The Ecological Solid Waste Management to 0.

5 percent by volume which

Act (RA 9003) according to Senator Alvarez is way off
-An act providing for an ecological solid the Acts standard and violated some
waste management program, creating provisions of the law because congress
the necessary institutional mechanisms. has the exclusive power to amend the
Declaring certain prohibited acts. law. And worse, the relaxed the emission
standards indefinitely, setting our anti-
R.A. 8749 pollution program several steps
Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 backwards. But what is worst to me is
that during emission testing, technician
The Clean Air Act was envisioned to fight in testing center can easily manipulate
air pollution by : (1) Reducing emissions the results of the test by simply making
from motor vehicles (which account for adjustment on the engine. And this had
80 percent of the air pollution) from been the practice by most emission
factories and power plants (which testing center here in Davao, and I have
account for the remaining 20 percent); been a witness to this kind of practice
(2) Improving fuel quality to reduce or being an owner of a private vehicle.
eliminate lead in gasoline and sulfur in
diesel; (3) Reducing traffic congestion In the same column, according to
and improving traffic flow; (4) Senator Alvarez that many may not know
Strengthening quality monitoring, but since May 25, 2001, the Clean Air Act
evaluation and reporting through hi-tech calls for a nationwide ban on smoking but
equipment; and (5) Preventing other this has not been thoroughly
sources of pollution such as incinerators, implemented. Long time exposure to
garbage burning and smoking. direct and side stream tobacco smoke
has been a leading cause of lung cancer
Studies show that air in Metro Manila is and mouth cancer worldwide. In Davao
no longer in safe. Worsening air pollution City, an ordinance was passed and was
has caused more than 10,000 excess enacted into law, prohibiting smoking
cases of acute bronchitis, almost 300 inside public buildings, enclosed places
excess cases of asthma and nine excess including public vehicles and other
cases of chronic bronchitis. At home, I means of transportation, any enclosed
usually drink 500mg of ascorbic acid but area outside private residences or private
if I have scheduled traveled to Manila, I workplaces; and any duly designated
would always drink 1000mg of ascorbic enclosed area is strictly prohibited. The
acid just to keep myself healthy and initial implementation of the law was
strengthen my immune system. very good but it soften when certain
personalities (a congressman and IBP
In an article written by former Senator president) were caught smoking. In one
Alvarez, DENR destroys spirit and intent daily newspaper Ive read, a picture of a
of Clean Air Act, he mentioned that motor lawmaker smoking inside the session
vehicles being registered must not hall, with the caption, A LAWMAKER a
exceed the 0.5 percent carbon dioxide LAWBREAKER.
emission to pass the emission test. This
was based on Euro 1 levels of 1991, a How could we expect full and strict and
globally accepted emission standards. implementation of the law when those
But the DENR through Department who crafted and implemented it were the
Administrative order no. 51 dated ones breaking the law. But I am still
October 2003, lowered the Acts hoping that as we celebrate the Clean Air
allowable carbon monoxide emission Month this November, correct
from the Euro1 standard of 0.35 percent
implementation of the Act would be in the proper means of disposing garbage in
full swing. accordance with Republic Act 9003 or the
Ecological Management Law.
R.A. 9003 To address this problem, I think education
ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE drive and a budget to teach residents
MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2000 about segregation would be needed. But
even if the public will be educated , the
The Ecological Solid Waste Management next problem would be sourcing the
Act of 2000 (Republic Act 9003) passed money to buy the trash cans and colored
in January 2000 was enacted largely in plastic needed for the dumping of the
response to the growing scarcity of segregated waste and it seems that with
disposal sites, particularly in Metro the worsening economic crisis and
Manila, which resulted in the garbage unemployment, it is highly likely that the
crisis in the region. The law emphasizes trash cans which would be provided for
solid waste avoidance and volume segregated garbage would be stolen and
reduction through source reduction and sold. Barangay officials should campaign
waste minimization measures, with the for the adoption of segregation among
protection of public health and the households within their neighborhood.
environment as the primary goal. The "heart and soul" of RA 9003 is
Solid waste management whose mobilizing barangay officers and their
importance is directly related to public constituents to make recovery facilities
health, resource management and or areas for recycling household waste.
utilization, and maintaining a clean
environment, is necessary in ensuring
human development. Solid waste R.A. 9275
management benefits the population in Philippine Clean Water Act
many ways.
