with no proven track record awarded project so call to save the world and provide light to people. I am an ardent National Geographic watcher. They remind me of animals that went around peeing and marking their territories but with no apparent results. Just take a look at how our Ministry of housing has evolve. It take them 10 years to come up with a bright idea. Tell the government that we must have paradigm shift, integrate our approach to managing waste. But alas, in their RMK10 commitment, build this through landfill and that’s why we have 9 new landfill that cost the rakyat another RM290 million. We can go on and on but its no use.

So, if the federal or the state is really interested to see the difference, .I challenge them to address the issue above, i.e. by providing the access road and also provide the budget for upgrading the semenyih landfill. Don’t just play with sentiments of the rakyat.

I also heard that they got 7 awards, 2 locally, and 5 internationally. Now, I wonder if the guys in the International bodies has not done their homework. What kind of Kiasu people la…. But at least, the award is not related to bodies or agencies that requires “table donations” for dinner, otherwise the award will be revoked. That’s what happen to one of the proposed award to them from a “Big Event” with every VIP’s in town for the Laurrette. No pay, no award. Some recognition.

I really don't know where you come out with the idea that a sanitary landfill runs on RM100,000 OPEX a day. This is definitely wrong. Based on your assertion, and assuming the landfill handles 1,000 tons of MSW a day, the cost per ton on OPEX alone (without CAPEX) is RM100, and we are not even talking about the tipping fee, merely cost. I shudder to think the tipping fee with CAPEX and profit margin. Do you seriously think the government would approve any sanitary landfill project with that type of cost/tipping fee?

I believe what Shalom is trying to say that at 2100 tons per day and at RM49 per ton tipping fee, that works out to RM102 ,000 per day, not the cost. But the revenue. I think I can easily calculate the cost to operate, and minus it from the RM102,000 is the margin. And for that, some RE of about 2 MW can be achieve. Others I heard could harvest about 25 MW from the same volume. I wonder how much carbon emission that would be. I will get back to the operators and ask them for their operating results if it might be of interest.

If the MCA/BN lot wants contribution to their campaign funds as you put it, it can come from any source. Why point at sanitary landfill? Wasn't the RDF developed during the MCA/BN time in Selangor as well?

I am not a politician and will leave to the people concern to answer that. But what little I know is that the operator also went through a tremendous pressure with the change of government. The new government thinks that the operator belongs to Barisan team, while the State executives want to protect their rights in the waste management under the federalization pressure ( there’s a half billion ringgit a year at stake),thus elephant fight elephant, the mouse deer is squashed in between. Who is the mousedeer? RAKYAT……YES, RAKYAT my fellow landfill writer. And Our future -generation, OUR KIDS AND THEIR KIDS AND THEIR KIDS ………..

Reviewer of Sanitary Board

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“It’s good to recycle to help the environment instead of throwing them into landfills. They will never go away there.”

Scott Berry.

I knew that the ordinary discards of residential life were hardly inert, that burying things under several feet of dirt didn’t bring their influence on the environment to a screeching halt. When organic matter decomposes, it creates methane and carbon dioxide, both greenhouse gases. As it filters up through layers of buried garbage, methane can pick up carcinogens like acetone, benzene and ethyl benzene, xylenes, trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. These compounds are borne on the breeze into nearby homes and offices.

-Elizabeth Royte, Garbage Land,

SMS FROM A CONCERNED READER

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR BETTER VISUAL

DUMP, BABY, DUMP!

With landfills across the nation bursting at the seams, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government is still bent on landfills and more landfills. HERE

“Virtually all landfills in Malaysia were established by designation instead of by design, except for the new sanitary landfills,” said Dr Abu Bakar, the former Director-General of the Department of Environment, where he had worked for about 20 years.

KUALA LUMPUR: Monday November 1, 2010

The long-standing landfill problem has affected almost everyone in the country.

Besides causing social and environmental problems, landfills are also economically detrimental.

Local councils are spending between 30% and 80% of their assessment collection for waste treatment. And, these councils do nothing more than make the garbage pile up into a seemingly endless problem.

The bad management of most landfills has resulted in several “time bombs”. One “exploded” in Sept-ember when leachate from a landfill in Semenyih contaminated Sungai Kembong and Sungai Beranang, the intake points of the Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant.

The plant was forced to close down due to high levels of ammonia, causing a 14-hour water supply disruption, which resulted in about a million consumers in Petaling, Hulu Langat, Sepang, Kuala Langat and Putrajaya being affected by it.

Such problems, according to Association of Environmental Con­sultants and Contractors of Malaysia chairman Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Jaafar, were bound to happen.

“Virtually all landfills in Malaysia were established by designation instead of by design, except for the new sanitary landfills,” he said.

According to the Housing and Local Government Ministry, there are 176 operating landfill sites, another 114 end-of-life sites and only eight sanitary landfills in the country.

This means that only eight landfills were constructed according to specifications while the rest are polluting the environment and ruining public health in varying degrees.

And, then there are the illegal ones.

