Government readies wider environmental audit
THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) may start by next month its review of around 800 permits issued to various projects identified as environmentally sensitive, a senior official said yesterday.
“Pagdating ni (Environment) Secretary( Regina Paz L. Lopez) malalaman na natin ang schedule for the review,” Jonas R. Leones, DENR undersecretary for International Affairs and Foreign Assisted Programs said in a phone interview, confirming that the review could start before yearend.
Mr. Leones was one of the department’s senior officials who discussed in previous press briefings the impending review of more environmental compliance certificates (ECC) after a July audit of metal mines that put nearly three-fourths of 41 such facilities nationwide at risk of shuttering.
Ms. Lopez left for Marrakesh, Morocco on Sunday to attend a climate change meeting and is due to return to Manila on Saturday.
Sought for details, Ms. Lopez replied in a mobile phone message: “OMG! Some of the ECCs are unbelievably bad: no concern for the common good and cause a lot of suffering.”
“Given the Duterte administration’s stand for the common good, they must all be reviewed,” she added, saying the department will also tighten procedures for issuing ECCs.
The impending new review, according to Mr. Leones, may start with an initial list of the “most pollutive industries.”
Mr. Leones added that the department has already drawn up guidelines for the new audit, telling reporters separately on Monday: “My information is that there is already a draft on that…”
Approval of the guidelines by a DENR executive committee will pave the way for start of the review which, among others, will cover all coal- fired power projects: the 12 in operation, 12 under construction, 13 others that have not started construction but already have ECCs, and two more with pending applications for such final permits.
Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) was the first coal-fired power plant owner to undergo review. To recall, the DENR asked the firm in August to explain why its operations in Antique should not be suspended in the wake of complaints like siltation in 2008 and a mine collapse due to a landslide in 2013.
NOT THAT SIMPLE
But the Environment chief herself had acknowledged the difficulty the department faces should it find cause to shut down coal projects.
Coal-fired plants, according to the Energy department’s Web site, accounted for 31.5% of the country’s installed capacity and 34.2% of total dependable capacity as of end-December, with Luzon — where Metro Manila and the Cavite- Laguna- Batangas- Rizal- Quezon region combined contribute more than half to total national economic output — particularly dependent on that power source.
Asked if the evaluation of SMPC’s ECC will be completed by yearend, Mr. Leones replied: “Siguro. Dapat lang naman… We are still evaluating very carefully the results, the information… and then soon it will be released na sa media.”
Mr. Leones added that the audit will not spare plants running on renewable energy sources, saying “they are not exempted” from complying with the law.
“For those that we will determine na not complying with our standard, we will be suspending them and we’ll be giving them time to address pollution problems…” Mr. Leones said.
“But after a certain time — if they fail to address their concerns — we will be compelled to suspend their permits or even revoke ‘ yung ECCs nila.”
DENR Administrative Order No. 2003-30 — or the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Presidential Decree No. 1586 that established the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System — provides that the ECC contain specific measures and conditions that a project proponent has to take or meet before and during the operation of a project, as well as during the venture’s abandonment phase in order to mitigate environmental impact. —