Guayabitos Landfill One Year Later: Don’t be Fooled
Tara A. Spears
The rancid smell of garbage burning enveloped the towns of Jaltemba Bay for a devastating four months in 2021, blocking the sun and restricting outdoor activities. It was an environmental crisis that spurred local and state government to take action. (Original article “Jaltemba Bay Faces Critical Pollution Crisis”) Although the sky has been clear, is the problem solved? I checked with officials for an update.
Last year the firemen/bomberos from Guayabitos Station and Tepic struggled to extinguish the spontaneous combustion landfill fire. Local environmentalist, Cristobal Araujo Pollo, organized demonstrations to urge the government to take immediate action. Araujo reported that “the compacted garbage accumulated over 21 years has reached heights of 25-30 meters. The landfill reached its intended capacity nearly 10 years ago.” In addition to the demonstrations and signed petitions for action, legal formal complaints were presented to the state government.
“Today, on behalf of the complainants of the 2019, 2020, 2021 fires, a new report of events was presented to the Nayarit Attorney General’s Office … The complainants asked for an accounting by the waste management agency, SIAPA. The ball is in the court of the institutions of the Government of the State of Nayarit … Let us hope that they show their solidity and that they are at the level of what we citizens deserve. From the Bahía de Jaltemba Environmental Surveillance group we will continue to do what is in our power. ”
The result was an immediate order to stop using the Guayabitos landfill. Yay, you think, but what did that mean for town trash disposal? We had to keep our trash in our yards for more than 8 weeks. The rubbish piles were stinking mountains of maggots. Imagine the rats and other feral animals dining on garbage throughout three inter-connected towns with hundreds of visiting transients depositing waste each week. Imagine the liter as street animals tore open piled up trash bags and spread soiled pampers etc. all over the streets.
Citizens complained louder so the municipal garbage trucks initiated a mini route that ran only until the truck was filled because the truck had to drive to Puerto Vallarta to empty. Imagine the cost! Imagine the health issues for humans and animals. The current over-extended landfill is only two kilometers due east of the populous hospitality and residential area.
Besides the ugly smells and negative visuals, the burning landfill created air pollution from ten toxic gases with methane being the most fatal. Methane is naturally produced in activities involving organic matter decay from different sources. The heavy smoke from the burning landfill dropped melted plastics into my yard as well as blocking the sun. It was like living in a sci-fi movie where you fear the outcome.
Another issue is the negative effect from the over-burdened landfill on the surrounding water quality. The contamination of groundwater by landfill leaches is a significant concern. That’s because landfills are packed with hazardous waste that inevitably continues deteriorating groundwater, especially when it’s set near a lake, river, or ocean. These toxic materials range from household cleaners to industrial solvents and electronic waste that contain mercury, lead, and cadmium. Most of these landfill toxins penetrate the soil and reach fresh waterways, which sadly ends up in the foods and water we consume.
What happened: The landfill problem is ongoing. Yes, several baby steps were taken to mitigate the worst of the problems -air pollution that started to turn away tourists- but the significant environmental issues remain. It was a band aid solution where surgery is needed.
The State Attorney for Environmental Protection and Territorial Planning (PROEPAOT), continues to monitor compliance with current environmental regulations, therefore, it made an inspection visit to the sanitary landfill, in order to verify the validity of its Authorization on Environmental Impact Issues issued by the Sustainable Development Secretariat (SDS) and the current status of the project.
As a result of the inspection, several options were explored but to date have not been feasible long term. Cristobel explains, “Although the closure order by State Attorney for Environmental Protection PROEPA continues, it has not been possible due to the lack of an alternative location. There is no news of the Monteón landfill, since it is still abandoned and apparently, the Ejido de la Peñita has not been contacted by the City Council to negotiate the new site.”
The following photo is 2022.
Although the Guayabitos overloaded landfill is still being used, there have been changes to its operation. “Last week, Guayabitos Alderman, Octaviano Figuero, and I went to physically see the site of the landfill. Definitely, it is in much better condition than last year: there is a circuit that allows you to go around the dump, the disposal is being controlled and managed in a timely manner with vehicles from the SIMARS Company. According to municipal sources, there is already a contract with SIMMARS for the management of the garbage dump. However, we have not been allowed to see it (the contract) to know the conditions.”
The issue of environmental protection must be a shared responsibility between society and government. It is imperative that each of us make lifestyle changes to truly address the pollution issues here in small town Mexico. Reduce, recycle, reuse, needs to be a permanent habit; it takes effort to remember to bring your own bag when shopping, but I’m getting there. The government has set up recycle bins throughout the area and near the beach which is a huge step. But, all the bins are useless unless people put their debris in them.
With the aim of guaranteeing the right to a healthy environment, the sustainability of ecosystems and biodiversity, the Nayarit State Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection and Territorial Planning is implementing actions that provide for the separation of urban solid waste, including establishing recycling in JB. It took 21 years for the Guayabitos landfill to fail and now the solution is complicated and expensive.
Yes, steps have been taken to remedy the Guayabitos landfill and water pollution problems. The skies are clear and shiny new trash receptacles get emptied into spiffy new trucks but we cannot be complacent. More needs to be done to save the great natural beauty of Jaltemba Bay environment that makes it so appealing to live and visit. By raising awareness of the critical pollution issues and promoting the adoption of good practices for sustainable development shows the politicians that the public demands action now.
You can contact environmentalist Cristobal on Facebook: Cristóbal Guayabitos or
Guayabitos Alderman Octaviano (Facebook) Octaviano Figueroa; ocfisa@yahoo.com
#ApaguemosElBasureroDeGuayabitos./ #Let’s turn off the Guayabitos Trash