Impressed with the ongoing development of the Smokey Mountain area from a dumpsite into a progressive community, a US-based environmental group said the project is a perfect model for other countries planning to implement a similar undertaking.

In a recent visit to the site, United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) executive director Peter Kimm also described the project as "not only impressive, but also unique."

"I have seen similar projects in many countries I have visited in the past but this one is the biggest," Kimm said.

Kimm and US-AEP technical support services contractor chief Robert Beckman were in the country recently to review US-AEP’s activities in the Philippines.

US-AEP is a program assisting R-11 Builders Inc., developer of Smokey Mountain Reclamation and Development Project (SMDRP), in availing of US environmental technology in implementing the project.

It has also provided assistance to its US partner PIRNIE/HEC which oversees the environmental aspects of the Smokey Mountain project. During the same visit, the US-AEP attested to the health and environmental safety of the landfill closure technology being adopted by R-11 Builders in the ongoing construction of housing buildings in the former dumpsite.

Smokey Mountain was ordered closed by President Ramos in 1992 when it could no longer accomodate the garbage being dumped by Metro Manila residents.