ALBERO, DAVE 3/12/18

IE42FA1 CHEM002

Research on how to prepare/secure an ECC (Environmental Compliance

Certificate)
Any project in the Philippines that poses a potential environmental risk or impact
(such as mining, agriculture projects, and construction) is required to secure an
Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of the Environment
and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Board (DENR-EMB).
An ECC is issued by DENR-EMB after a positive review of the project’s application.
This certificate indicates that the proposed project or undertaking will not cause a
significantly negative impact on the Philippine environment. The ECC contains specific
measures and conditions that must be met by the project proponent before and
during the operation of the project. In some cases, conditions are listed to be
performed during the project’s abandonment phase to lessen identified potential
environmental impacts.
An ECC also certifies that the proponent has complied with all the requirements of
the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System and has committed to implement
its approved environmental management plan.

Presidential Decree (PD) 1586 issued in 1978 provides that no person, partnership
or corporation shall undertake or operate any such declared Environmentally Critical
Project or area without first securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Environmentally Critical projects (ECPs) and Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA)
were defined, in general, in Presidential Proclamation 2146 in 1981. In 1996, through
Proclamation 803, Golf Course construction, development and operation was added
to the list of ECP’s.in order to standardize the screening for ECC Requirement
Coverage, detailed guidelines were issued. The Latest update is provided in EMB
Memorandum Circular No. 2014-005 issued on 07 July 2014.

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) – a 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 (Eco
zones).

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – the document of studies on the

environmental impacts of a project including the discussions on direct and indirect
consequences upon human welfare and ecological and environmental integrity. The
EIS may vary from project to project but shall contain in every case all relevant
information and details about the proposed project or undertaking, including the
appropriate mitigating and enhancement measures to address the identified
environmental impacts.
 In compliance with the DENR Memorandum Circular 2010-14 dated June 29, 2010
prescribing the outline of the contents of EIA Reports required for ECC applications
and the directive to focus the EIA Study to the most critical environmental impacts,
project type-specific EIS Screening Form was formulated for projects requiring an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) per existing guidelines. The EIS screening
forms highlights the pre-identification of the projected environmental impacts per
project type and the corresponding baseline data and the assessment methodology
requirement. These EIS Screening forms shall be used as a guide for scoping and for
completeness checking of EISs submitted as a requirement for ECC application. The
EIS Screening Forms likewise provide guide in the identification of the critical climate
and disaster risk parameters that need to be factored-in in the EIA Study as well as
climate change adaptation options that should be considered/studied and
incorporated in the project design.

To date the following project type specific EIS Screening Forms has been developed:

 Agricultural Plantation  Mining Projects

 Food, Food By-products & Beverages  Non-Food Manufacturing
Manufacturing  Sanitary Landfill Projects
 Forestry Projects  Thermal Power Plants
 Hydropower & Dam Projects

Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Checklist Report Form – a short and

simplified checklist version of an IEE prescribed by the DENR and required to be filled
up by proponents for describing the project’s environmental impact and
corresponding mitigation and enhancement measures for non-environmentally
critical projects located in an ECA. The DENR prescribes appropriate corresponding
IEE Checklists for different projects with minimal and manageable impacts
n compliance with the DENR Memorandum Circular 2010-14 dated June 29, 2010
prescribing the outline of the contents of EIA Reports required for ECC applications
and the directive to focus the EIA Study to the most critical environmental impacts,
project type-specific IEE Checklist Report Form was formulated as a pro-forma EIA
Report for Non-Environmentally Critical Projects proposed to be located in
Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA). The formulation of the IEE Checklist Reports
is intended to simplify and standardize the requirement for ECC applications for non-
environmentally critical projects. These IEE Checklist Report forms likewise provide
a checklist of options for disaster and climate change risks management and a menu
of adaptation options enhancing the use of the PEISS as a risk-based planning and
management tool.

To date the following project type specific IEE Checklist Report Form has been
developed:

 Batching and Crushing Plants  Food, Food By-products and Beverages

 Building Projects Manufacturing
 Cemetery and other Funeral Facilities  Generic – Other types of Projects
 Fisheries, Aquaculture Projects
 Irrigation, Flood Control & Minor Dam
Projects
 Livestock & Poultry Projects
 Non-Food Manufacturing Plants
 Resorts and other Tourism-Leisure
Projects
 Roads & Bridges
 Subdivision & Housing Projects
 Waste Management Projects
 Water Supply Projects

Programmatic Environmental Performance Report and Management Plan

(PEPRMP) – documentation of actual cumulative environmental impacts of co-
located projects with proposals for expansions. The PEPRMP should also describe the
effectiveness of current environmental mitigation measures and plans for
performance improvement.

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.
Project Description (PD) – a standard documentation of the description necessary
to confirm non-coverage of Category D and Category C Projects as well as projects
operating prior to 1982