![[LOGO]](./34 Hindalco Industries Ltd_files/image001.gif)
Ministry of Environment &
Forests
Paryavaran
Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
No. J-11015/58/2009-IA.II (M)
Dated: 8th
November 2011
To,
General
Manager (Mines)
Talabira-I
Coal mine Project,
M/s HINDALCO Industries Ltd.,
Hirakud Complex, Qr. no.A-6/1
P.O. Sankarma Hirakud- 76801,
Sambalpur,
ORISSA
Sub: Expansion of Talabira-I Opencast Coalmine Project (1.5 MTPA to
3.0 MTPA in an ML area of 170.30 ha) of M/s HINDALCO Industries Ltd., located
in village Khinda, Tehsil Rengali, District Sambalpur, Orissa - Environmental
Clearance –reg.
Sir,
This has reference to letter No.
Talabira/EC-01/2009 dated 27.02.2009, 06.04.2009 along application for
environmental clearance and subsequent letters dated 02.06.2009, 30.06.2009
09.07.2009 and this Ministry’s grant of TOR dated 30.04.2009 and dated
11.01.2010 and your application for EC vide letter dated 27.01.2010 and letters
dated 02.04.2010, 18.02.2011 and 04.06.2011 on the above-mentioned subject. The
Ministry of Environment & Forests has considered the application. The proposal
is for expansion in production of the existing Talabira-I Opencast Coalmine Project from 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 3.0 MTPA within the existing total lease
area of 170.30 ha. The project has obtained EC for a production of 0.4 MTPA
on 14.01.2009 and for expansion
thereafter to 1.5 MTPA on 05.03.2001.
The project would involve no additional land area and the increase in
production would be by faster extraction of coal from the existing coal seams
and by mining a lower seam, which has been identified through exploration of
the block.
Of the total ML area of 170.30ha, 49.62 ha is forestland, 80.84 ha is
agricultural land, 20.57 ha is waste land, 10.30 ha is grazing land, 4.22 is
surface water body land and 4.76 ha is built-up area. The buffer zone has eight
Reserve Forests, which are habited by other wildlife species. Forestry
clearance has been obtained on 16.05.2002 for diversion of 45.46 ha of
forestland. The proposed Sambalpur
elephant corridor is at a distance of 3 km from Talabira-I coal mine. Elephants
visit the project and study area. A Wildlife Conservation Plan which
includes a Plan for development of 150 ha of grasslands for the elephants
visiting the area has been prepared by
the proponent for Rs 257 lakhs and has been approved by the PCCF, Govt. of Orissa
dated 27.01.2009.
Of the total mining lease area, 89.445 ha is area for excavation, 6.00
ha is for topsoil dump, 30.0 ha is for ext. OB dumps, 3.50 ha is for coal
stock, 3.0 ha is for infrastructure, 5.0 ha is for roads, and 25.0 ha is for
green belt ,4.16 ha is for safety zone and 4.20 ha is for embankment. Mining
will be opencast by mechanised method and involve use of surface miners. No
blasting is involved. Grade of coal
is ‘F-G’. Ultimate working depth of the mine is 90m below ground
level (bgl). The southern
boundary of the ML is adjoining Hirakud Reservoir and RL of the quarry is lower
than that of the Reservoir. An embankment has been constructed on the southern
part of coal bearing zone of mine along the ML and Hirakud reservoir. The
embankment is of 1.92 Km length and 1.5m high and 10m wide at the top and 3m
above the HFL of Hirakud reservoir. The embankment has been stabilised with
side sloping on either side and stone pitched. The mine is located at a
distance of 2.1 km away from River Bhedan and 7.5 km away from Ib River. Water
table is in the range of 1-10.5m bgl during pre-monsoon and 0.1-10m bgl during post
monsoon season in the core area. Peak
water requirement is 422m3/d of which 103m3/d is for
domestic use and sourced from ground water and the balance 319m3/d
is from mine water for mining operations. The balance mine water is discharged
from the mine premises during peak monsoon into the Hirakud Reservoir. Mineral
transportation to the linked plant is presently partially by road involving 40-T
trucks and partially by rail from a Railway siding located at a distance of 6km
from the mine and it is proposed to transport the coal by conveyors to the
Railway siding and transport by rail to the linked unit. Of the OB to be
generated during the balance 8 years of life of he project, 13.6Mm3 of OB would
be generated during 2010-2014 would be stored in the external Ob dump and about
12.065 Mm3 of OB to be generated during 2015-2018 would be
backfilled and no void would be left as a water body. A total of 29.46 Mm3
of OB has been stored in three external
2. The
Ministry of Environment & Forests hereby accords environmental clearance
for the above-mentioned Talabira-I Opencast Coalmine Expansion Project
(from 1.5 MTPA to 3.0 MTPA) within the existing ML area of 170.30 ha of
M/s HINDALCO Industries Ltd., under Section 7 (ii) of the Environmental
Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and subsequent amendments thereto and
Circulars thereunder subject to the compliance of the terms and conditions
mentioned below:
A. Specific Conditions
(i)
Production of coal shall not
exceed 3 MTPA. The project proponent shall obtain prior EC for expansion in
production beyond 3 MTPA.
