Romelda P. Azores
Philippine Nuclear Research Institute
Manila, Philippines

Overview: Philippine EIA System
 Presidential Decree (PD) 1151 of 1977 is called as the Philippine

Environmental Policy where it requires proponent of projects
affecting the quality of the environment to prepare
environmental impact assessment

 Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Departmentof Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is mandated as
the lead agency in the implementation of the EIA

 EIA is a process that involves predicting and evaluating the likely

impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts) on theenvironment during construction, commissioning, operationand abandonment

EIA Process Determine the project whether it needs EIA
 Submit required documents to Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) EMB together with the EIA review committee will conduct evaluation andrecommend any of the following: issuance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) with thenecessary stipulations
 Requirement of additional information from the project proponent
 Denial of ECC
 Needs to submit additional information if any, will be reviewed andevaluated, and visual inspection of the project site may be conducted
before the ECC is granted
 Public hearing may be held for certain projects, in accordance with set
criteria involving magnitude and controversy

Guidelines for Reviewing EIA Report Documentation aspect which pertains to the physicalacceptance, contents, and format of the report;

 Substantive aspect which pertains to the accuracy of dataand integrity of the information presented in the report;

 Assessment aspect which pertains to the quality of theanalysis of impacts

Related Phil. Environmental Laws
 Republic Act 9003 Ecological Management Act of 2000
 Republic Act 9275 Phil. Clean Water Act of 2004
 Republic Act 8749 Phil. Clean Air Act
 Republic Act 6969 Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear

Waste Control Act

Relevant International Environmental Treaties
 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 2000
 Framework Convention on Climate Change 1992
 Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change

1997 Convention on Biological Diversity 1992
 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer 1988
 Montreal Protocol on Substances that depletethe Ozone Layer 1989
 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants 2001
 Convention of the Law of the Sea 1982
 Convention to Combat Desertification 1994

PNRI Task in the Review of EIA
for an NPP Project PNRI will analyze in-depth, if possible, the respective roles of EMB andPNRI in the review of an EIA in the framework of licensing an NPP.
 Simultaneously, PNRI may start a draft review plan related to the issues
specific to the radiological impact assessment, using the methodology
applied for the “Site characteristics Review Plan” and the identified
relevant PH regulation.
 Identify the main needs to be filled in before drafting an EIA review plan,
based on some examples: Examine the PH regulatory framework Presidential decree No. 1586. (andrelated EMB procedure/regulation)
 Code of PNRI Regulations (Parts 3, 5 and 7) and identify the requirements
 Point which technical guidance documents could be useful (including IAEAdocuments)

Issues and Challenges on
Philippine EIA
 processes are rigorous and complex yet do not provide in-depth analysis on critical environmental issues andimpacts, overlapping and conflicting implementation strategies
between and among interrelated agencies,
 limited participation of the LGUs that are the key units inlocal communities;
 lack of human resources due to limited trainings on EIA
capabilities
 poor facilities for environmental analysis

Summary and Way Forward Laws on EIA are available No available EIA requirements specific for nuclear power plant

projects
 Regulated nuclear related activities 9storage of nuclear fuel for
research reactor) are not covered with EIA requlations
 EIA rules and regulations and amended to be able to respondto the demands of the changing times and be relevant withthe advent of climate change and related policies on riskreduction management.

Nuclear Related Activity
 Non-operational research reactor with stored freshand slightly used uranium-238 fuel
 Establishment of Sub-critical facility utilizing the freshand slightly used Uranium-238 fuel
 There is a pending Bill No. 8733 known as NuclearRegulation Act (www.congress.gov.ph ) creating an
independent regulatory body for all sources ofionizing radiation, with other relevant provisions.

Nuclear Related Activity
 N.B. of the issued Radioactive Material License state that“the PNRI regulations shall prevail over the licensee’sstatements in applications or letters, unless suchstatements are more restrictive that the regulations.
 Nothing in this license shall be construed to exempt thelicense from complying with requirements provided yexisting laws and ordinances as may be applicable, such as
those of the Bureau of foods and drugs (Department ofHealth) and Environmental Management Bureau(Department of Environment and Natural resources)
among others

Acknowledgment
 DENR-EMB personnel, Engr. Marivic Yao, Head,

Environmental Impact Assessment Section and staff
Ms. Regine Martinez.

Dr. Vangeline K. Parami, for the advice and technicalsupportCabinet Office of Japan and PNRI for granting me theopportunity to participate in the FNCA study panel

References• Environmental Management Bureau under theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources• http://intl.denr.gov.ph/index.php/mulitlateral INSC Project PH/RA/01 Task 2.1

Thank You!