Chame Mayor seeks to Transform Dump

Nieves Mayorga, the mayor of the Chame is trying to put and end an open-air dump that is contaminating a nearby mangrove and negatively effecting the community by continuous burning causing air pollution. Mayorga has been speaking with Ecological Fuels Panama, a company that uses technology to transform dumps into areas that sort garbage in a more effective way.

They are calling it a "punto verde" or in English a green point. The mayor explained that her initiative would also benefit the municipalities of Capira and San Carlos, who also use the landfill in La Chorrera.

Eric Guerrero a representative Ecological Fuels Panama explained in an article published by La Prensa that in practice, the mobilization of waste is costly for municipalities. This is why they are proposing that the town of Chame install a processing plant which would cost the country approximately $400 thousand dollars.

Guerrero explained that the first step (which would remain in place until the country of Panama becomes more aware about the practice of recycling) would be to separate waste with economic value. This type of waste, metals, plastic, glass etc, would then be given to small companies run by the municipality and sold for profit.

Options for recycling raised included reusing cooking oil in soap making, glass as a construction material and organics for natural fertilizers.

According Guerrero, the plan would require about three hectares where leaching would be minimal.

As for inorganic wastes without economic value, Guerrero states it will be packaged into bundles of one cubic meter (200 kilos), which he said could be burned to generate heat.

Currently the provincial director of the National Environmental Authority (ANAM), Miriam Castillo, has warned that the plan requires an environmental audit. Since the plan impacts the protected area of the Bay of Chame, it require the endorsement of the National Directorate of Protected Areas.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Chame, Nieves Mayorga, said the Ministry of Economy and Finance requested the approval of funds to start the project.

According to Guerrero,  Panama Ecological Fuels would keep control of the project for a period of two years, after which the municipality of Chame would gain full control. He explained that within six months of the projects launch the company look at allowing waste from Capira and San Carlos to also be processed in this area.