Indian Environmental Regulations by

D.Mishra

Regulatory Mechanism in India

Environmental Regulations
Environment as part of the Indian Constitution in Art.48A & Art.51-A (g) The Water (prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1974 amended 1988 The Water Cess Act, 1977 The Air Act, 1981 amended 1987

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 The Hazardous Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989 The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 EIA Notification, 1994 The Environment Tribunal Act, 1995

Environmental Regulations
EIA Notification, 1994 amended to incorporate Envt. Public Hearing, 1997 The Environment Tribunal Act, 1995 Noise Pollution Act, 2000 Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules (amended), 2000

AMENDED EXISTING STATUTES TO MEET ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

THE INDIAN FORESTS ACT THE FOREST (CONSERVATION) ACT THE FACTORIES ACT THE WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT THE MINES AND MINERALS (REGULATION AND DEVELOPMENT) ACT

AIR (PREVENTION & CONTROL OF POLLUTION) ACT, 1981.

Air Pollution: Presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous air pollutant in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environment. The Boards shall exercise the powers and perform the functions of this Act. No person shall establish or operate any industrial plant without the previous consent of the Board. An Application in the prescribed form shall be made along with requisite fees. No person operating any industrial plant shall discharge the emission of any air pollutant in excess of the standards laid down by the State Board. Contd...

AIR (PREVENTION & CONTROL OF POLLUTION) ACT, 1981.

-If the emission of any pollutant is in excess of the standards laid down in by the State Board or is apprehended to occur, the industry shall intimate the fact to the Board. The Board has power to take samples of air or emission from any chimney, flue, duct for analysis. The Board has power to issue directions for: Closure, prohibition or regulation, operation of any industry Stoppage, regulation of supply of electricity, water or any other service Penalty: Failure to comply with any provision of the Act or direction shall be punishable with imprisonment for 3 months to six years and fine.

ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT, 1986

1.

POWER TO ISSUE DIRECTION : CENTRAL GOVT. MAY ISSUE DIRECTION FOR : (A) (B) THE CLOSURE, PROHIBITION OR REGULATION OF INDUSTRY, OPERATION OR PROCESS. STOPPAGE OR REGULATION OF SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY OR WATER OR ANY OTHER SERVICE.

2.

DISCHARGE OF POLLUTANT : THE INDUSTRY SHALL NOT DISCHARGE / EMIT POLLUTANT IN EXCESS OF STANDARD PRESCRIBED.

Contd...

ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT, 1986

3. HANDLING OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE: HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE SHOULD BE HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURE & SAFEGUARDS AS PRESCRIBED. 4. POWER OF ENTRY & INSPECTION: (A) ANY PERSON EMPOWERED BY CENTRAL GOVT. HAS A RIGHT TO ENTER ANY INDUSTRIAL PLANT AND EXAMINE RECORD DOCUMENT. (B) THE INDUSTRY SHALL BE BOUND TO RENDER ALL ASSISTANCE TO SUCH PERSON. IF THE INDUSTRY WILFULLY OBSTRUCTS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY, IT SHALL BE GUILTY OF AN OFFENCE UNDER THIS ACT.

Environmental (Protection) Rules, 1986 and its Amendments `

Effluent Standard Notification dated 12.09.88

`Ambient Noise Standards Notification dated 26.12.89 `Particulate Matter Emission Standards Notification dated 03.01.89 `Stack Height for Thermal Power Plants Notification dated 30.08.90 ` Coastal Regulation Zone Notification dated 19.12.91. ` General Standards for Discharge of Environmental Pollutants: Effluents and Emissions Notification dated 19.05.03. ` Ambient Air Quality Standards Notification dt. 11.04.94 ` Use of beneficiated coal for TPP Notification dated 19.09.97 ` Use of fly ash for brick making in a radius of 50 km from TPP Notification dated 02.04.98

Notifications ` EIA Notification dated 27.01.94 and its Amendment ` Public Hearing Notification dated 10.04.97 ` Delegation of Powers to State Government for Processing Environmental Clearance for Thermal Power Projects Notification dated 10.04.97. ` Procedure for seeking Environmental Clearance of Projects - Notification dated 10.04.97 ` Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 ` Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989

EFFLUENT STANDARDS FOR THERMAL POWER PLANTS (Notification dated 19.11.1986)

a) C ondenser cooling water discharged from once-through cooling system: PARAMET ERS ST AND ARD pH 6.5 8.5 T perature rise* em 70 C Free Chlorine 0.5 m (m g/l ax)

(* The temperature rise is with respect to the intake water temperature. Amendment issued with respect to temperature limit vide Notification dated 22.12.1998.) New Thermal Power Plants using water from rivers / lakes / reservoirs commissioned after June 1, 1999: Provision of Cooling Towers. New TPP using sea water for cooling: Temperature of receiving water does not exceed 7 0 C over the ambient water temperature. Existing Thermal Power Plants: Rise in temperature from inlet to outlet of condenser not more than 10 0 C. Contd...

