Tarlac Agricultural University’s Office of the Vice President for Quality Assurance visited Tarlac State University on Tuesday (June 2) for a consultation on acquiring the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) at the main AVR.
ECC is an environmental clearance requirement issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) to ensure that no negative environmental impacts result from proposed projects.
The TAU delegates were led by Dr. Leonell Lijauco, TAU-VPQA, who thanked TSU for the information exchange, saying it was a huge help in their journey to acquire ECC for their university.
President Jasper Jay Mendoza said partnerships like this should prosper. He recalled that in 2022, former TSU President Arnold Velasco forged a partnership with TAU and wants to renew the said partnership.
Ms. Honey Lou Ayuman, Pollution Control and Safety Unit Head, presented an overview of the stages of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, as outlined in DENR Administrative Orders (DAOs) 2003-30, 2014-05, and 2017-15.
She also shared important requirements that TAU should not miss. In particular, she mentioned permits required to comply with RA 8749 (Clean Air Act), RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), RA 9275 (Clean Water Act), and RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste Control).
Moreover, she talked about their preparations for the San Isidro and Lucinda campuses and the requirements for ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
Meanwhile, Engr. Maricar Banting, Quality Management Unit Head, discussed the ECC conditions, the permit-to-operate application, accredited haulers, toxic hazards, nuclear waste, and the materials recovery facility (MRF).
She also said that at every pre-construction conference, TSU discusses environmental management plans with contractors, as well as the protocols and other compliance requirements we need to meet.
They also mentioned several aspects: the costs, the duration, the procedures, and the documents that TAU should prepare before their application.
Photo by: Mr. Eduardo F. Laxamana, Jr.
