SIXTFFNTII CONGnFSS 01''1'1 II,: REPUBLIC 
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01''1'111': I'IIILlI'I'INI':S 
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Firot Regular S""iOIl 
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SHN/'l,'IJ:: 
s, No, 
1~90 
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Introduced by Sen~ltor Miriam J)elensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Tile ('onotitutioll, Article)" Section 15 [lrovides: 
Tile State shall protcct and promote the right to health of 
lhe people and instill health consciollsness among thelll. 
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Mercury io a potent neurotoxin of signilicant ecological and public health conccrn, When 
inhaled, mercury vapors call caliSe neurological and behavioral disorders, and snmetilllcs can 
lead to (katil, Fven Ht low dooes, theoe vapors can have harmful ellects on the kidneys, and the 
digestive, respiratory, Hnd immune oystems, II is estimated that approximately 410,000 ehildrcn 
horn eacil year in the United States arc exposed to levels of mercury in the womb that arc high 
enough to impair ncurological development In the Philippines, in February 2006, Saint 
Andrew's School (SAS), a private Catholic parochial school of the Cathedral Parish of SL 
i\ndrewand 
nlalUlgcd 
by 
the Dioccse 
of Paranaqlle 
was 
tcm[lorarily 
closed 
due 
to mercury spillage, The 25 students were hospitali;t.ed due to mercury poisoning and more than a 
hundred students and teachers were also exposed to mercury, 
I':xposure to mcrcury also occurs largely due to the consumption or contaminatecl lislL 
Ilowever, fish and shelliish arc important sourccs or dietary protein, and a healthy. fishing 
resourcc is important to the economy of the Philippines, In many locations, the primary route for 
mercury input to aquatic ecosys(cms is atmospheric emissions, transport, and deposition, The 
cxisting broad-scale data sets arc important but insuflicient to track changes in mercury levels in 
the environnH.:nt over timc, A comprehensive national mercury monitoring network that 
accurately quantifies regional and national changes in atn10spheric deposition, ecosystcrn 
contamination, :lIld hioaccul11ulatiol1 of' mcrcury in lish and wildlife in response to changes in 
mercury cmissions would help policy makers, scientists, and the public to better understand the 
SOlIrCI.;S, consequences, Hnd trends in 111crcury pollution. 
This hill seeks to prevent exposure to mcrcury by establishing a comprehensive national 
mcrcury monitoring system throughout the county, 
i\ similar bill has been filed in the Senate of United States by Sen Susan M Collins in the 113
1h Congress 


SIXTI':IWI'J I CONCIRI':SS OF TIIF Rr~l'lmLIC 
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01' '1'111': I'IIILII'I'INI':S 
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I'irsl I{cgular Session 
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SENATE 
S.No 1990 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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1':STABLlSIIING A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL MERCURY MONITORING 
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PROGRAM 
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lie if ellllcled hy Ihe Senate (lnd l10use of Representatives otlhe Philippines in Congress 
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3.1 
SLCTION I.Shul"/ '/"ille.- This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive National 
Mercury Monitoring Acl." 
SECTION 2.fJFJ'fNI'J"!ONS 
In this Act: 
(I) ADM I NISTRATOR· The term 'Administrator' means the Administrator oUhe 
I ':nvironmentall'rotcction Agency. 
(2) I'ROORAM- The terlll 'program' means the national mercury monitoring 
program established undcr section 4. 
(1) ADVISORY COMMITTI':E- The term 'Advisory Commillce' means the 
Mercury Monitoring Advisory Committee established under section 3. 
(4) ANCII.LARY MFASURE- The term 'ancillary measure' means a measure 
that is uscd to understancl thc impact and interpret results or measurements under 
the program. 
(5) 1,:CORLCiION- The term 'ecoregion' means a large area oflanll and water that 
contains a geographically distinct assemhlage oj' natural communities, including 
similar land (JfmS, climate, ecological processes, and vegetation. 
(h) MI':RC[JRY 1':Xl'ORT- The term 'mercury export' mean5 mercury nux hom a 
watershed to the correspouding water body, or l1"Om one water body to another 
water hody (such as a lake to a river), generally expressed as mass per unit of 
til11e. 
(7) rvtLRClJRY FLlJX- The term 'mercury flux' means the rate or transfer of 
mercury between ecosystem components (such as between waler and air), or 
bel ween portions of ecosystem components, expressed in terms of mass per unit 
or t itne or mass per unit or area per time. 
1\ similar bill has been filed in the Senate of United States by Sen. Susan M. Collins in the 113'" Congress 


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(X) S I JI{\<'A(, I ': S I m 1M I ':NT- The term 'surfilce sediment' l11~ans sediment in the 
uppermost 2 centimeters ol'a lakehed or riverbed, 
SI ,:C TION lA/lV/SOli r COl\lIMrrj'f~'l;' 
(a) i':stablisllmenl-
The Administrator, III consultation with the Director or the 
Philippincs' Ilureau 01' !'isherics and Aquatic Resources, the Director of the National 
Institute or Geological 
Scicnces (NIGS), 
the 
Administrator of tbe 
Philippine 
1\ tnlosphcric, (icophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (I' A(JASA), the 
Administrator or National Integrated Protected Arcas System (NTl'AS) and the heads of 
othcr appropriatc local agencies, shall establish a scientillc advisory committee, to be 
known as tile' Mercury Monitoring Advisory Committee', to advise the Administrator 
and those I ,(lea! agencies 011 the cslablishtnent, site selection, 111casurClncnt, recording 
protocols, and operation of thc national mercury monitoring program, 
(b) Membership - The Advisory Committce shall consist of scielJtists who arc not 
employees 01' thc I,ncal Govcrnment, inciLlding--
(I) 1 scientists appointed by the Administrator; 
(2) 2 scientists appointed by the Director of Philippines' 
Ilureau ol'l,'isherics and AL]uaticResourees; 
(3) 2 seicntists appointed by the Director of the the National Institute of 
(icologieal Sciences (N1GS); 
(4) 2 scientists appointed by the Director of the National Integrated Protected 
Areas System (NIPAS) and 
(5) 2 scientists appointed by the Administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, 
(icophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (I' AUASA), 
SI,CTION 4,Moni{oring /'rogrwn. 
(a) I ,'stabl ishment-
(I) IN (i I ':N I ':RA J.- The Administrator, in consultation with the Dircctor of the 
I'llilippines' Ilureau 01' Fisherics and Aquatic Resources, thc Regional Director or 
Protected Areas and Wildlil'e Division, the Administrator of the l,'ood and Drug 
!\,j,llinistnltion (1,'1);\), the coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition, thc Vice-President 
01' the Philippine Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology (I'SCOT) and 
the heads oj' other approprii,\e local government agencies, shall establish it 
National Mercury ~lonitorjng f1rogram. 
(~~) !)t ,I P_I'( j~,; i ,:. - '(1)(; l)Un l{)SC of tIle IH'Of!ram. is to trac.k -_. 
(J\) 
IOIlE··lcnn trends 
in atInospheric nlcrcur:v 
concentrations 
anc 
deposition; and 
A similar bill has been filed in the Senate of United States by Sen, Susan M Collins in the 113'" Congress 


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(Il) mercury levels in watersheds, surface water, and nih and wildlife in 
terrestrial, ['rcsllwatcr, coastal, and rnarinc ecosystcll1S in response to changing 
tncrcury emissions over lime. 
(1) MONITORING SII'I·:S-
(A) IN CiI·:NERAL- In carrying out paragraph (I), not later than one year 
aller thc date of clTectivity of this Aet and in coordination with the 
Advisory Committee, the Administrator shall select multiple monitoring 
sites representing llluitiple ceo regions and associated coastal waters of the 
I'hilippines. 
(Il) LOCATIONS- Locations of monitoring sites shall Sensitive ecological 
areas in which substantive changes are expected. i-i"oln rcouctions in 
dOl1lestic mercury emissionsincluding Natural Parks, Wildlil" Sanctuary, 
and Marine Reserves. 
(e) COLOCATION- Monitoring sites shall be colocatcd with sites from 
other long-term env'ironmental monitoring programs, where practicable, 
including sites associated with the National Poison Management and 
Control Center, The Natural Sciences Research Institute (NSR1), and the 
lkpartment oeScience and Technology. 
(D) MONITORING PROTOCOLS- Not later than 1 year alter the date of' 
effectivity oj' this Act, the Administrator, in coordination with thc 
Advisory 
COll1mittec, 
shall 
cstablish 
and 
publish 
standardized 
measurement protocols for the program under this Act. 
(4) INTI·:RNATIONAL COOPI·:RATlON .. To the maximum extent practicable, 
the program shall be compatible with similar international efiorts, including but 
not limited to the (ilobal Mercury Observation System aqd the Global Earth 
Observation System of Systems. 
(5) \lATA COLLI,CTlON AND DlSTRlBUTION- Not later than one year aller 
the date of' enactment or this Act, the Administrator, in coordination with the 
Advisory Committee, shall establish a centralized datahase for existing and newly 
collected environmcntal mercury data that can be Ji'eely aeccsscd on the Internet 
once data assurance and quality stanclards established by the Administrator arc 
mel. 
(il) I'unctions-
(f) IN ('I':NI:.RAl, .. Under thc program, the Administrator, in consultation with 
the appropriate I.(leal agencies and the Advisory Committee, shall at a minimum 
carry out monitoring described in paragraphs (2) through (4) at the locations 
selected under subsection (a)(3). 
!\ similar bi!! has been filed in the Senate of United States by Sen. Susan M. Collins in the 1.13'" Congress 


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(7) AIR AND W ATFRSlllmS- Thc program shall monitor long-term changes in 
mercllry levels and inlportant ancillary measures in the air, including--
(A) the mcasurement and recording of wct and estimation of dry mcreury 
deposition, mercury Jlux, and mercury export; 
(ll) the measurement and rccording of the level of mercury rcemittccl ii'om 
ilqllatic and terrestrial environments into the atmosphere; and 
(C) the measurement of sulfur spccics ancl ancillary measurements to fully 
understand the cycling or mercury through the ecosystem, 
(1) WATI':R ANI) SOIL CIIl':MISTRY- The program shall monitor long-term 
changes in mcrcury and mclhyl mcrcury levels and important ancillary measures 
in the water and soil or sediments, including-'· 
(II) extraction and analysis ol'soil and sediment cores;' 
(Il) measurement and recording or total mercury and methyl mercury 
concentration, and percent methylmercury in surface sediments; 
(e) measurement and recording of total mercury and methyl mercury 
concentration in SUrf~lCC water; and 
(D) mcasuremcnt and recording of (otal mercury and methyl mercury 
cOllcentrations throughout the water column and sediments, 
(4) IIQlJATIC liND TI~RRESTRIAL' ORGANISlvIS- The program shallmooitor 
long-IeI'm changes in mercury nnt! methyl mercury levels and important ancillary 
measures in marine, fi'eshwatcr, and terrestrial organisms, inc1uding--
(A) nleasurclllent and recording or total mercury and methyl mercury 
concentrations in--
(i) invertebrates; 
(ii) yearling or lower trophic level fish; and 
(iii) colllmercially, recreationally, or conservation relevant lish; 
und 
(n) IllC!lS1II1'll1Cnt and recording ortolal mercury concentrations in--
(i) selected insect·· and fIsh-eating birds; and 
(ii) ll1CaSlIl"Cmcllt and recording of total nlcrcury conecntrations in 
selected insGct- and (ish-eating tnanl1nals. 
SLCTION S,Ne!,o}'ls ({nd I'lIhlic f)isclosure 
(a) Rcports- Not later than two years after tne date of enactment of this Act and 
every two years thereafter, tile Administrator shall suomit to the Senate 
(:olllll1illecs 
Oil Ilcalth and J)cmogmphy, ami 
~:l1vironmcntal and Natllwl 
I~esollrccs a report on the program, inclllding trend data,. 
!l similar hill has heen filed in the Senate of United States by Sen. Susan M, Collins in the 113'" Congress 


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(b) Assessment - At least once every four years, the report required under 
suhsectioll (a) shall include an assessment of mercury deposition rates that need to 
be achieved in order to prevent adverse human and ecological effects. 
(e) Availahility or Data - The Administrator shal/make all data obtained uncler 
this Act available to the public through a dedicated website and on written 
relJ lIest. 
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SI':( TION (l.Ii/Jf!ro/Jria{ionl'. 
The necessary amount I,,,' the initial implementation of 
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this Aet shall he charged to the appropriations for the Departm(:nt of Edueatlon under the current 
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(ieneral AJlpropri,ltiolls Act. Thcrealter such sum as may be necessary ror its continued 
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implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
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SI':CTION 7.Sc{Jill'llhilily C/u!/se.- If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SI':CTION X.Re/Jw/illg C1l1use.- Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, ieltn or inslructioll, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
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wilh Ihe pmvisiollS or Ihis Act is hereby repealed, .modified or amended accordingly. 
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S I ,:CTION (J./<jject ivily CllIlIse. - This Act shall take efTeet fiJlecn (15) days after its 
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pllblication in al leasl two (2) newspapers or general circulation. 
Approved, 
iis) 
/\ similar bill has been filed in the Senate of United States by Sen. Susan 1\1. Collins in the 113 t1' Congress