“When local authorities need to discard waste, they just find some place and dump everything there without any planning, engineering and even site selection to see if it is safe. When people start complaining about stench, pests and scavengers, they just bring lorries full of soil to cover them,” he said.

Dr Abu Bakar is the former director-general of the Department of Environment, where he had worked for about 20 years.

“I was kept busy by landfill fires that often broke out in the middle of the night. Some scavengers burned mattresses to retrieve metal parts, leading to landfills on fire,” he said.

Even the closure of landfills was done shoddily. “Often, closures did not meet standards and before you know it, low-cost flats and housing projects were built on these sites.”

“I would not be surprised if one day a house blows up all of a sudden as there is gas in these badly closed landfills.” he said.

Dr Abu Bakar said he was disappointed that the situation had not improved much after all these years. A waste management report submitted by Malaysia to the United Nations back in 1971 bore close resemblance to the current situation.

He said the Environmental Quality Act addressed mainly pollution caused by factories, while only the Local Government Act, and Street, Drainage and Building Act addressed wastes produced at home.

“Even so, the laws are ineffective and outdated,” he said.

Dr Abu Bakar proposed a comprehensive structure for the treatment of solid waste, covering three categories namely dry, perishable and toxic waste from home, and eventually be recycled or be used to regenerate energy.

“An effective structure for waste management requires the commitment of at least 11 ministries,” he said.

“If that can be in place, we won’t need landfills.”

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Coming: No CF for apartments built over landfill.

CEBU CITY SAYS NO TO BERJAYA CORPORATION.

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama (pic) has rejected, upon the recommendation of his consultant, a Malaysian company’s offer to operate a sanitary landfill in the city for being violative of the provisions of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Rama has also turned down Berjaya Corporation’s invitation for a site visit and inspection of their sanitary landfill facilities in Malaysia.

Berhad which constructed the Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill in Malaysia earlier proposed to operate a similar facility in Cebu City.

Rama’s decision to reject the proposal was based on the recommendation of City Hall consultant on environment Lawyer Janeses Ponce because it violates the requirements of the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

“The undersigned recommended to set aside or to reject the proposal based on the requirements of RA 9003 which discourages sanitary landfills regardless of the technology employed,” Ponce said.

City Councilor Nida Cabrera, who already went to Malaysia for the site visit last November, said that adopting the proposal of Berjaya Corp. to develop a new sanitary landfill will be cost-efficient for the city government compared to other projects that seek to address the garbage problem of the city.

Cabrera said she saw how well the technology was used in the establishment and management of the landfill.

She said it was designed to meet international standards and has a full protective liner to protect the ground from leachate, or liquids from the landfill.

As far as the track record of the company is concerned, Cabrera said Berjaya Corp. Berhad is credible, saying they have also established three sanitary landfills in China.

Last year, Berjaya Corp. representatives met with Rama and the city’s Solid Waste Management Board to express their interest to develop a P1.35 billion sanitary landfill in the city.

Under the proposal, Berjaya Corp. Berhad will shoulder the capital expenditure to develop the landfill which is estimated at US$30 million or about P1.35 billion.

The City Government, on the other hand, will have to provide the 20 hectares needed for the landfill, as well as the requirements for the project that include the environmental compliance certificate.

But Ponce said the city will be tied down and will be facing financial burden in the long run.

The city will also have the difficulty of locating a hydrogeologically isolated site suitable for the proposed sanitary landfill.

“A site visit or site inspection would not serve any purpose at all unless and until the legal, financial and environmental issues are resolved,” Ponce said. — (FREEMAN)

MAKING MONEY, NOT SENSE.

This BLOG is devoted to create awareness on the state of waste management in Malaysia and what you and I can do about it. In my last two postings I made mention of the MASTER PLAN of Ministry of Housing and Local Government that will see the proliferation of landfills throughout the country. I also warned that it might be a possibility that a landfill may appear in our backyard. i also pointed out that whilst the developed countries are working towards ZERO LANDFILLS, we are encouraging more landfills. As such I made an appeal to our Members of Parliament and State Assemblymen to intervene. Perhaps they prefer to go at each other’s throats for their own protection rather than look into our interests. Again they conveniently forget that we elected them into office.

I often wonder what our politicians from both sides of the divide are up to. It is like Sarawak building dams upon damned dams and still there are no electricity power and piped water to the interiors. One disgusted “spiritual” buddy of mine volunteered this: The Bakum Dam is like a fully aroused penis with nowhere to unload its raging load!

Similarly, this seems to be the trend the Ministry is leading to: just dump! It is treatment of waste at its worst, with the focus of making money (aka cronies) not sense!

If nothing is done our country will be sinking under a tsunami of waste. With no effective government plan in sight (except to dump) it is left to you and me to act. As with so many other movements, lasting change often comes from the bottom up.

The goal of 'Zero Landfills' depends on ordinary people like you and me to lead by example and transition to a lifestyle that protects human health and the environment... a lifestyle that finally makes sense.