(ii) No coal washery shall
be established without prior EC from this MOEF.
(iii) No flyash shall be
dumped into the decolaed voids without prior approval of the MOEF.
(iv) The embankment shall be
stabilised with stone pitching on the reservoir side and compacted and
plantation using a mix of native species shall be developed. Additional safety
and protection measures including continued operation of high capacity pumps
shall be in operation to prevent mine inundation. Prior approval of Disaster
Management Plan shall be obtained.
(v) Top soil, if
generated, should be properly stacked with proper slope at earmarked dump
site(S) with adequate measures and shall be used for reclamation and
development of green belt and for reclamation of backfilled quarry should be
used for reclamation and rehabilitation of mined out areas within a year of
generation.
(vi) The entire
(vii) Catch drains and
siltation ponds of appropriate size shall be constructed to arrest silt and
sediment flows from soil,
(viii) Dimension of the retaining wall at the toe of
the dumps and
(ix) Mist type water
sprinkling system shall be provided to check fugitive emissions from conveyor
system, haulage roads, transfer points, etc. Water sprinkling (fixed and mist
type, mobile) shall be regularly carried out along the main haul roads.
(x) No blasting shall be carried out.
(xi) A feasibility plan for
transportation of coal to the railway siding by closed overhead conveyors shall
be prepared and furnished to the MOEF within 6 months.
(xii) Area brought under
afforestation shall not be less than 137.905 ha which includes reclaimed
external OB dump area (45ha), backfilled area (60 ha), along ML boundary, green
belt (28.905ha) and topsoil dump area (6.0 ha) by using a
mix of species found in the natural forests in the buffer zone in consultation with the local DFO/Agriculture Department. The density
of the trees shall be around 2500 plants per ha.
(xiii) A Progressive Mine Closure Plan shall be implemented and OB
generated during the balance life f of the mine shall be concurrently backfilled
and the area reclaimed with a mix of native species and at the end of mine life
the balance area 24.4 ha of decoaled void shall also be reclaimed with OB and the
entire worked out area shall be backfilled upto ground level. There shall be no
water body created at the post-mining stage.
(xiv) A Conservation Plan comprising for in-situ and ex-situ
conservation of Schedule-I and II fauna found within the core and buffer zone
shall be implemented in consultation with the State Government for the balance
life of the Project and include a Plan for habitat restoration at the post
mining stage and which also includes a Plan for development of 150 ha of
grasslands for the elephants visiting the area. The activities there under
along with status of implementation (including expenditure) shall be regularly
reported as part of the Compliance Report furnished to MOEF RO, Bhubaneshwar
and also uploaded on the company website.
(xv) Regular monitoring of groundwater level and quality shall be
carried out by establishing a network of existing wells and construction of new
peizometers. The monitoring for quantity shall be done four times a year in
pre-monsoon (May), monsoon (August), post-monsoon (November) and winter
(January) seasons and for quality in May. Monitoring of heavy metals including
mercury shall be carried out and data furnished as part of the compliance
report. Data thus collected shall be submitted to the Ministry of Environment
& Forests and to the Central Pollution Control Board quarterly and also
regularly uploaded on the company website.
(xvi) The extent of use of water in the mining operations shall be
reduced by recycling and reuse. The Company shall put up artificial groundwater
recharge measures for augmentation of groundwater resource if the water table
shows a declining trend. The project authorities shall meet water requirement
of nearby village(s) in case the village wells go dry due to dewatering of
mine. Mine water to be discharged into the Hirakud Reservoir shall be treated
to prescribed standards before discharge.
(xvii) Besides carrying out regular periodic health check up of their
workers, 10% of the workers identified from workforce engaged in active mining
operations shall be subjected to health check up for occupational diseases and
hearing impairment, if any, through an local/regional health institution and
the results reported to this Ministry and to DGMS.
(xviii) For monitoring land use
pattern and for post mining land use, a time series of landuse maps, based on
satellite imagery (on a scale of 1: 5000) of the core zone and buffer zone, from
the start of the project until end of mine life shall be prepared once in 3
years (for any one particular season which is consistent in the time series),
and the report submitted to MOEF and its Regional office at Bhubaneshwar.
(xix) A detailed Final Mine
Closure Plan along with details of Corpus Fund submitted to the Ministry of
Environment & Forests which shall be implemented from 2017-18. The time
period for reclamation shall be completed within a year of completion of
project. The Plan for Habitat Restoration Plan for a minimum period of five
years (under the MMDR Act) shall be undertaken after completion of reclamation
in consultation with and a Joint Inspection carried with the State Forest
Department.
