Member concerned about capacity of construction waste landfill

A member of the Urban Planning Committee (CPU) has expressed concerns over the possibility of urban renewal projects adding pressure to the capacity of construction waste landfills, he said yesterday during the CPU’s first meeting of the year.

While addressing the first project through analysis for approval of the urban conditions plan (PCU), the member expressed concerns that such a project, as well as others of the same kind, could lead to extensive demolition works, consequently resulting in a large volume of construction waste.

The member noted that the government had recently presented a project for the construction of a new construction materials landfill, to be built offshore of Coloane. The justification for such a project was that the current landfill is “almost full.”

The same member suggested the CPU potentially impose conditions, in some cases, for the limited demolition of existing structures, providing for more extensive renovation projects rather than full demolitions.

Such an idea did not gather much support from other committee members, with the head of the Department of Urban Planning of the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU), Leong Io Hong, refuting the idea that Macau’s construction waste management is in dire straits.

Leong said that rules already exist that prevent people from creating unnecessary waste, such as the payment of a fee for the deposit of such waste in the landfill.

The same official also noted that as part of such work, the department in charge of managing construction waste landfill is also evaluating which types of waste are able to be treated and recycled instead of just being buried.

As the Times has previously reported, the new, offshore waste landfill project has received many opinions, particularly from ecologists and environmental advocacy groups, as well as some lawmakers. All have expressed concerns that the project poses potential damage to the marine ecosystem.