FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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1. 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
R.A. No. 6969 or the “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control 
Act of 1990,” covers the importation, manufacture, processing, handling, storage, 
transportation, sales, distribution, use, and disposal of all unregulated chemical substances 
and mixtures in the Philippines, including the entry, even in transit, as well as the keeping or 
storage and disposal of hazardous and nuclear wastes into the country for whatever purpose. 
However, the law lacks specific guidelines on how the hazardous and nuclear wastes 
would be transported. This bill seeks to empower the Secretary of the Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources and the Secretary of the Department of Transportation 
and Communications, in coordination with other concerned government and non-government 
entities, to establish the safest routes for the transportation of hazardous and nuclear wastes. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE mpuBLrc ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
1; ‘I” 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
8 
JAN ??) 
S. No. sEYJ3” 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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TO REQUIRE THE DESIGNATION OF THE SAFEST ROUTES FOR THE 
TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS AND NUCLEAR WASTES 
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Congress assembled: 
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Wastes Act of 2008.” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Safest Routes for Nuclear 
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SECTION 2. Declaration ofPolicy. - It is the policy of the State to regulate, restrict, 
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or prohibit the importation, manufacture, processing, sale, distribution, use, and disposal of 
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chemical substances and mixtures that present unreasonable risk andor injury to health or the 
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environment; to prohibit the entry, even in transit, of hazardous and nuclear wastes and their 
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disposal into the Philippine territorial limits for whatever purpose; and to provide 
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advancement and facilitate research and studies on toxic chemicals. 
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Philippines. 
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SECTION 3. DeJnition of Terms. -As used in this Act: 
(A) “Hazardous wastes” are substances that are without safe commercial, industrial, 
agricultural, or economic usage and are shipped, transported, or brought from the country of 
origin for dumping or disposal into or in transit through any part of the temtory of the 
Hazardous wastes shall also refer to by-products, process residues, spent reaction 
media, contaminated plant or equipment, or other substances from manufacturing operations, 
and as consumer discards of manufacture products; 
(B) “Nuclear wastes” are hazardous wastes made radioactive by exposure to the 
radiation incidental to the production or utilization of nuclear hels but does not include 


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nuclear fuel, or radioisotopes which have reached the final stage of fabrication so as to be 
usable by any scientific, medical, agricultural, commercial, or industrial purpose; and 
(C) “Secretaries” refer to the Secretary of the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation and Communication. 
SECTION 4. Establishment of Safest Routes. - (A) The Secretaries shall promulgate 
regulations in selecting the safest routes for the transportation of hazardous and nuclear 
wastes. Such regulations shall at least prescribe a formula for analyzing the risks presented 
by each proposed route for the transportation of these wastes and the risks presented by the 
materials to be transported, especially to public health and safety. Such regulations shall - 
(1) specify the data to be considered in making the analysis, including 
demographic data, data on the location of emergency response resources, data on 
accidents in each route, data on routes recommended 
by national and local 
authorities, and date on evacuation distances; and 
(2) require the maintenance by persons engaged in the transportation of 
hazardous materials of - 
(a) data on routes recommended by national and local authorities; 
(b) data on government designated wayside rest stops for hazardous 
cargo trucks; 
(c) current data on hazardous material transportation evacuation and 
emergency response information; 
(d) highway accident data; and 
(e) data on container failure rates. 
(B) The Secretaries shall formulate the regulations in coordination with the members 
of the Inter-Agency Technical Advisory Council established by R.A. No. 6969, and two (2) 
representatives o€ each of the local government unit concerned. 
(C) The Secretaries, within sixty (60) days from finalizing the safest routes, should 
cause the publication of the routes where the hazardous and nuclear wastes may be 
transported and the designated safest time when the transportation of these waters may be 


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done. Any changes in the regulation affecting the route and time should be published in the 
same manner. 
SECTION 5. Separability Clause. -If my provisions or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. -Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) publication in 
at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,