Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

Section 48

The following acts are prohibited: (1) Littering, throwing, dumping of waste matters in public places, such as roads, sidewalks, canals, esteros or parks, and establishment, or causing or permitting the same; (2) Undertaking activities or operating, collecting or transporting equipment in violation of sanitation operation and other requirements or permits set forth in or established pursuant to this Act; (3) The open burning of solid waste; (4) Causing or permitting the collection of non-segregated or unsorted waste; (5) Squatting in open dumps and landfills; (6) Open dumping, burying of biodegradable or non-biodegradable materials in flood-prone areas; (7) Unauthorized removal of recyclable material intended for collection by authorized persons; (8) The mixing of source-separated recyclable material with other solid waste in any vehicle, box, container or receptacle used in solid waste collection or disposal; (9) Establishment or operation of open dumps as enjoined in this Act, or closure of said dumps in violation of Sec. 37; (10) The manufacture, distribution or use of non-environmentally acceptable packaging materials; (11) Importation of consumer products packaged in non-environmentally acceptable materials; (12) Importation of toxic wastes misrepresented as "recyclable" or "with recyclable content"; (13) Transport and dumping in bulk of collected domestic, industrial, commercial and institutional wastes in areas other than centers or facilities prescribed under this Act; (14) Site preparation, construction, expansion or operation of waste management facilities without an Environmental Compliance Certificate required pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1586 and this Act and not conforming with the land use plan of the LGU; (15) The construction of any establishment within two hundred (200) meters from open dumps or controlled dumps, or sanitary landfills; and (16) The construction or operation of landfills or any waste disposal facility on any aquifer, groundwater reservoir or watershed area and or any portions thereof.

Section 49

(a) Any person who violates Sec. 48, paragraph (1) shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not less than Three hundred pesos (P300.00) but not more than One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) or render community service for not less than one (1) day to not more than fifteen (15) days to an LGU where such prohibited acts are committed, or both; (b) Any person who violates Sec. 48, pars. (2) and (3), shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not less than Three hundred pesos (P300.00) but not more than One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than one (1) day to not more than fifteen (15) days, or both; (c) Any person who violates Sec. 48, pars. (4), (5), (6), and (7) shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not less than One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) but not more than Three thousand pesos (P3,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) days but not more than six (6) months, or both; (d) Any person who violates Sec. 48, pars. (8), (9), (10) and (11) for the first time shall, upon conviction, pay a fine of Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) plus an amount not less than five percent (5%) but not more than ten percent (10%) of his net annual income during the previous year. The additional penalty of imprisonment of a minimum period of one (1) year, but not to exceed three (3) years at the discretion of the court, shall be imposed for second or subsequent violations of Sec. 48, paragraphs (9) and (10). (e) Any person who violates Sec. 48, pars. (12) and (13), shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) but not more than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than thirty (30) days but not more than three (3) years, or both; (f) Any person who violates Sec. 48, pars. (14), (15) and (16) shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine not less than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not more than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00), or imprisonment not less than one (1) year but not more than six (6) years, or both. If the offense is committed by a corporation, partnership, or other juridical entity duly organized in accordance with law, the chief executive officer, president, general manager, managing partner or such other officer-in-charge shall be liable for the commission of the offense penalized under this Act. If the offender is an alien, he shall, after service of the sentence prescribed above, be deported without further administrative proceedings. (g) Any obliged enterprise that fails to register under Section 44-E or fails to comply with Section 44-F shall be imposed with the following fines: (1) a fine of not less than Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) but not exceeding Ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00) for the first offense; (2) a fine of not less than Ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00) but not exceeding Fifteen million pesos (P15,000,000.00) for the second offense; and (3) a fine of not less than Fifteen million pesos (P15,000,000.00) but not exceeding Twenty million pesos (P20,000,000.00) for the third offense and automatic suspension of business permit until the requirement of the law is complied with. In case of failure to meet the targets set under Section 44-F, the obliged enterprise shall pay the same fines set above, or a fine twice the cost of recovery and diversion of the footprint or its shortfall, whichever is higher. The penalty shall be imposed whether or not the noncompliance is the result of the failure to register under Section 44-E, falsification of documents, misdeclaration of generated or recovered footprint, employment of any scheme to maliciously evade the responsibility of an enterprise under the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, or tamper its compliance with the provisions of Section 44-F. The Pollution Adjudication Board of the Department shall hear and adjudicate cases of violations or offenses under this section, and impose appropriate fines therefor. (as amended by RA No 11898) The fines herein prescribed shall be increased by at least ten percent (10%) every three (3) years to compensate for inflation and to maintain the deterrent function of such fines.

Section 50

Local government officials and officials of government agencies concerned who fail to comply with and enforce rules and regulations promulgated relative to this Act shall be charged administratively in accordance with R.A. 7160 and other existing laws, rules and regulations.