The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Calabarzon has issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against Phase 5 of the Green Leap Solid Waste Management, Inc. sanitary landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal, following a trash slide that killed one person and left two others missing on February 20.
The agency said a February 23 inspection revealed several operational lapses, including erosion of the active tipping area, foul odor from exposed waste, and cracks in adjacent waste benches that could cause further collapse. Multiple violations of the facility’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) were also documented.
“DENR-EMB CALABARZON ordered the immediate cessation of all landfill operations in Phase 5, except for emergency and remedial activities such as retrieval operations, slope stabilization, debris clearing, and installation of engineering controls to prevent further erosion,” the agency said.
The proponent was also instructed to move the active tipping area to a safer location within the facility. A detailed report is required within five days, with a technical conference scheduled for February 25. Failure to attend may prompt legal action based on available evidence.
Meanwhile, the landfill operator International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist Inc. (ISWIMS) said it respects the CDO and confirmed that Phase 5 remains cordoned off. Search and retrieval operations continue, while normal waste disposal proceeds safely in a separate area.
