Govt. earmarks US$14mn for Zámbiza, El Inga landfills

Ecuador's ministry of urban development and housing (Miduvi) has earmarked US$14mn through 2005 to execute the technical closure of sanitary landfills Zámbiza and El Inga in country capital Quito, the presidency said on its website. Zambiza stopped receiving waste last year; El Inga is now Quito's primary landfill. El Inga, which receives 1,400-1,500t/d in waste and sits some 45km outside Quito, will stop receiving waste in June 2005, a spokesperson with waste collection utility and landfill operator Emaseo told BNamericas. Emaseo aims to replace El Inga with a landfill in the city's north and south, thereby reducing transport times and costs, the spokesperson said. The utility has not yet announced specific plans on landfill construction, considering it must first discuss terms with local residents. President Lucio Gutiérrez has agreed to support construction of a new sanitary landfill in the city's south, according to the statement.