(xx) CSR
would be implemented in 8 villages - Talabira, Nua Khinda, Purana Khinda,
Lapanga, Budhiapali, Matul Camp, and Beheramunda and Mundapara. Budgetary
provisions at @Rs 10 per tonne of coal should be made for CSR activities. The socio-economic development of the villages shall be monitored over
the life of the project using UNDP Human Development Indices and reported as
part of the Report submitted to MOEF RO, Bhubaneshwar.
B. General Conditions
(i)
No change in mining
technology and scope of working shall be made without prior approval of the
Ministry of Environment and Forests.
(ii)
No change in the calendar plan
including excavation, quantum of mineral coal and waste shall be made.
(iii)
Four ambient air quality
monitoring stations shall be established in the core zone as well as in the
buffer zone for monitoring PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NOx and heavy metals such as
Hg, Pb, Cr , As, etc. Location of the
stations shall be decided based on the meteorological data, topographical
features and environmentally and ecologically sensitive targets in consultation
with the State Pollution Control Board.
(iv)
Data on ambient air quality
(PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NOx and heavy metals such as Hg, Pb,
Cr, As, etc) shall be regularly submitted to the Ministry including its
Regional Office at
(v)
Fugitive dust emissions quality
(PM10, PM2.5, and heavy metals such as Hg, Pb, Cr, As, etc) from all the
sources shall be controlled regularly monitored and data recorded properly.
Water spraying arrangement on haul roads, wagon loading, and dump trucks
(loading and unloading) points shall be provided and properly maintained.
(vi)
Adequate measures shall be
taken for control of noise levels below 85 dBA in the work environment. Workers
engaged in blasting and drilling operations, operation of HEMM, etc shall be
provided with ear plugs/muffs.
(vii)
Industrial wastewater (workshop
and wastewater from the mine) shall be properly collected, treated so as to
conform to the standards prescribed under GSR 422 (E) dated 19th May
1993 and 31st December 1993 or as amended from time to time before
discharge. Oil and grease trap shall be installed before discharge of workshop
effluents.
(viii) Vehicular
emissions shall be kept under control and regularly monitored.
(ix) Environmental
laboratory shall be established with adequate number and type of pollution
monitoring and analysis equipment in consultation with the State Pollution
Control Board.
(x)
Personnel working in dusty areas shall wear protective respiratory
devices and they shall also be provided with adequate training and information
on safety and health aspects. Occupational health surveillance programme of the
workers shall be undertaken periodically
to observe any contractions due to exposure to dust and to take corrective measures,
if needed. A separate environmental management cell with suitable qualified
personnel shall be set up under the control of a Senior Executive, who will
report directly to the Head of the company.
(xi) The funds earmarked for environmental
protection measures shall be kept in separate account and shall not be diverted
for other purpose. Year-wise expenditure shall be reported to this Ministry and
its Regional Office at
(xii) A copy of the environmental clearance letter
shall be marked to concerned Panchayat/ local NGO, if any, from whom any
suggestion/representation has been received while processing the proposal.
(xiii) State
Pollution Control Board shall display a copy of the clearance letter at the
Regional Office, District Industry Centre and Collectors Office/Tehsil Office
for 30 days.
(xiv)
The Project authorities shall advertise at least in two local newspapers
widely circulated around the project, one of which shall be in the vernacular
language of the locality concerned within seven days of the clearance letter
informing that the project has been accorded environmental clearance and a copy
of the clearance letter is available with the State Pollution control Board and
may also be seen at the website of the ministry of Environment & Forests at
http://envfor.nic.in. The compliance status
including data on monitoring of environmental quality (air, water and noise)
shall also be uploaded by the project authorities in their website and also at
their main gate of the Project premises and office so as to bring the same in
the public domain.
3. The Ministry or any other
competent authority may stipulate any further condition for environmental
protection.
4. Failure to comply with
any of the conditions mentioned above may result in withdrawal of this
clearance and attract the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
5. The above conditions
will be enforced inter-alia, under
the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974,
the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 and the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 along with
their amendments and Rules. The proponent shall ensure to undertake and provide
for the costs incurred for taking up remedial measures in case of soil
contamination, contamination of groundwater and surface water, and occupational
and other diseases due to the mining operations.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director
Copy to:
1.
Secretary, Ministry of Coal,
2.
Secretary, Department of
Environment & Forests, Government of Orissa, Secretariat,
3.
PCCF (WL), Govt. of Orissa in
regard to implementation of WL Conservation Plan for which PP had paid Rs 257
lakhs which includes a Plan for development of 150 ha of grasslands for the
elephants visiting the area.
4.
Chief Conservator of Forests,
Regional office (EZ), Ministry of Environment & Forests, A-Chandrashekarpur,
5. Chairman,
6. Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board,
CBD-cum-Office Complex, East Arjun
Nagar,
7. Member-Secretary,
Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Water Resources, Curzon Road
Barracks, A-2, W-3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
8. District Collector, Sambalpur, Government of Orissa.
9. Monitoring File 10. Guard File 11. Record
File.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director