Republic Act 9275 is an act providing for
A study made in Davao City indicates a comprehensive water quality
that waste segregation at the household management. It primarily attempts to
level is not widely practiced and waste harmonize economic growth and
recycling is minimal. Past efforts to environmental concern on water.
promote waste segregation at source
have failed despite the issuance of city The general approach is creation of water
ordinances providing for sanctions and quality management areas (WQMA) by
penalties for non-compliance. Some the Department of Environment and
reasons that have been cited for the non- Natural Resources (DENR) using
compliance include: indifference of local physiographic units such as watershed,
residents to participate in community river basins or water resources regions.
waste management-related activities, The Act directs the Department of Public
local government collection services Works and Highways (DPWH) and its
non-allowance for segregated waste attached agencies to prepare a national
collection, residents attitude that program on sewerage and septage
government has the sole responsibility management and the Department of
over garbage management and lack of Health (DOH) to formulate guidelines and
information and education campaigns. standards for the collection, treatment
The City Government admitted that they and disposal of sewage including
failed to focus on solid waste guidelines for the establishment and
management concerns and had difficulty operation of centralized sewage
enforcing the policy due to lack of budget treatment system. Further, the DENR
and resources to educate the public on shall establish standards for each
significant wastewater parameter per RCRA enabled EPA to address
industry sector and implement a environmental problems that could result
wastewater charge system in all from underground tanks storing
management areas through the petroleum and other hazardous
collection of wastewater charges/fees. substances.
The system shall be established on the HSWA - the Federal Hazardous and Solid
basis of payment to the government for Waste Amendments - are the 1984
discharging wastewater into the water amendments to RCRA that focused on
bodies. waste minimization and phasing out land
disposal of hazardous waste as well as
The creation of WQMAs may be a holistic corrective action for releases. Some of
approach to water body management. the other mandates of this law include
However, this involves serious increased enforcement authority for EPA,
coordination work and requires a big more stringent hazardous waste
budget. On the other hand, since the management standards, and a
sewerage and septage management is comprehensive underground storage
included, this is an indicator that the tank program.
government is giving importance to this
environmental aspect which has been The Superfund Amendments and
taken for granted for years. Reauthorization Act (SARA)
The Superfund Amendments and
With regards to charges and penalties, it Reauthorization Act (SARA) amended
follows the polluter pays principle, the Comprehensive Environmental
which basically means that the more you Response, Compensation, and Liability
pollute, the more you pay to the Act (CERCLA) on October 17, 1986. SARA
government. Though this may be a reflected EPA's experience in
better approach, there would also be a administering the complex Superfund
tendency that industries would pass on program during its first six years and
the charges to their consumers through made several important changes and
increase in the prices of their products. additions to the program. SARA:
Nevertheless, the incentives lined up in stressed the importance of permanent
the Act may also serve as come-on to remedies and innovative treatment
industries to adhere to a cleaner and technologies in cleaning up hazardous
environment-friendly production process. waste sites;
required Superfund actions to consider
the standards and requirements found in
Lastly, because the approach is holistic other State and Federal environmental
and comprehensive, it is important that laws and regulations;
there is a strong linkage and funding provided new enforcement authorities
mechanism. and settlement tools;
increased State involvement in every
RCRA phase of the Superfund program;
The Resource Conservation and Recovery increased the focus on human health
Act (RCRA) gives EPA the authority to problems posed by hazardous waste
control hazardous waste from the sites;
"cradle-to-grave." This includes the encouraged greater citizen participation
generation, transportation, treatment, in making decisions on how sites should
storage, and disposal of hazardous be cleaned up; and
waste. RCRA also set forth a framework increased the size of the trust fund to
for the management of non-hazardous $8.5 billion.
solid wastes. The 1986 amendments to
SARA also required EPA to revise identified or located, or when they fail to
the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) to act. Through various enforcement tools,
ensure that it accurately assessed the EPA obtains private party cleanup
relative degree of risk to human health through orders, consent decrees, and
and the environment posed by other small party settlements. EPA also
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that recovers costs from financially viable
may be placed on the National Priorities individuals and companies once a
List (NPL). response action has been completed.
Summary of the Comprehensive EPA is authorized to implement the Act in
Environmental Response, Compensation, all 50 states and U.S. territories.
and Liability Act (Superfund) Superfund site identification, monitoring,
42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq. (1980) and response activities in states are
The Comprehensive Environmental coordinated through the state
Response, Compensation, and Liability environmental protection or waste
Act -- otherwise known as CERCLA or management agencies.
Superfund -- provides a Federal The Superfund Amendments and
"Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986
abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well reauthorized CERCLA to continue cleanup
as accidents, spills, and other emergency activities around the country. Several
releases of pollutants and contaminants site-specific amendments, definitions
into the environment. Through CERCLA, clarifications, and technical requirements
EPA was given power to seek out those were added to the legislation, including
parties responsible for any release and additional enforcement authorities. Also,
assure their cooperation in the cleanup. Title III of SARA authorized
EPA cleans up orphan sites when the Emergency Planning and Community
potentially responsible parties cannot be Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).