Revised Procedural Manual for DAO 2003-30 PDF

REVISED PROCEDURAL MANUAL FOR DAO 2003-30 GLOSSARY a. Carrying Capacity – a measure of capacity of the environment to absorb impacts within recovery thresholds such that there is no significant deterioration or depletion of resources to a point w...

REVISED PROCEDURAL MANUAL FOR DAO 2003-30 GLOSSARY a. Carrying Capacity – a measure of capacity of the environment to absorb impacts within recovery thresholds such that there is no significant deterioration or depletion of resources to a point where sustainable ecosystem function is impaired. b. Certificate of Non-Coverage – a certification issued by the EMB certifying that, based on the submitted project description, the project is not covered by the EIS System and is not required to secure an ECC. c. Co-located projects / undertakings – projects, or series of similar projects or a project subdivided to several phases and/or stages by the same Proponent, located in contiguous areas. d. Cumulative Impacts – additive impacts from various sources e. EMB Director – the Director of the DENR-EMB at the Central Office f. EMB RD / EMB RO Director – the Director of the DENR-EMB at the Regional Office g. Environment – Surrounding air, water (both ground and surface), land, flora, fauna, humans and their interrelations. h. Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) - a certificate of Environmental Compliance Commitment to which the Proponent conforms with, after DENR-EMB explains the ECC conditions, by signing the sworn undertaking of full responsibility over implementation of specified measures which are necessary to comply with existing environmental regulations or to operate within best environmental practices that are not currently covered by existing laws. It is a document issued by the DENR/EMB after a positive review of an ECC application, certifying that the Proponent has complied with all the requirements of the EIS System and has committed to implement its approved Environmental Management Plan. The ECC also provides guidance to other agencies and to LGUs on EIA findings and recommendations, which need to be considered in their respective decision-making process. i. Environmentally Critical Area (ECA) – an environmentally sensitive area declared through Proclamation 2146 wherein significant environmental impacts are expected if certain types/thresholds of proposed projects are located, developed or implemented in it. Updating of technical descriptions of ECAs is vested on the DENR-EMB through Section 2-D of AO 42 (2002). j. Environmentally Critical Project (ECP) - projects belonging to project types declared through Proclamation No. 2146 and Proclamation No. 803 which may pose significant negative environmental impact at certain thresholds of operation regardless of location. Updating of technical descriptions of ECPs is vested on the DENR-EMB through Section 2-D of AO 42 (2002), in coordination with the DTI as provided for in Section 3-A of AO 42. k. Environmental Guarantee Fund (EGF) – fund to be set up by a project Proponent which shall be readily accessible and disbursable for the immediate clean-up or rehabilitation of areas affected by damages in the environment and the resulting deterioration of environmental quality as a direct consequence of a project’s construction, operation or abandonment. It shall likewise be used to compensate parties and communities affected by the negative impacts of the project, and to fund community-based environment related projects including, but not limited to, information and education and emergency preparedness programs. l. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – process that involves evaluating and predicting the likely impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts) on the environment during construction, commissioning, operation and abandonment. It also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect the environment and the community’s welfare. m. Environmental Impact Assessment Consultant - a professional or group of professionals commissioned by the Proponent to prepare the EIS/IEE and other related documents. In some cases, the person or group referred to may be the Proponent’s technical staff. n. Environmental Impact Assessment Review Committee (EIARC) - a body of independent technical experts and professionals of known probity from various fields organized by the EMB to evaluate the EIS and other related documents and to make appropriate recommendations regarding the issuance or non- issuance of an ECC. 41  REVISED PROCEDURAL MANUAL FOR DAO 2003-30 o. Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - document, prepared and submitted by the project Proponent and/or EIA Consultant that serves as an application for an ECC. It is a comprehensive study of the significant impacts of a project on the environment. It includes an Environmental Management Plan/Program that the Proponent will fund and implement to protect the environment. p. Environmental Management Plan/Program (EMP) - section in the EIS that details the prevention, mitigation, compensation, contingency and monitoring measures to enhance positive impacts and minimize negative impacts and risks of a proposed project or undertaking. For operating projects, the EMP can also be derived from an EMS. q. Environmental Management Systems (EMS) - refers to the EMB PEPP EMS as provided for under DAO 2003-14, which is a part of the overall management system of a project or organization that includes environmental policy, organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining an improved overall environmental performance. r. Environmental Monitoring Fund (EMF) –fund that a Proponent shall set up after an ECC is issued for its project or undertaking, to be used to support the activities of the multi-partite monitoring team. It shall be immediately accessible and easily disbursable. s. Environmental Performance – capability of Proponents to mitigate environmental impacts of projects or programs. t. Environmental Performance Report and Management Plan (EPRMP) - documentation of the actual cumulative environmental impacts and effectiveness of current measures for single projects that are already operating but without ECCs. u. Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) – assessment, through the use of universally accepted and scientific methods, of risks associated with a project. It focuses on determining the probability of occurrence of accidents and their magnitude (e.g. failure of containment or exposure to hazardous materials or situations.) v. Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Report - document similar to an EIS, but with reduced details and depth of assessment and discussion. w. Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Checklist Report - simplified checklist version of an IEE Report, prescribed by the DENR, to be filled up by a Proponent to identify and assess a project’s environmental impacts and the mitigation/enhancement measures to address such impacts. x. Multipartite Monitoring Team (MMT) - community-based multi-sectoral team organized for the purpose of monitoring the Proponent’s compliance with ECC conditions, EMP and applicable laws, rules and regulations. y. Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) - documentation of comprehensive studies on environmental baseline conditions of a contiguous area. It also includes an assessment of the carrying capacity of the area to absorb impacts from co-located projects such as those in industrial estates or economic zones (ecozones). z. Programmatic Environmental Performance Report and Management Plan (PEPRMP) - documentation of actual cumulative environmental impacts of co-located projects with proposals for expansion. The PEPRMP should also describe the effectiveness of current environmental mitigation measures and plans for performance improvement. aa. Project Description (PD) - document, which may also be a chapter in an EIS, that describes the nature, configuration, use of raw materials and natural resources, production system, waste or pollution generation and control and the activities of a proposed project. It includes a description of the use of human resources as well as activity timelines, during the pre-construction, construction, operation and abandonment phases. bb. Project or Undertaking - any activity which may have varying levels of significance of impact on the environment, e.g. from high to moderate to nil significance, implying different intensities of preventive or mitigating interventions. 42  REVISED PROCEDURAL MANUAL FOR DAO 2003-30 cc. Proponent – any natural or juridical person intending to implement a project or undertaking. dd. Public Participation – open, transparent, gender-sensitive, and community-based public involvement in the EIA process, aimed at ensuring the social acceptability of a project or undertaking, involving the broadest range of stakeholders, commencing at the earliest possible stage of project design and development and continuing until post-assessment monitoring. ee. Procedural Review – phase in the ECC application review process to check for the completeness the required documents, conducted by EIAM Division at the EMB Central Office or Regional Office. ff. Process Industry – an industry whose project operation stage involves chemical, mechanical or other processes. gg. Residual Impacts – remaining impacts after implementation of preventive and mitigating measures hh. Scoping - the stage in the EIS System where information and project impact assessment requirements are more definitely established and focused to provide the Proponent and the stakeholders the final scope of work and terms of reference for the EIS. ii. Secretary - the Secretary of the DENR. jj. Significant Impacts – impacts which damage the environment to the point that the environmental resource loses its capacity to sustain life or to continue functioning within baseline levels and efficiency; impacts which need action through prevention, (e.g. change in project siting or design) or mitigation (reduce, repair, rehabilitate) or other interventions to protect the environment from being harmed at levels that reduce its functionality for its users or dependent biota. kk. Social Acceptability – acceptability of a project by affected communities based on timely and informed participation in the EIA process particularly with regard to environmental impacts that are of concern to them. Social acceptability within the EIA process administered by the DENR-EMB is limited to its environmental aspects while its other aspects including resolution of conflicts and other social acceptability issues is recognized by the DENR-EMB as falling entirely within the Local Government Unit’s jurisdiction and responsibility. The DENR-EMB review process will provide guidance to the LGUs on environmental aspects to consider in its resolution of SA issues, e.g. EMB can advice on nature, extent and magnitude of direct and indirect impacts and impact areas to assuage the people’s fears and concerns on environmental pollution, health and safety. ll. Stakeholders – entities who may be directly and significantly affected by the project or undertaking, including the Proponent, government agencies who have mandates over the project, local government units who have jurisdiction over the project, local communities who may be affected by project impacts, locally-based or locally-active NGOs/POs within the impact areas and other public sectors who may be potentially affected by the project as defined by the findings of the environmental impact assessment of the project. 43