EFFLUENT STANDARDS FOR THERMAL POWER PLANTS (Notification dated 19.11.1986)

b) Boiler blow-down P AR AM ETER S Suspended Solids Oil and Grease Total Copper Total I ron c) Cooling tow er blow -dow n: P AR AM ETER S Free Chlorine Zinc Total Chrom ium P hosphate d) Ash pond effluent: P AR AM ETER S pH Suspended Solids Oil & Grease STANDARD m g/ l (m ax ) m g/ l (m ax ) m g/ l (m ax ) m g/ l (m ax ) STANDARD 100 m g/ l (m ax ) 20 m g/ l(m ax ) 1 m g/ l(m ax ) 1 m g/ l (m ax )

0.5 1.0 0.2 5.0

STANDARD 6.5 8.5 100 m g/ l (m ax ) 20 m g/ l (m ax )

LIQUID WASTE DISCHARGE STANDARD FOR GAS / NAPHTHA BASED POWER PLANT (22.12.1998)

PARAM ETER pH Temp. Free Available Chlorine Suspended Solids Oil & Grease Copper (Total) Iron (Total) Zinc Chromium (Total) Phosphate

STANDARD (mg/l) EXCEPT FOR pH & TEM P. 6.5 - 8.5 As applicable for other thermal power plants 0.5 100.0 20.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.2 5.0

THE WATER ACT, 1977 (AMENDMENT DATED 16TH DECEMBER 1991)

Sl. No. 1. 2. 3. P urpose for w hich w ater is consum ed I ndustrial cooling, spraying in m ine pits or boiler feeds. Dom estic purpose P rocessing w hereby w ater gets polluted and the pollutants are easily biodegradable. P rocessing w hereby w ater gets polluted and the pollutants are not easily biodegradable and are tox ic M ax im um rate under subsection (2) of Section 3 One and a half paise per k ilo litre Tw o paise per k ilo litre Four paise per kilo litre M ax im um rate under subsection (2A) of section 3 Tw o and one-fourth paise per k ilo litre Three paise per k ilo litre Seven and a half paise per k ilo litre

4.

Five paise per k ilo litre

N ine and a half paise per k ilo litre

1. 2.

A rebate of 25% shall be given. A person or local authority shall not be entitled to any rebate a) b) consumes water in excess of maximum quantity as may be prescribed for any industry or local authority. fails to comply with any of the provisions of Water Act, 1974 or any

of the standards laid down by Central Government under Environment Act, 1986.

EMISSION STANDARDS FOR THERMAL POWER PLANTS 1989)

(3rd January

PARTICULATE MATTER EMISSIONS - Generation capacity: 210 MW or more - Generation capacity: Less than 210 MW 150 milligrams per normal cubic meter 350 milligrams per normal cubic meter

STACK HEIGHTS NOTIFICATION FOR COAL-BASED THERMAL POWER PLANTS (30TH AUGUST, 1990)
P w r G n r tio o e e ea n Cp c a a ity Sa kH ig t L it ( t c e h im s in mt r ) ee s

5 0M a da o e 0 Wn bv. 2 0M /2 0M a d 0 W1 Wn a o et le sth n5 0 bv o s a 0 M W L s th n2 0M /2 0 es a 0 W1 M W

25 7 20 2
.3 H 1 (Q 0 w e eQis - 4 ) hr e is io r teo S 2in ms na f O k /h a dHisSa k g r n tc h ig t inmt r . e h ee s

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (11th April, 1994)

Pollutant Time W eighted average Concentration in ambient air Industrial Area 1 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Oxides of Nitrogen NO2 as NOx 2 Annual Average* 24 hours** Annual Average* 3 80g/m3 120g/m3 80g/m3 Method of Measurement

Residential, Sensitive areas Rural & Other Area 4 5 6 3 3 60g/m 15 g/m 1. Improved W est and Gaeke method 80g/m3 60g/m3 30 g/m3 15 g/m3 2. Ultraviolet fluorescence 1. Jacob & Hochheiser modified (Na-Arsenite) Method 2. Gas Phase Chemiluminescence

24 hours** Suspended Annual Particulate Average* Matter (SPM) 2 4 h o u rs * *

120g/m3 360g/m3

80g/m3 140g/m3

30 g/m3 70 g/m3

3 5 0 0 g / m

3 2 0 0 g / m

3 100 g/ m

( A v e r a g e flo w r a t e n o t le s s t h a n 1 .1 c u m / m in .)

Contd...

NOISE STANDARDS FOR OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE *

Total Tim e of Ex posure per Day in Hours (Continuous Short-term Ex posure) 8 6 4 3 2 3/ 2 1 N ever

Sound P ressure Level in dB(A) 90 92 95 97 100 102 105 107 110 115 >115

Occupational Noise Exposure Standard, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Publication No. 1910.95.

AMBIENT NOISE STANDARDS (DATED 14.02.2000)

Area Category Code of Area

Lim its in dB(A) 75 65 55 50

** DayTim e # N ight Tim e 70 55 45 40

A B C D

I ndustrial Area Com m ercial Area R esidential Area Silence Zone

Day Time: Night Time:

** 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM # 10.00 PM to 6.00 AM

@ Silence zone is defined as area up to 100 meters around such premises as hospitals, educational institutions and courts. The silence zones are to be declared by the competent authority; Use of vehicular horns, loudspeakers and bursting of crackers shall be banned in these zones.

Environmental Concerns in TPP

Chlorine Storage Halon

AAQ

Flue Gas

Boiler
Turbine

Control Room S T A C K
AAQ

APH
Cond

ESP
Boiler Blow down

Cooling Tower

ASPH

Blow Down Water Intake

AAQ

Main Plant Drain

ASH POND

Colony & Drainage