SEMINAR-WORKSHOPS FOR
RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES (RECs) ON THE MANAGEMENT OF POLYCHOLORINATED
BIPHENYLS (PCBs)
In its effort to implement the
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the Environmental
Management Bureau (EMB), with funding assistance provided by the World Bank –
Canadian International Development Agency (WB-CIDA), and in coordination with
Tetra Tech EMI, Inc. and the National Electrification Administration, conducted
a series of seminar-workshops for rural electric cooperatives (RECs) regarding
the management of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Persistent Organic Pollutants, or
POPs, refer to a class of toxic chemical
Substances
that can harm human health, wildlife, and the environment. These substances are
produced and released into the environment through human activities like
manufacturing and industrial processes, waste disposal, and combustion, among
others.
The Stockholm Convention has initially
identified twelve POPs for global action. They are called the “Dirty Dozen.” One
of the Dirty Dozen is the group of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Through the Stockholm Convention,
countries are required to take action to reduce their releases of POPs and
ultimately to eliminate them. The Global Environment Facility provides
resources to assist these countries in accomplishing these requirements.
Some of the topics discussed in the
workshop were: Philippine Environmental Framework; Provisions of the Stockholm
Convention on POPs; proposed National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm
Convention on POPs; Chemical Control Order for PCBs; I11 Effects of PCBs to
Human Health and the Environment; Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency
Response (HAZWOPER); and, Development of PCB Management Plan, among others.
Site visits to rural electric plants were also conducted so that participants
will have a hands-on learning experience of the topics discussed.
Resource persons and facilitators for
the seminar-workshops included: Dir. Donna Mayor-Gordove of the EMB’s Philippine
Ozone Desk; Engr. Leonard Faller, Seminar-Workshops Team Leader; Dr. Alma Bella
P. Madrazo; Mr. Yves Guibert, internationally renowned PCB expert who for the
past 25 years has been an environmental consultant, environmental assessor,
project manager, and a certified trainer for PCB management; Dr. Genandrialine
Peralta, Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Environmental Engineering
Program – College of Engineering, University of the Philippines; Mr. Carmelito
Tatlonghari, former Energy Program Manager of the United States Agency for
International Development; Dr. Christopher Silverio of Industrial Technology
and Development Institute of DOST; and, Mr. Ernani Echiverri, a certified
Safety Practitioner, who has wide experience in environmental protection,
environmental impact assessment, and HAZWOPER.
Below are the details of the concluded
seminar-workshops:
|
|
Venue |
Date |
No. of Participants |
|
1 |
|
June
13-16, 2006 |
39
persons from 21 RECs |
|
2 |
|
June
20-23, 2006 |
36
persons from 19 RECs |
|
3 |
|
July
18-21, 2006 |
42
persons from 22 RECs |
|
4 |
|
July
25-28, 2006 |
30
persons from 14 RECs |
Two more seminar-workshops will be
held to cover all the 119 rural electric cooperatives in the country. These
will be in Cagayan de Oro City (august 8-11, 2006) and
Berna’s computer/embdocuments-press releases
folder/seminar rec pcbs