Govt eases norms for thermal power plants, allows coal to be sourced, moved without fresh approvals

The Union surroundings ministry has relaxed norms for the coal mining sector and thermal energy stations, permitting thermal vegetation to alter their supply of coal no matter its ash content material or mode of transport from the supply.

This signifies that coal shall be allowed to be transported by vehicles lined with tarpaulin sheets, even when the supply of the uncooked materials is positioned an extended distance away.

The change was made in an workplace memorandum issued by the ministry on November 11, and comes after calls for by thermal energy vegetation, who stated that the constraints have been resulting in delays in acquiring coal from new home sources.

“All the thermal power plants having environmental clearance can change the coal source (from imported to domestic, domestic to domestic and domestic to imported) including lignite through e-auctions, short-term linkage, long-term linkage other linkage options of the ministry of coal or any organisation recognised for allotting coal linkages without seeking the amendment in environmental clearance…,” the order, reviewed by HT, states.

Environment activists, nevertheless, stated the transfer might result in a spike in air pollution as a result of there shall be no oversight of how altering the supply of coal would affect the surroundings.

Under the surroundings affect evaluation notification 2006, any change within the sourcing of coal required thermal energy vegetation to hunt an modification within the environmental clearance (EC) granted to them. This would imply that surroundings ministry’s knowledgeable appraisal committee would reassess the venture based mostly on the brand new supply. This was to make sure that the transportation and use of coal was monitored with the intention to guarantee emissions is low. Every EC normally stipulates transport mode, which was rail/conveyor belt.

The new guidelines state that no modification shall be required within the EC granted to the plant, even when the supply of coal, and consequently, its distance from the thermal energy plant modifications. Details relating to the placement of the coal supply; amount; high quality which incorporates (ash, sulphur, moisture content material and calorific worth); distance and mode of transportation, will solely have to be told to the surroundings ministry and its regional workplace.

About transportation, the workplace memorandum advises thermal energy vegetation that, so far as potential, transportation ought to be carried out by rail or conveyor belt or different surroundings pleasant modes. But highway transportation of coal shall be allowed in tarpaulin lined vehicles, until railway or conveyor belt infrastructure is made accessible. There is not any deadline about when this infra shall be prepared.

“The EC is granted based on a specific source of coal and distance from the mine. Any change in source required an amendment in EC as conditions for appraisal change. Now we have done away with the need for that amendment,” stated a senior surroundings ministry official.

“We had asked the ministry a couple of times about the need to simplify these norms. This is for a simple reason. Mines keep changing. Every time there is a change in the mine location, there is unnecessary delay in amending the EC,” stated Ashok Khurana, director common of the Association of Power Producers.

Experts have warned that this might result in air air pollution, harm of roads in lots of areas by which coal shall be transported and it weakens the surroundings appraisal course of for thermal energy vegetation.

“The flexibility to change the source or coal or indefinitely using road transportation even as mandatory rail lines or conveyor belts are being put into place can be seen as part of the pool of exemptions and incentives being given to the mining projects. In effect, the ministry has replaced rule of law with flexibility of law that is to only suit the requirement of mining and coal power projects,” stated Kanchi Kohli, authorized researcher at Centre for Policy Research. “This no holds barred approach has serious implications for places and people where these decisions will be operationalised. Coal transportation will be carried out on public roads or village roads, none of which was in the original plans,” she stated.

“The ash content requirements for sourcing of coal were watered down earlier. So we are not being vigilant about the quality of coal. If coal is dirty and emission control equipment is not installed as per norms, then emissions will be high,” stated Anumita Roy Chowdhury, govt director, Centre for Science and Environment