Important features of environmental clearance and authorized mechanism:

• Environmental Clearance (EC) for certain developmental projects has been made compulsory by the ministry of environment and forest through its notification under the provisions of environment protection act. 1986.
• It was considered necessary by ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to make available environmental impact assessment (EIA) guidance manuals for each of the development sector.
• In the new notification, projects are divided into 2 categories Sole central list and sole state list.
• EIA is an important management tool for ensuring the optimal use of natural resources for sustainable development.
• Its purpose is to identify, examine, assess and evaluate the likely and probable impacts of a proposed project on the environment and to work out remedial action plans to minimize impact on the environment.

Objectives of EIA:

• To formulate a transparent, decentralized and effiicient regulatory mechanism.
• To incorporate necessary environmental safeguards at planning stage.
• To involve stakeholders in the public consultation process.

Stages in prior environmental clearance process:

Stage1:

• Screening: It means scrutiny of category 'B' projects seeking prior environmental clearance made by the concerned State level expert appraisal committee (SEAC).
• It determines whether or not the project requires further environmental studies for preparation of EIA for its appraisal depending upon the nature and location specific of the project.

Stage 2:

• Scoping: It refers to the process by which the EAC in the cas of Category 'A' projects and SEAC in the case of Category 'B1' projects determine detailed and comprehensive Terms of reference (TOR) addressing all the relevant environmental concerns for the preparation of EIA report.
• TOR will help the project components and consultants to prepare report with relevant project specific data, which are informatice, compact and easy to comprehend.

Step 3:

• Public consultation or public hearing (PH): It refers to the process by which the concerns of local affected persons and others who have plausible stake in the environmental impacts of the project are ascertained.
• The routine adopted by PH: DM to preside over the PH process. Incorporation of public concerns in EIA report.
• PhH is not a decision stage, it is only to ascertain the concerns of local affected persons and from stakeholders.

Step 4:

• Appraisal: It means the detailed scrutiny by the expert appraisal committee of the application and other documents submitted by the applicant for grant of environmental clearance.
• MoEF has constituted 25 State level expert appraisal committee to appraise category B projects.
• Some of Category 'A' Central list are:
  • Petroleum refinery industry
  • Soda ash industry
  • Chemical fertilizers
  • Asbestos mining
  • New national highway etc.
• Category 'B' some of Sole State list are:
  • Integrated paint industry
  • New state highways
  • Aerial ropeways
  • Building and construction projects.
  • Common municipal solid waste management facility etc.