Chapter 8: Local Road Environmental Safeguards: 238 f. Consider fords and spillways as alternatives to culverts in crossings built over perennial streams with high sediment load. Culverts and pipes are more appropriate for normal runoff; g. During construction, make sure that oils, chemicals, excess concrete, and other waste materials do not enter the stream or river; and h. Promptly remove debris that accumulates at the construction site. 5.4. Maintenance of Local Roads The following are the practical guidelines to ensure environmental safeguards in constructing drainage structures for local roads: a. Follow routine and periodic maintenance schedules strictly; b. Grade roads immediately as needed and crown them adequately to prevent ponding; c. Clean out roads and ditches after the passage of heavy vehicles (e.g., farm tractors and trucks) during the planting and harvest seasons, paying particular attention to damaged culverts and pipes; d. Keep an inventory of bridges, culverts, and ditches that are potential problem areas. Maintain them regularly, and check them often during periods of heavy rainfall; e. Deposit material removed from ditches during maintenance in a safe location away from bodies of water; and f. Immediately close and retire roads not needed for continued use (e.g., temporary diversion roads, haul roads) to prevent induced erosion and deny access to wildlife poachers and forest miners. 6. Environmental Management System (EMS) for Road Network Development For road network development projects implemented by LGUs, a program-level environmental management system (EMS) is recommended. An EMS has ifve core components, namely: