The landfill of the city of Vega Baja, is one of the few at the island level to comply in full with the regulations established by state and federal monitoring and environmental protection agencies
The new cell extends the useful life of the landfill system to 10 years. The mayor of Vega Baja Marcos Cruz Molina and Luis Hernández president of La Vega Landfill & Resourses inc. They inaugurated the new cell of the Sanitary Landfill System (SRS) located in the Sabana Vega Baja neighborhood, which extends the disposal and management of solid waste to 10 years.
With an investment of more than $ 3.7 million dollars, the SRS of Vega Baja complies with the environmental consent order issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as environmental regulations at the State level. “In the month of April 2013 we achieved the endorsement of the Environmental Quality Board for the creation of the new cell, which since 2008 was submitted to this agency, and today it is a reality that guarantees the good management of solid waste and it safeguards the bodies of water and the agricultural lands near the facilities of the landfill “expressed the mayor of Vega Baja Marcos Cruz Molina.
Hernández, president of La Vega Landfill, explained that the improvements are “the new cell for the disposal of non-hazardous solid waste includes in a three-layer coating of a resistant plastic” liners “as well as having a granulated covering material that allows the land to be a waterproof up to 95%, the leachates that are the liquids of material in decomposition, reach a lower point in the ground, which are pumped to the collection tank and finally are transported to the AAA Plant in the town of Barceloneta, of which we have permission for the disposition of these.
He added that “In this way, agricultural lands and nearby bodies of water are guaranteed and protected, such as the Cibuco River, which was one of the hallmarks in the past, as well as a runoff water management system in which it separates the rainwater and leachate, also the construction of facilities to monitor groundwater to measure its quality and gases among other improvements ”
“700 residences are under a Pilot Recycling Plan which will be extended to the entire city” Marcos Cruz Molina
Noted the first executive “We are committed to the environment and have worked hand in hand to meet the environmental demands of the EPA; As part of the transition in the management of solid waste, we are working on the pilot recycling plan, in which all the communities of Vega Baja will be impacted. ”
He stressed that “In the first stage, municipal property is rehabilitated, consisting of a collection center for recyclable materials. Currently more than 700 residential units are impacted and the goal is 3,000 residences annually for the next 3 years. In the 2nd stage a recovery plant for recyclable materials will be developed to handle 250 tons of solid waste per day and obtain a 25% recovery of recyclable materials with private investment “concluded
