NEWS RELEASE
August 26, 2010
ENVI GROUPS LAUD DOH SCRAPPING OF INCINERATOR PLAN
Cancellation of incinerator debt pushed
“Bid incineration goodbye once and for all.”
This was the call of Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Greenpeace and Ecowaste Coalition in a round table discussion with the Department of Health (DoH) where the later announced the scrapping of planned revival of incinerators.
The DoH’s draft Health Executive Agenda for Legislation proposed amendment of the Clean Air Act (1) to allow the use of incinerators designed in such a way that product combustion gases shall be treated and harmful emissions are removed before gases are released to the atmosphere and (2) advance emission control design and stringent regulation shall ensure wastes are disposed without detrimental impact to the environment.
The four organizations immediately questioned the proposal and sent a letter asking the Department to scrap the plan. DoH immediately retracted the plan and said it will no longer include incineration in the HEAL which will be presented in Congress.
Cancel incinerator plan, cancel incinerator debt
The groups likewise asked the DoH to take an active role in pushing the Legislative to cancel the debt payment for the P503 million Austrian Medical Waste Incinerator Project.
The government started paying the loan in 2001 and is scheduled to pay an average US$2 million a year until 2014.
It is the group’s assertion that the annual payment of the debt of US$2M should be re-channeled to much needed health services, specifically funding for safe waste treatment and disposal of public hospitals and other health care facilities’ infectious wastes.
In 1999, Philippines successfully banned the use of incinerators for general wastes and subsequently the use of incinerators for medical waste in 2003 “which process emits poisonous and toxic fumes” with the approval of the CAA. The country remains the only country in the world to ban incinerators.
According to the group of environmentalists, “We are paying for supposedly state-of-the-art medical waste incinerators that were proven to be substandard and emitting dioxins way beyond the limit set by CAA. One of these incinerators, for instance, scandalously emitted nine times the limit for particulate matter, twelve times the limit set for hydrogen chloride, almost double the limit for lead and 870 times the limit for dioxins and furans compared to the CAA threshold.”
Alternatives everywhere
HCWH-SEA highlighted the presence of alternatives to incineration which are far safer. They cited several hospitals who for years have used the basics of waste management. These are waste minimization, segregation, proper training and knowledge of safe non-burn treatment systems and technologies. .
“There is no need for us to go back to incineration.” according to Merci Ferrer of HCWH-SEA. “What DOH and other government agencies concerned on wastes should do is sustain their efforts in monitoring the compliance of health care facilities on proper health care waste management and be vigilant on the resurgence of incinerators in the guise of pyrolisis, plasma, thermal oxidizer…”
Sonia G. Astudillo, HCWH-SEA, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
ENVI-HEALTH GROUP RAISES ALARM ON PLANNED REVIVAL OF INCINERATORS
NEWS RELEASE
August 3, 2010
ENVI-HEALTH GROUP RAISES ALARM ON PLANNED REVIVAL OF INCINERATORS
Calls it revival of the unfittest
A week before the celebration of the Hospital Week, envi-health group Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) raises alarm on the Department of Health (DoH)’s proposal to revive the use of incinerators calling it “revival of the unfittest”.
Under the DoH’s draft Health Executive Agenda for Legislation (HEAL), there is a proposal to amend the Clean Air Act (1) to allow the use of incinerators designed in such a way that product combustion gases shall be treated and harmful emissions are removed before gases are released to the atmosphere and (2) advance emission control design and stringent regulation shall ensure wastes are disposed without detrimental impact to the environment.
According to Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Executive Director, the revival of the use of incinerators whether it will be used for general or medical wastes is like going back to the time when people are “ignorant of the dangers of waste incineration.”
Burning of wastes releases dioxins and furans that are dangerous to people’s health and the environment. In 1999, Philippines successfully banned the use of incinerators for general wastes and subsequently the use of incinerators for medical waste in 2003. The country remains the only country in the world to ban incinerators.
“We started paying in 2001 and are still paying an average US$2 million a year for the P503-million loan used to fund a defunct Austrian Medical Waste Incinerator Project,” Ferrer pointed out. “Unless this loan is cancelled, we will be paying until 2014 for a technology which contrary to claims was far from being state of the art1.
“DoH should seriously look into developing a legislative agenda around the cancellation of the debt and rechanneling of resources to strengthen the waste management needs of public hospitals,” Ferrer emphasized.
“The revival of incineration is an uncalled for. This is a total disregard of the best practices of hospitals, a contradiction against the best management practices that is being implemented in health care facilities around the country2,” said Cristina Parungao, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Promotions of Best Hospitals Practices .
“Safe, clean, cost-effective and healthy- and environment-friendly alternatives to incineration are very much available,” Parungao added.
She cited autoclave which the government allocated a P100 million budget for in 2008 for several DoH-controlled hospitals. “This however is still undisbursed and was even decreased to P50 million.”
“As the DoH starts its review of the Health Care Waste Management Manual3, we reiterate that instead of pushing for incineration, alternative technologies must be given outmost attention. Also, we would like to hear the report on the implementation of the manual, its strength and weaknesses and why incineration is coming back into the picture,” Ferrer pointed out.
Endnotes:
(1) One of the incinerators emitted nine times the limit for particulate matter, twelve times the limit set for hydrogen chloride, almost double the limit for lead and 870 times the limit for dioxins and furans compared to the CAA threshold.
(2) HCWH-SEA has partnered with several hospitals in their health care waste management practices. St. Paul Hospitals are among the best hospitals that showcase waste minimization, 3Rs (recycle, re-use and reduce) and composting. These hospitals successfully lowered their volume of waste without incineration.
(3) A Technical Working Group is set to review the Health Care Waste Management Manual of the DoH.
HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org
August 3, 2010
ENVI-HEALTH GROUP RAISES ALARM ON PLANNED REVIVAL OF INCINERATORS
Calls it revival of the unfittest
A week before the celebration of the Hospital Week, envi-health group Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) raises alarm on the Department of Health (DoH)’s proposal to revive the use of incinerators calling it “revival of the unfittest”.
Under the DoH’s draft Health Executive Agenda for Legislation (HEAL), there is a proposal to amend the Clean Air Act (1) to allow the use of incinerators designed in such a way that product combustion gases shall be treated and harmful emissions are removed before gases are released to the atmosphere and (2) advance emission control design and stringent regulation shall ensure wastes are disposed without detrimental impact to the environment.
According to Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Executive Director, the revival of the use of incinerators whether it will be used for general or medical wastes is like going back to the time when people are “ignorant of the dangers of waste incineration.”
Burning of wastes releases dioxins and furans that are dangerous to people’s health and the environment. In 1999, Philippines successfully banned the use of incinerators for general wastes and subsequently the use of incinerators for medical waste in 2003. The country remains the only country in the world to ban incinerators.
“We started paying in 2001 and are still paying an average US$2 million a year for the P503-million loan used to fund a defunct Austrian Medical Waste Incinerator Project,” Ferrer pointed out. “Unless this loan is cancelled, we will be paying until 2014 for a technology which contrary to claims was far from being state of the art1.
“DoH should seriously look into developing a legislative agenda around the cancellation of the debt and rechanneling of resources to strengthen the waste management needs of public hospitals,” Ferrer emphasized.
“The revival of incineration is an uncalled for. This is a total disregard of the best practices of hospitals, a contradiction against the best management practices that is being implemented in health care facilities around the country2,” said Cristina Parungao, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Promotions of Best Hospitals Practices .
“Safe, clean, cost-effective and healthy- and environment-friendly alternatives to incineration are very much available,” Parungao added.
She cited autoclave which the government allocated a P100 million budget for in 2008 for several DoH-controlled hospitals. “This however is still undisbursed and was even decreased to P50 million.”
“As the DoH starts its review of the Health Care Waste Management Manual3, we reiterate that instead of pushing for incineration, alternative technologies must be given outmost attention. Also, we would like to hear the report on the implementation of the manual, its strength and weaknesses and why incineration is coming back into the picture,” Ferrer pointed out.
Endnotes:
(1) One of the incinerators emitted nine times the limit for particulate matter, twelve times the limit set for hydrogen chloride, almost double the limit for lead and 870 times the limit for dioxins and furans compared to the CAA threshold.
(2) HCWH-SEA has partnered with several hospitals in their health care waste management practices. St. Paul Hospitals are among the best hospitals that showcase waste minimization, 3Rs (recycle, re-use and reduce) and composting. These hospitals successfully lowered their volume of waste without incineration.
(3) A Technical Working Group is set to review the Health Care Waste Management Manual of the DoH.
HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org
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