BCDA calls for cessation of Kalangitan landfill use in Tarlac

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has issued a directive to local government units (LGUs), government agencies, and businesses to cease utilizing the Kalangitan sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac, following the expiration of the service contract for the property.

In a statement recently, the BCDA emphasized that the Contract for Services between Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWMC) and Clark Development Corp. (CDC) expired on October 5 last year and cannot be renewed or extended. Consequently, MCWMC no longer holds the Authority to Operate (ATO) the 100-hectare Kalangitan sanitary landfill.

The BCDA is urging stakeholders to seek alternative waste management facilities accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) to ensure compliance with solid waste disposal regulations. They highlighted the importance of adhering to legal protocols and fostering cooperation to maintain effective waste management services in Central Luzon and surrounding regions.

Additionally, the BCDA appealed for support in enforcing legal measures that prohibit further use of the Kalangitan landfill. The CDC has issued a formal cease-and-desist order to MCWMC, instructing the company to vacate the site following the termination of its contractual and legal rights to operate.

The BCDA noted that the Court of Appeals granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in CA-GR SP Case No. 186856, preventing the Regional Trial Court of Capas, Tarlac from enforcing its Writ of Preliminary Injunction. This injunction had previously barred BCDA and CDC from removing MCWMC from the Kalangitan landfill site.

Furthermore, the Capas court denied MCWMC’s request for a writ of preliminary injunction, which aimed to compel CDC to issue a new ATO and to prevent the agency from engaging with LGUs utilizing the landfill.

The BCDA clarified that, in the absence of a valid permit issued by the CDC for the Kalangitan landfill’s operations, continued use of the facility constitutes a violation of Republic Act 9003, known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, rendering its ongoing use illegal.