Lok Sabha Question No. 43 (STARRED), answered on 2018-07-20
Subject: Environmental Regulations
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ANBUMANI RAMADOSS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 43*

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2018

## Environmental Regulations

## *43. DR. ANBUMANI RAMADOSS:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  total  number  of  Government,  private  and  joint  venture developmental projects functioning in Tamil Nadu without complying with the present  environmental  regulations  such  as  public  hearing  and  environmental clearances; and
- (b) the  details  of  the  recent  environment  impact  assessment  report  on  the  Sterlite Copper  Plant,  ONGC  projects,  8  lane  Chennai-Salem  Greenfield  Express highway project of NHAI, proposed Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) projects of Tamil Nadu?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) & (b) A statement is laid on the Table of the House

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Statement referred to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  &  (b)  of  Lok  Sabha Starred  Question  No.  43  by  Dr.  Anbumani  Ramadoss  due  for reply on 20.07.2018.

- (a) The Ministry issued a Notification vide S.O. 804(E) dated the 14th March, 2017 under the  Environment  (Protection) Act,  1986  to  appraise  the  projects,  which have  started  work  on  site,  expanded  the  production  beyond  the  limit  of environmental  clearance  or  changed  the  product  mix  without  obtaining  prior environmental clearanceunder the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification (EIA), 2006. Accordingly, 51 industrial/infrastructure projects  in  state  of  Tamil  Nadu  have  registered  under  the  provisions  of  the aforesaid notification.
- (b) The  details  of  recent  environment  impact  assessment  report  on  the  Sterlite Copper  Plant,  ONGC  projects,  8  lane  Chennai-Salem  Greenfield  Express highway project of NHAI, proposed Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) projects of Tamil Nadu are as given below:
- i. Sterlite  Copper  Plant: The first environmental  clearance  for  this project was granted on 16 th January 1995. The project proponent has further obtained environmental clearance for expansion from time to time. The project proponent has made an application for prescribing fresh  Terms  of  Reference  for  preparation  of  Environment  Impact Assessment  report  for  expansion  proposal  on  14 th February  2018, which is under consideration. The Environment Impact Assessment report will be prepared only after prescribing Terms of Reference. Therefore, there is no recent Environment Impact Assessment report prepared by the project proponent.
- ii. ONGC projects: The Ministry has recently considered Environmental  Impact  Assessment  reports  of  two  projects  of  M/s Oil  and  Natural  Gas  Corporation  Ltd  (ONGC)  in  Tamil  Nadu, namely Exploratory Drilling of 22 Wells (Onshore) in Ramanathapuram  PML  (Tamil  Nadu)  and  Exploratory  Drilling  of 35 Wells in L-1 PML, Kuthalam PML, Kali & Greator Kali PML, Bhuvanagiri  PML  and  Neyveli  PML  in  Cauvery  Basin  (Tamil Nadu). The Environment Impact Assessment report of Exploratory Drilling  of  22  Wells  (Onshore)  in  Ramanathapuram  PML  (Tamil Nadu) was considered by the Expert Appraisal Committee (Indutry2)  in  its  meetings  held  during  26-  27  October,  2016  and  26-  29 December, 2016. However, based on observations of the Regional Office  of  the  Ministry  at  Chennai  regarding  non-compliances  of earlier environmental clearance conditions, the proposal for environmental  clearance  was  rejected.  Subsequently,  the  project proponent  submitted  requisite  information  on  6 th June  2018,  the proposal  is  proposed  for  appraisal  in  the  next  meeting  of  Expert Appraisal Committee scheduled during 25-27 July, 2018.

The  Environment  Impact  Assessment  report  (EIA)/Environment Management Plan) of Exploratory Drilling of 35 Wells in L-1 PML,

Kuthalam PML, Kali &Greator Kali  PML, Bhuvanagiri PML and Neyveli  PML  in  Cauvery  Basin  (Tamil  Nadu)  was  considered  in Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) meeting during 18-19 January, 2016; 27-28 February, 2017 and 17-18 April, 2017. However, proposal was deferred as no public hearing was conducted, as per the prescribed Terms of Reference. Further, the validity of the ToR had  been  expired.  Therefore,  the  project  proponent  was  asked  to apply afresh. Hence, no Environment Impact Assessment Reportwas submitted.

- iii.  8  lane  Chennai-Salem  Greenfield  Express  Highway  Project  of NHAI: The Ministry prescribed terms of reference for preparation of  Environment  Impact  Assessment  Report  to  the  project  dated 8.6.2018. The project proponent has not yet submitted Environment Impact Assessment report to the Ministry.
- iv. Petroleum,  Chemicals  and  Petrochemicals  Investment  Region (PCPIR): No  proposal  for  development  of  PCPIR  in  the  Tamil Nadu has been received in the Ministry.

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