Gatchalian pushes for proper waste management, use of WTE facilities amid pandemic

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday stressed the need for proper waste management systems, including the use of waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities, as household and medical wastes accumulate as a result of lockdowns brought about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, earlier filed Senate Bill 1789, or proposed WTE Act, which essentially allows the use of WTE technology in the treatment and disposal of solid wastes.

WTE, according to the senator, is the process of generating energy from the treatment of waste through various technologies.

Gatchalian pointed out that the Department of Health (DOH) requires medical wastes to undergo treatment before being hauled at disposal facilities.

“Contrary to arguments that the operation of a WTE plant poses a threat to public health and the environment, such facility will require air pollution control systems to ensure emissions are within the standards of the Philippine Clean Air Act," he said.

"The bill establishing the framework for WTE facilities specifies this," he added.

Under Gatchalian's bill, only waste treatment technologies that do not emit toxic and poisonous fumes and comply with relevant laws and regulations will be allowed to operate.

If a WTE facility is found to be not complying with these regulations, it will be penalized and can be shut down by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The measure also provides environmental and health safeguards where the DENR and the DOH will play vital roles in the regulation of these WTE facilities.

Gatchalian noted the benefits of using WTE technologies. He said WTE industries in Europe, North America, and Asia were able to develop technologies that are now among the cleanest sources of thermoelectric energy.

Meanwhile, in WTE plants in Italy, Spain, Japan and Germany, emissions are highly controllable and passed stringent regulations, he added.

“WTE can even be a leading contributor to the planned reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as it will reduce fossil fuel usage and increase energy production through the use of renewable sources,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian also assured that his proposal for the use of WTE technologies will not be a costly measure moving forward as the country tries to recover from the pandemic.

He said under the measure, it is the project proponent that will shoulder the expense in the construction and operation of the facility and not the local government units.

He added that the processing fee paid by LGUs to these facilities will be subject to fair, reasonable, and equitable standards.

The House of Representatives has already passed on third and final reading its version of the measure, with Speaker Lord Allan Velasco himself as one of the authors. — BM, GMA News