The House committee on ecology chaired by Rep. Estrellita Suansing (1st District, Nueva Ecija) on Wednesday approved the creation of a technical working group (TWG) that will fine tune House Bill 2286, seeking to amend the Clean Air Act of 1999 and the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
In a hearing, the committee approved the TWG creation to be headed by Rep. Carlos Cojuangco (1st District, Tarlac). The group will tackle a proposal by Rep. Carllito Marquez under HB 2286 to repeal section 20 of the Clean Air Act and some other provisions of the Solid Waste Management Act.
The bill seeks to address the urgent solid waste issues in the country that lead to flooding, erosion, landslides, as well as other dangers on landfills and dumpsites confronting people living near them.
The bill refutes the claim that waste incineration is harmful to the environment, and seeks to set up waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities in the country.
Marquez cited the need for a new definition to incineration beyond “simple burning.” Under the bill, incineration is characterized as “solid waste treatment process employing high-temperature combustion, equipment of not less than 800 degrees Celsius, for the conversion of solid waste energy for heat and electricity production.”
Resource speakers from non-government organizations (NGOs) voiced their concern over emission of toxic or potentially toxic substances such as dioxins, and the sustainability of waste incineration.
According to Healthcare Without Harm, incineration of medical waste increases operational costs of medical facilities and that emissions may pose a threat to public health.
Eco-waste Coalition cautioned that HB 2286 runs against the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, while Mother Earth Foundation championed zero-waste models as an alternative to managing waste.
Marquez cited figures from Japan and South Korea, countries that employ WTE incineration and have reported dioxin levels below the international standard.
He also noted that the average lifespan in these countries have been unaffected by WTE programs. Moreover, he said the measure does not undercut zero-waste models.
“It is in my belief that if you ban incineration, you are also banning the new, modern technology of converting waste into energy,” said Marquez.
Government agencies that expressed their support for the bill include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Solid Waste Management (NSWM), Quezon City Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The Climate Change Commission (CCC) decided not to comment on the bill until a study on emissions has been done.
Industry associations were split in their support for the bill. The Federation of Philippine Industries and the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines, Inc. endorsed the proposal, though the latter stated that the public needs to be educated on how to efficiently utilize energy produced by WTE programs.
Group Novotech Automation Corporation asserted that it does not need waste incineration as it has non-burn technologies to address waste management.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines stated it has no official position on the bill, though it noted that WTE has continued to grow steadily in Canada. | Congress
