Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza has ordered the Environmental Management Bureau and an association of restaurant owners to conduct a joint study to determine effluent standards for the restaurant industry that are doable and beneficial to the environment.

Atienza issued the order during the signing of the 2nd Environment Consent Agreement between his department and the Quick Service Restaurants, an association of fastfood restaurants. Likewise, Atienza cut the period within which the study will be conducted from six months as proposed to three months.

The move to set industry specific standards on wastewater stemmed from the difficulty of member companies to comply with the department?s set effluent standards despite the forging of the first Econa in 2006. The intention for the crafting of effluent standards specifically for restaurants is to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act in a manner that would be acceptable and beneficial to the industry and doable in the immediate term without putting the environment in jeopardy, Atienza said.

QSR is composed of Jollibee, McDonald?s, KFC, Chowking, Greenwich, Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc., Golden Arches Development, Red Ribbon, Max?s Restaurant and Jade Palace Restaurant.

Under the agreement, the restaurants are encouraged to promote self-monitoring and compliance with environmental standards, as well as voluntary self-regulation for improved environmental performance. Othel Campos