Cement, Energy and Environment

No. J-13012/12/2013-IA-11 (I) Government of India Ministry of Environment and Forests OFFICE MEMORANDUM Paryavaran 8hawan CGO Complex, Lodhi Road New Delhi -110 003 Dated 24th December, 2013 Subject: Guidelines for consideration of proposals for grant of environmental \ clearance Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification , 2006 and ~ its amendments regarding categorization of Category '8' projects/activities into Category '81' & '82'. The EIA Notification, 2006 mandates prior Environmental Clearance (EG) for new projects or activities including expansion, or modernization of existing projects listed in its Schedule. The Category 'A' projects shal l obtain EC from the Central Government and Category 'B' projects from the concerned State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA)/Union Territory Environment Impact Assessment Authority (UTEIAA). The EIA Notification, 2006 prescribes that Category 'B' projects, will be further categorized as category 'B1' and '82' (except for Township and Area Development Projects) for which the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) shall issue appropriate guidel ines from time to time - provisions under '7.1 Stage(1 )-Screening' of the Notification refer. The projects categorized as 81 will require EIA Report for appraisal and to undergo public consultation process (as applicable). Projects categorized as '82' will be appraised based on the application in Form-1accompanied with the Pre-feasibility Report and any other documents. 2. In compliance with such a requirement under the EIA Notification and to examine other issues, the MoEF had constituted vide O.M No. J-11013/1212013-IA-11(1) dated 30.01.2013, an Expert Committee, under the Chairmanship of Director, NEERI, Nagpur. The Committee has since submitted its report. The recommendations of the Committee have been examined by MOEF and the following has been decided w.r.t. categorization of Category 'B' projects/activities into Category 'B1' & '82' listed in the Schedule of EIA Notification, 2006 and its amendments: I. Mining of Minerals Mining of minor minerals As of now, mining projects of minor minerals with less than 50 ha of mining lease area are categorized as Category 'B' as per Notification 8 .0 .2731 (E) dated 9th September, 2013. Also vide OM No.L-1 1011/47/2011-1A.II(M) dated 24.06.2013, guidelines have been issued regarding categorization of mining projects of 'brick earth' and 'ordinary earth' having lease area less than 5 ha as category '82' subject to stipulations stated therein . In the above backdrop, the projects of mining of minor minerals , categorized as Category 'B' are hereby categorized as '82' as per the following: (i) 'Brick earth' 1 'Ordinary earth' mining projects having lease area less than 5 ha will be considered for granting EC as per the aforesaid gu idelines issued by MOEF on 24.6.2013. 72