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Monday, November 17, 2003
Fines for not having ECC cut
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is slashing penalties for projects found operating without an environment compliance certificate (ECC).
DENR Secretary Elisea Gozun signed a memorandum circular, effective last Oct. 17, giving proponents with projects classified as environmentally critical under Proclamation 2146, PD 1586, Administrative Order 42, Series of 2002, until March 31, 2004 to register with the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) central office to avail themselves of the P6,000 “administrative relief penalty.”
They should submit a brief project description of the production and waste generation processes, including the project location or a vicinity map and status of the project. Then they should submit their ECC application within six months from the date of registration, a statement from the DENR regional office said.
DENR 7 Regional Director Bienvenido Lipayon said examples of environmentally critical projects were heavy industries; resource extractive activities, like mining; forestry projects; fishery projects, like fishponds; infrastructure projects, such as major dams, power plants and reclamation projects; and golf courses.
As for projects located in environmentally critical areas, they must register with the EMB regional office concerned by submitting a brief project description of the production and waste generation processes, including the project location or a vicinity map and status of the project, within six months from the effectivity of Gozun’s memorandum, to avail themselves of the reduced P1,000 relief penalty.
However, for projects classified as micro and small and medium enterprises, only a P500 relief penalty will be imposed. Their ECC application should be submitted within three months from the date of registration.
Lipayon said environmentally critical areas included watersheds, national parks, wildlife reserves, and “aesthetic potential tourist spots,” like Panglao, Olango and Hilutungan.
In the circular, the DENR said even with the reduced penalties, a cease and desist order could still be issued if a project was determined to pose risks to life and property.
Lipayan told Sun.Star the memorandum had been sent to the mayors in the region to encourage the companies in their areas to apply for ECCs. CTL
(November 17, 2003 issue)
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