DIYALA PROVINCE – Iraqi Leaders and U.S. forces celebrated Earth Day with an April 22 celebration opening the Baqubah Landfill, the first environmentally safe location for its residents to dispose of solid waste.

The Baqubah Landfill was first conceived in July by the 37th Engineer Battalion- Joint Task Force Eagle, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., the 1-25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Richardson, Ala., the U.S. State Department’s Provincial Reconstruction Team, and the Diyala Provincial Government.

Solid waste management throughout Diyala had remained a relatively consistent problem and became a serious health risk for residents. The landfill quickly became a top priority for Diyala provincial leaders, and construction began, Oct. 22.

"At the present moment, other than the one we've built in Baqubah, there are no other functioning landfills in the province", said Capt. Greg Sablan, the JTF Eagle Commander's Emergency Response Program project manager and Island of Guam native. "This is the Government of Iraq's first stab at completing the loop on solid waste management. Because Baqubah is the capitol of Diyala, it sets the example for all other future programs like this in other [cities]."

The ceremony was kicked off by the Diyala Governor, Dr. Abd-al Nair, and Ms. Lisa Piascik, a bilingual and bicultural advisor for the PRT, cutting the ribbon allowing leaders and media to tour of the landfill. The facility will be able to sustain 5-years-worth of compacted trash, which is "approximately 130,000 cubic meters of trash," according to Sablan.

A passing of the Operation and Maintenance manual from Sablan to the Director General of Municipalities, Kadim Hayder, signified that the project was successfully completed and ready for use by the residents of Baqubah.

In July, plans for the landfill underwent development as a CERP project for the preservation of local civic cleanup activities; the number one priority for the Provincial Government.

Construction was planned, coordinated and executed by members of the 37th Eng. Bn. - JTF Eagle, and their Iraqi partners from the 5th Iraqi Army Field Engineer Regiment, based out of Ghalabiyah, and Hayder.

Once completed, March 6, the team ensured the official opening was timed perfectly with other essential services fostered throughout the Diyala province, such as trash dumpsters and dump trucks.

"We have completed a major trash removal project in the Baqubah and Kana'an Qadas", said 1st Lt. Brett Sim, fire support officer, 5-20th Infantry Battalion, based out of Fort Lewis, Wash., and a Buffalo, N.Y., native. "These were CERP projects that were organized and contracted out by the Government of Iraq. Paid workers clean the streets and we have purchased a total of 40 dumpsters for the cities. The projects have proven very successful in providing jobs and keeping city streets clean."

From Day 1 to Day 238, the construction of the Baqubah Landfill has supported improvements in the overall health and living conditions, as well as employment, for Iraqis who live in Diyala. Hayder says the ribbon cutting ceremony sets a milestone for the Provincial Government of Diyala.

"Other places in the world have systems in order to clean up and collect trash; we are now starting ours,” he said. “The Baqubah Landfill is a stepping stone for a cleaner and safer Diyala."