The environmental group Greenpeace SEA has released a primer on PRTR which contain in-depth write-up on the importance of the right of public to know the state of their environment. You can download the material here.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
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MANILA, Philippines - Environmental activists, led by international advocacy group Greenpeace, on Thursday called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to come up with a pollutiondisclosure system for industrial firms to warn the public about chemicals dumped in waterways.
During the launch of the three-week "right-to-know" Water Patrol Expedition along Marikina River, the environmental activists called on the government to install the mechanism, such as the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry.
The PRTR mandates industrial facilities to publicly declare the chemicals used in their products and manufacturing processes, and how these chemicals are discharged, treated and transported.
"Every day, hundreds of thousands of chemicals are being released into the environment, majority of these through pipes that discharge wastewater into rivers and lakes. Only a fraction of these chemicals has been tested to ascertain the risks they pose to the environment and human health," said Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The expedition, which travels for 85 kilometers for three weeks, will examine and document sources of toxic pollution from Marikina River all the way to Laguna Lake during the month of September.
"The government has no exact data of what these chemicals are, and how much end up in our waterways. Communities along our rivers and lakes directly bear the brunt of these toxic discharges which can ultimately contaminate our source of drinking water," Baconguis added.
Aside from the PRTR, the groups also proposed that the government immediately establish a list of hazardous chemicals for priority elimination action and create an action plan with clear timelines to reduce, restrict and ultimately zero the discharges of toxic chemicals.
At the launch, 30 water patrol activists in 12 boats investigated and documented possible water pollutionhotspots along Calumpang, Marikina. - Dennis Carcamo
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=848447&publicationSubCategoryId=200
During the launch of the three-week "right-to-know" Water Patrol Expedition along Marikina River, the environmental activists called on the government to install the mechanism, such as the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry.
The PRTR mandates industrial facilities to publicly declare the chemicals used in their products and manufacturing processes, and how these chemicals are discharged, treated and transported.
"Every day, hundreds of thousands of chemicals are being released into the environment, majority of these through pipes that discharge wastewater into rivers and lakes. Only a fraction of these chemicals has been tested to ascertain the risks they pose to the environment and human health," said Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The expedition, which travels for 85 kilometers for three weeks, will examine and document sources of toxic pollution from Marikina River all the way to Laguna Lake during the month of September.
"The government has no exact data of what these chemicals are, and how much end up in our waterways. Communities along our rivers and lakes directly bear the brunt of these toxic discharges which can ultimately contaminate our source of drinking water," Baconguis added.
Aside from the PRTR, the groups also proposed that the government immediately establish a list of hazardous chemicals for priority elimination action and create an action plan with clear timelines to reduce, restrict and ultimately zero the discharges of toxic chemicals.
At the launch, 30 water patrol activists in 12 boats investigated and documented possible water pollutionhotspots along Calumpang, Marikina. - Dennis Carcamo
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=848447&publicationSubCategoryId=200
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Greenpeace campaigns for clean water
Clean water is a right that should be enjoyed by everyone. However, this right is being violated by industrial activities that destroy the country's freshwater ecosystems and threaten our health. The chemical crisis and climate change will further worsen the availability of, and access to, clean water.
Visit http://
Monday, September 10, 2012
What is Pollutants Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)?
A Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is a national or
regional environmental database or inventory of potentially hazardous
chemical substances and/or pollutants released to air, water and soil
and transferred off-site for treatment or disposal.
- The industrial or business facilities quantify and report the amounts of substances released to each environmental medium (air, water, soil) or transferred off-site for waste management or wastewater treatment.
- Some PRTRs also include estimates of releases from diffuse sources, such as agriculture and transport and from the end use of products. These data are normally compiled by environmental authorities.
- PRTR data may be presented geographically, either in a fixed form or interactively on Internet;
- PRTR data may be presented by industry sectors, by facility, by a chemical substance or groups of substances;
- Additional information is often provided to help better understand the PRTR data;
- National PRTRs may vary in terms of the hazardous chemicals and pollutants reported, industry or business categories that must report and the destination of releases.
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