THE CLEAN WATER ACT
WHAT IS CLEAN WATER ACT?
|
|
|
The Clean Water Act of 2004 (Republic Act No. 9275) aims to protect the country’s water bodies from pollution from land-based sources (industries and commercial establishments, agriculture and community/household activities). How will discharges of waste water be controlled? All owners or operators of facilities that discharge wastewater are required to get a permit to discharge from the DENR or the Laguna Lake Development Authority. How will discharges of waste water be discouraged? Anyone discharging waste water into a water body will have to pay a waste water charge. |
FINES AND PENALTIES |
|
What are the prohibited acts under The Clean Water Act? Among others, the Act prohibits the following: 1. Discharging or depositing any water pollutant to the water body. |
What are the fines and penalties imposed on polluters? • 1st Offense: Upon the recommendation of the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), anyone who commits prohibited acts such as discharging untreated wastewater into any water body will be fined for every day of violation, the amount of not less than Php 10,000 but not more than Php 200,000. • 2nd Offense: Failure to undertake clean-up operations willfully shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than four years. This also includes a fine of not less than Php 50,000 and not more than Php 100,000 per day of violation. • 3rd Offense: Failure or refusal to clean up which results in serious injury or loss of life or lead to irreversible water contamination of surface, ground, coastal and marine water shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than 6 years and 1 day and not more than 12 years and a fine of Php 500,000/day for each day the contamination or omission continues. |
|