Mining held to tough environmental standards
Credit to Author: Ben Kritz| Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 16:48:59 +0000
FOR the past five years, all mining contractors in the Philippines have been required by law to obtain the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 Certification, ensuring that mining and mining-related operations in the Philippines are carried out according to national and international standards.
Former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje issued Administrative Order (DAO) 2015-07 requiring ISO 14001 certification in May, 2015.
According to the DENR, the rationale for the new requirement was to further institutionalize responsible mining in the Philippines, and to establish formal measures to minimize the negative impacts of mining on the environment.
“As mandated under Executive Order No. 79, it [the ISO 14001 certification requirement) will also guarantee the compliance of mining contractors with applicable mining and environmental laws, regulations, and requirements in mining operations while gearing towards growth,” the DENR said in a statement.
The key provisions of the Administrative Order were that all holders of existing Mineral Agreements (MA) and Financial or Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAA) would have one year to secure the ISO 14001 certification, while all future MA and FTAA applicants should already have the certification, or secure it before applying. Failure to secure or maintain the ISO 14001 certification will result in the suspension of the pertinent Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and non-issuance of Ore Transport and/or Mineral Export Permit until the requirement is met.
DAO 2015-07 also specified that the DENR shall undertake a periodic review of the mining operations of all MA or FTAA holders in the operating period to ensure compliance with environmental standards, laws and regulations, including conditionalities of their ECCs and Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program.
What is ISO 14001?
ISO 14001 is an international standard that provides a framework of basic benchmarks that a business organization can use to establish an effective environmental management system. The latest version is ISO 14001:2015, which was released just before the DENR issued its new requirements.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines an environmental management system as “part of the management system used to manage environmental aspects, fulfill compliance obligations, and address risks and opportunities.”
The ISO 14000 group of standards all address various aspects of environmental management, including implementation of environmental management systems; eco-design; assessment of sites and organizations; environmental labeling; performance evaluation; product and process life cycle assessments; terminology and communications; emissions management; and auditing environmental management systems.
According to the ISO, ISO 14001 is often integrated with other management systems standards, usually ISO 9001, which is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS).
The topics covered by ISO 14001:2015 with respect to environmental management systems include the context of the organization; leadership; planning; support; operations; performance evaluation; and improvement.
Apart from complying with relevant laws and regulations, the advantages of ISO 14001 for organizations include improved resource efficiency and less waste and cost; improving the competitiveness of supply chains; increased stakeholder and market credibility; and consistent management processes with respect to environmental concerns.