THE House of Representatives has approved the waste-to-energy (WtE) bill, a priority measure.
House Bill (HB) 9157 passed on third and final reading Wednesday night with over 250 lawmakers voting for it. Six lawmakers voted against it and three abstained.
“This is not simply an energy measure or a waste management proposal. It is a national development measure that will help build cleaner, safer and more resilient communities for future generations,” House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos said in a statement.
The bill aimed to “establish a national framework for the development, regulation and operation of facilities utilizing WtE and other waste treatment technologies,” and ”seeks to reduce dependence on open dumpsites.”
HB 9157 “establishes strict environmental and public health safeguards governing the establishment and operation of WtE facilities,” it said.
It will require continuous emissions monitoring systems approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and compliance with the Clean Air Act, Renewable Energy Act, Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act, and other environmental laws.
Operators are mandated to adopt “best available technologies and practices for pollution prevention and emissions control.”
WtE projects that comply with strict operational and environmental standards are eligible for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives under the measure.
