ES30 – ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

by Olan L. Racaza
What are Environmental Laws?
• Environmental laws are policies, principles, directives
and regulations enacted and enforced by local,
national or international entities to regulate human
treatment of the environment
Philippine Environmental Laws
• Republic Act 8749 - Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
• Republic Act 9275 - Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
• Republic Act 9003 - Ecological Solid Waste Management
Act of 2000
• Republic Act 6969 - Toxic Substances and Hazardous and
Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990
RA 8749 - Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999

• Purpose: to properly manage air pollution in the country

• Incineration of municipal, biomedical and hazardous wastes are
banned.
• All stationary sources of air pollution such as factories, power
plants, cement plants and oil refinieries must follow certain
emission standards set by the DENR.
• All motor vehicles must follow certain emission standards; to be
implemented by the DOTC.
• All fuels and fuel additives must follow specifications set by the
DENR and DOE.
• Leaded gasoline and ozone-depleting substances are banned in the
country.
• Smoking inside a public building or an enclosed public space is
prohibited; to be implemented by the LGUs.
RA 9275 - Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

• Purpose: to control pollution of water bodies from land based

sources and promote proper water quality management.
• All sewage lines in a city must be connected to a centralized sewage
treatment system.
• Factories that discharge regulated effluents must secure a permit
of discharge from the DENR.
• Factories must adopt waste minimization or waste treatment
technologies.
• Direct discharging of pollutants into natural water bodies are
prohibited.
RA 9003 - Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of
2000
• Purpose: to adopt a systematic and ecological solid waste
management program
• Solid wastes must be segregated at the barangay level
(compostable, non-recyclable or recyclable). The LGUs must
provide separate containers for each type of waste.
• Littering and throwing of solid wastes in public places such as roads,
sidewalks, canals and parks are prohibited.
• Open dumps are prohibited. Existing open dumps must be
converted to controlled dumps or sanitary landfills.
• Solid wastes must be disposed by composting, sanitary landfill or by
recycling.
• Incentives must be provided to individuals, private companies and
NGOs that undertake innovative projects, technologies or activities
promoting the 3Rs (Reuse, Recycle, Reduce).
RA 6969 - Toxic Substances and Hazardous and
Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990
• Purpose: to control, supervize and regulate activities on toxic
chemicals and hazardous wastes (explosive, toxic, flammable or
corrosive)

• Importation of hazardous and nuclear wastes into the country are

prohibited.

• Hazardous wastes must be properly managed by:

– minimizing the generation of hazardous wastes
– recycling and reusing of hazardous wastes
– treatment of hazardous wastes to render it harmless
– landfill of hazardous waste residues
International Environmental Treaties
• Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
• Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone
Layer
Objectives of the Vienna Convention
• To promote cooperation by means of systematic observations,
research and information exchange on the effects of human
activities on the ozone layer
• To adopt legislative or administrative measures against activities
likely to have adverse effects on the ozone layer

Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

• All signatory countries are required to stop the production and
consumption of harmful ozone-depleting chemicals
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)
• Ultimate aim is to prevent "dangerous" human interference with
the climate system
• Developed countries are the source of most greenhouse gas
emissions and hence are expected to do most to cut emissions

Kyoto Protocol
• All signatory developed countries must comply the set emission
reduction targets
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Incidents that led to the creation of the Basel Convention
• Khian Sea Waste Disposal incident
• 1988 Koko case

Objectives of the Basel Convention

• To reduce the movement of hazardous wastes between nations.
• To prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less
developed countries or "toxic colonialism".
• To minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated