FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILlPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
~~~~~~~~~ 
BY : 
SENATE 
s. N O . 3 1 6 6  
- 
Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
‘The Constitution mandates that the State shall responsibly promote the exploration, 
development, utilization, and conservation of all its mineral resources. The State also 
recognizes the need to protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced ecology 
and a wholesome and healthy environment. Moreover, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 
provides for the proper exploration, development, utilization and processing of all 
mineral resources in the country 
Quarry wastes are a largely unavoidable by-product of the extraction and processing of 
aggregates, They are defined as wastes because no market currently exists for them, but 
unlike many other wastes they are generally inert and non-hazardous. Quarry wastes are 
generally considered as waste materials and cause an environmental load due to disposal 
problem. 
The type and amount of waste depends on the nature of the operation. Most sand and 
gravel workings do not produce much, if any, permanent waste. Even so, it shall be the 
duty of the State to ensure that the communities living near the quarrying sites as well as 
the environment be protected and remain healthy. 
This bill seeks to mandate licensed sand and granite quarrying contractors to practice 
proper disposal of waste derived from their quarrying activities. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought 
AkTbNIO “SONNY” k. TRILLANES N 
Senator 
1 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
I 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
,k i_ 
i. ! ;, 
fJFf?lCZj E>‘ 
-’..,,; j;CAE7ijWY 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )1 ’i ’ 
Second Regular Session 
) 
9 
APR 20 M:02 
REPUBLIC OF THE PEHLIPPINES 
) 
SENAfE 
/ 
Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes N 
AN ACT 
MANDATING 
LICENSED 
SAND 
AND 
GRANITE 
QUARRYING 
CONTRACTORS TO PRACTICE PROPER DISPOSAL OF WASTE MATTER 
IN QUARRYING SITES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House ofRepresentatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembkxi 
Section 1. Declaration Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to responsibly 
promote the exploration, development, utilization, and conservation of all its mineral 
resources. The State also recognizes the need to protect and advance the nght of the 
people to a balanced ecology and a wholesome and healthy environment 
Sec. 2. Effluent Water to be Free from Mud. - (1) Every licensed sand quarrying 
contractor shall only use fresh water in connection with his sand quarrying operations and 
shall make such provision or take such steps as will ensure that all the water, before it 
leaves the sand quarrying area on which it has been so used, is freed from any mud, sand, 
silt or any other refuse of the sand quarry which is likely to interfere with the natural flow 
of water in any river, stream, channel or watercourse. 
(2) The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 
coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUSs) may, by notice in writing, 
require any licensed sand quarrying contractor to provide such spillways, retaining walls, 
brush dams, settling pits and other mechanical appliances or devices as the DENR and 
I 


7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
the concerned Local Government Unit may consider necessary for effectual compliance 
with paragraph (1) of this Section and  may^ also: order the licensed sand quarrying 
contractor to suspend his sand quarrying operations until such provision has been made. 
(3) The compliance of the licensed sand quarrying contractor with a notice or 
order made under, paragraph (2) above shall not affect any liability incurred by any 
licensed sand quarrying contractor through breach of paragraph (1) of this Section. 
Sec. 3. Disposal of Waste Matter. - The DENR may gwe such directions in 
writing as he may consider necessary for the disposal of all earth, sludge, dirt, sand, silt 
or other waste matter from any sand or granite quarry. 
The DENR may, by notice in writing, require any licensed quarrying contractor 
to take such precautions and to construct and maintain such drains, spillways, channels 
and other works as may in his opinion be necessary to ensure that earth, sludge, dirt, 
sand, silt or other waste matter from any sand or granite quarry will not be carried or 
washed away by storm water or by fresh water used for the purpose of working the sand 
or granite quarry to any place not being a place where the same may lawfully be 
deposited. 
Sec. 4. Penalties. - Any person who shall violate the provisions of this Act shall 
be held liable on conviction to a fine not less than One Million Pesos (PhP 1,000,000.00) 
and in the case of continuing offense to a fine not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (PhP 
50,000.00) for every day or part thereof during which the offense continues after 
conviction 
Sec. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DENR together with the 
Department of Interior and Local Government, as well as the various Local Government 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
Units (LGUs) shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective enforcement of 
the provisions of this Act. 
Sec. 6. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act or any part thereof 
be declared invalid, the other provisions, so far as they are separable from the invalid 
ones, shall remain in full force and effect. 
Sec. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, issuances, rules, and regulations or 
parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
Sec 8. Effectivity. - Ths Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
3