The PEZA Environmental Safety Group

The Environmental Safety Division in the organizational structure of PEZA has evolved into the Environmental Safety Group (ESG) under the Office of the Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning thru PEZA Administrative Order No. 2003-005 dated 05 May 2003.

Consistent with the PEZA mission of developing and operating world-class and environment-friendly economic zones, ESG now develops and implements environmental management policies and programs to ensure compliance and improve performance of economic zone enterprises in the protection and conservation of the environment.  It’s previously regulatory approach has been shifted to assisting economic zone enterprises in complying and coordinating closely with the DENR and other government agencies in simplifying and enhancing the implementation of environmental laws, rules and regulations in economic zones.

The ESG assists economic zone enterprises in complying with existing environmental laws, rules and regulations thru:

1.       Technical Assistance

General

a.      Determining which environmental laws, rules and regulations are applicable to a company’s operations

b.      Interpreting and fulfilling requirements and procedures of environmental laws, rules and regulations as applied to economic zone operations

Environmental Impact Assessment (Pre-operation Phase)

c.       Determining need to secure Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from DENR-EMB

d.      Filling out the Initial Environmental Examination Checklist for Economic Zones

e.      Completing the application requirements for ECC application

Chemical Importation, Manufacture, Use (Pre-operation and Operation Phases)

f.        Determining if chemicals/chemical substances are regulated

g.      Determining need to secure permits/licenses and other requirements from DENR on importation, manufacture and/or use of regulated chemicals/chemical substances

Storage, Transport and Disposal of Industrial Wastes (Pre-operation, Operation and Abandonment Phases)

h.      Determining if wastes can be classified as “Hazardous Wastes” and if enterprise needs to register as hazardous waste generator

i.        Determining other requirements for hazardous waste storage, transport and disposal

2.       Facilitation of Procedures

General

a.      Coordinating and forging agreements with DENR and other agencies concerned on simplifying requirements and procedures on the implementation of environmental laws, rules and regulations

b.      Assisting economic zone enterprises in obtaining permits/licenses and undergoing procedural requirements of various environmental laws, rules and regulations

Environmental Impact Assessment

c.      Processing of applications for Environmental Compliance Certificate of Non-Environmentally Critical Projects in economic zones

d.      Formulating simplified application documents i.e. IEE Checklist and Environmental Performance Report and Management Plan Checklist for Economic Zones

Storage, Transport and Disposal of Industrial Wastes

e.     Formulating Guidelines on Transport of Hazardous Wastes from Economic Zones

f.       Formulating Guidelines on Handling and Transport of Economic Zones’ Solid Wastes

The Fire and Industrial Safety Division

The PEZA - Fire and Industrial Safety Division (FISD) of four (4) public economic zones serve as the Environmental Unit for the implementation of environmental policies and regulations inside their respective economic zone.

• Ensuring that the operation of the entire economic zone does not pose adverse impact to the environment and to public health; and,
  
  
• Monitoring of compliance of all economic zone locator-enterprises with prevailing environmental as well as occupational safety regulations.
  

Matters on chemical safety, air pollution abatement, water and wastewater management, and industrial solid and hazardous waste management are among the daily concerns being handled by the FISD.