TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Considering the fact that iron ore dumps have more environmental impact than mining operations, the Centre for Environment and Education (CEE) said that a separate environmental clearance (EC) for dumping and handling of such iron ore waste outside the lease areas should be acquired apart from the ECs granted for the lease boundary.
CEE which is carrying out a comprehensively assessing the quality of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environment Clearance (EC), observed that some ECs have been granted permission for disposal of iron ore waste outside the mining lease area.
The report claims that the EC granted for a mine is for carrying out mining operation within the stipulated lease and any other activity beyond the lease boundaries needs special ECs.
“An important issue in relation to compliance of conditions imposed in the ECs relates to management of overburden dumps. It may be noted that the ECs sanctioned are often at variance with the mining plans. While mining plans do not permit disposal of waste outside lease areas, some ECs permit such dumping. Often, the dumps have greater impact than mining operations, so that they should have required separate and proper environment clearances,” the report states.
Justice M B Shah Commission in its report had said that dumping or stocking of iron ore outside the lease area was ‘illegal’. However, the State government has notified a ‘Land Use Policy’ according to which fines would be imposed on the mining firms for dumping iron ore waste outside the lease areas on government and private land.
