Cement, Energy and Environment

No. J-11 0I5/30/2004-JAJI (M) Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change OFFICE MEMORANDUM Paryavaran Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi- II 0 003 Dated: 28 1 h July, 20 I4 Subject: Guidelines for granting Environment Clearance for expansion of Coal Mining Projects involving one time Production Capacity Expansion in the existing operation -reg. · · This O.M. may be read in continuation of earlier O.M. of even number dated 19.\2.2012, 07. 1. 2014 and 30.5. 2014 which deal with the above subject. 2. T:1e Ministry of Environment and Forests has, vide OM dated 19 December, 2012 issued guide lines for exemption from public hearing in respect .of existing coal mining projects which apply fo r one time capacity expansion of up to 25% in the existing mining operation, within the existing mine lease area. The 25% expansion in production capacity is subject to a ceil ing of 2 MTPA of additional production where the transportation ofthe additional production is proposed by road and a ceil ing of 5 MTPA if such transportation is proposed by conveyor and/or rail transport . 3. The Ministry of Coal has been taking up the matter with this Ministry requesting for, . flllt her dispen~at ion ar.gu ing th~ need for quick ramping up of coal production considering the power generattoll requt rements tn the Country. They had argued that in the case of smaller coal mining projects the cap of capacity expansion up to 25% was inadequate as it resulted in relatively small increase in production in absolute tenns fo r such mines. They had requested for i nc r~asing t.he limit . o: capacity expansion in respect of smaller projects. The matter ~as constdered 10 the Mmtstry of Environment & Forests and it was decided that for expansiOn proposals of existing coal mining projects having production capacity up to 8 MTPA as per the EC letter, the limit of one time capacity expansion may be considered as 50% or incremental production upto I MTPA, whichever is more, in the existing mining operation, within the existing mine lease area, by the EAC for exempting Public Hearing under Clause 7(ii) of the EIA Noti fication, 2006 . An OM of even number dated 7.01.2014 was accordingly issued. 4. The Ministry of Coal had again requested th is Minist~y that th~ dispensation given for one time capacity expansion for coal mining projects of productton capactty up to 8 MTPA as per OM of 07 111 January, 2014 may also be extended to those coal mining.projects which ~ave already availed dispensation of one time production capacity ex~ans~on . und~r earlier 0~ . of 19 111 December, 2012. They had also poi nted out an anomalous sttuatton tn respect of coal mmmg projects with capacity above 8 MTPA and up to 16 MTPA, where the transport~tion of additional production of coal was proposed by means of a conveyor and I or rail transport. · While as per OM dated 07 111 January, 2014, the additional production allowed for such projects up to 8 MTPA capacity would be 4 MTPA, for projects with capacity more than 8 MTPA and less than 16 MTPA, the additional production allowed as per the earlier OM of 19' 11 December, 2012 would be 55