Section 6October 26, 1990, Sec./Art. 6

Function, Powers and Responsibilities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall be the implementing agency tasked with the following functions, powers, and responsibilities:

a) To keep an updated inventory of chemicals that are presently being manufactured or used, indicating, among others, their existing and possible uses, quality, test data, names of firms manufacturing or using them, and such other information as the Secretary may consider relevant to the protection of health and the environment;

b) To require chemical substances and mixtures that present unreasonable risk or injury to health or to the environment to be tested before they are manufactured or imported for the first time;

c) To require chemical substances and mixtures which are presently being manufactured or processed to be tested if there is a reason to believe that they pose unreasonable risk or injury to health or the environment;

d) To evaluate the characteristics of chemicals that have been tested to determine their toxicity and the extent of their effects on health and the environment;

e) To enter into contracts and make grants for research, development, and monitoring of chemical substances and mixtures;

f) To conduct inspection of any establishment in which chemicals are manufactured, processed, stored or held before or after their commercial distribution and to make recommendations to the proper authorities concerned;

g) To confiscate or impound chemicals found not falling within said acts cannot be enjoined except after the chemicals have been impounded;

h) To monitor and prevent the entry, even in transit, of hazardous and nuclear wastes and their disposal into the country;

i) To subpoena witnesses and documents and to require other information if necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act;

j) To call on any department, bureau, office, agency, state university or college, and other instrumentalities of the Government for assistance in the form of personnel, facilities, and other resources as the need arises in the discharge of its functions;

k) To disseminate information and conduct educational awareness campaigns on the effects of chemical substances, mixtures and wastes on health and environment; and

l) To exercise such powers and perform such other functions as may be necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities under this Act.