No.J-11015/108/2006-IA.II(M)
Government of
Ministry of Environment
& Forests
Paryavaran Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
Dated:
To
Shri Chanakya Choudhary,
Chief Resident Executive,
M/s Tata
Steel Ltd.,
(M/s Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd.),
10th Floor, 124
New
Delhi-110001.
Sub: West Bokaro Opencast Coal Mine Project (4.7MTPA to 7 MTPA) of
M/s Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. (M/s Tata Steel Ltd.), located in village Bharagutu, Tehsil Ghatotand, District Hazaribagh, Jharkand -
environmental clearance ? reg.
Sir,
This has reference to your letter No.
TSLDEL/369/2006 dated 20.04.2006 along with your application and subsequent letters
dated 12.06.006, 06.10.2006, 18.01.2007 and 12.04.2007 on the above-mentioned
subject. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has considered your
application. It has been noted that the
project is for expansion of the existing West Bokaro Opencast Coal Mine Project in terms of production capacity from
4.7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 7 MTPA of coal .
The total lease area is 1740 ha of
which 31 ha is agricultural land, 910 ha is forestland, 603 ha is wasteland, 42 ha is surface water bodies, and
114 ha is green belt. Forestry clearance has been applied for. There are no
National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves found in the 10 km
buffer zone. However, the study area contains a number of medicinal plant
species and a few endangered fauna River Bokaro flows
through the mine lease and at a distance of 0.5 m from the cola washery and workshop. In addition, the Chota
Nadi (south) and the Chuta Nala (200m north) flow adjacent to the lease boundary. The RL
of riverbed varies from 329-339 m and that o the mine ranges from 340-364m and
the HFL of the river is 336 m. The project involves modification of the natural
drainage by construction of embankment, which is 3m higher than the HFL of the
river flowing adjacent and along the quarry area and an in-pit drainage system for
protection against flood/mine inundation. Of the total lease area, area for
excavation is 987 ha, 158 ha is for OB dumps, 119 ha is for infrastructure, 33
ha is for roads, 114 ha is for green belt, 21 ha is for tailings pond, 41 ha is
for CHP, 225 ha is for township, and 42 is others. Mining will be opencast by
mechanised method. The rated capacity of
the mine is 7 MTPA of coal production. The capacity of the existing two washeries (II and III) is being augmented from 4.7 MTPA (II
of 2.66 MTPA capacity and III of 2.1 MTPA capacity) to 5.5 MTPA and eventually
to 7 MTPA (2.5 MTPA + 4.5 MTPA). In addition to existing crusher at the
pithead, an additional CHP is proposed. Mineral transportation of 6000 TPD of coal is by road to pithead
for crushing and from there to washery for mineral
beneficiation and from thereto the railway siding through aerial ropeway and
the remaining 17,000 TPD is by closed conveyors to the 2nd washery covering a distance of 4km and from thereto by
aerial ropeway to loading site for transport by railways. The capacity of the
ropeway and the wagon loading sites are being augmented to handle the expansion
in capacity and the consequent increase in mineral transportation and loading. Ultimate
working depth of the mine is 250m below ground level (bgl).
Present working depth is 100m bgl. Water table is in
the range of 1.60- 2.32 m bgl in the core zone and 1.60-
7.80 m bgl in the buffer zone. Mining has intersected
water table. Approval from the Central Ground Water Authority has been obtained
on 01.12.2005. Average water requirement is 13075 m3/d, which will
be met from river Bokaro (8762 m3/d) and from mine
pit water (4313 m3/d). Of this, 7718 m3/d is for coal beneficiation,
of which 2724 m3/d will be fresh water. There will be no discharge of
wastewater from the coal washery and from the CHP as
they are designed as zero-discharge units.
An estimated 564.7 Mm3 of OB will be generated in the balance life of
mine which will be completely backfilled and reclaimed with plantation leaving
a void of 20 ha which is to be converted into a water body. No additional
2. The Ministry of Environment & Forests hereby accords
environmental clearance for the above-mentioned West Bokaro Opencast Coal Mine Project of
M/s Tata Iron
& Steel Ltd. (M/s Tata Steel Ltd.) for expansion
in production of coal to 7 MTPA annual rated capacity in a total lease area of
1740 ha under Section 12 of the Environmental
Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and subsequent amendments thereto and
under Para 2.1.1 of MOEF Circular dated 13.10.2006 subject to the compliance of
the terms and conditions mentioned below:
A. Specific Conditions
(i) No mining operations shall be undertaken in the forestland until
clearance has been obtained under the provisions of FC Act, 1980.
(ii) The embankment along the River Bokaro shall be designed taking into account the highest
flood level, based on past data, along the quarry area at the mine boundary
along the River Bokaro so as to guard against mine
inundation. The slope of the embankment shall at least 2:1
towards the ML and shall be stabilised by plantation. The height of the
embankment shall be at least 5 m higher than the HFL.
(iii) Topsoil should be stacked properly with
proper slope at earmarked site(s) and should not be kept active and shall be
used for reclamation and development of green belt.
(iv) No new external
(v) Catch drains and siltation
ponds of appropriate size should be constructed to arrest silt and sediment
flows from soil,
(vi) Dimension of the retaining wall at
the toe of the dumps and
(viii) Crushers at the CHP should be
operated with high efficiency bag filters, water sprinkling system should be
provided to check fugitive emissions from crushing operations, conveyor system,
haulage roads, transfer points, etc.
(ix) Drills should be
wet operated.
(x) Controlled blasting should be practiced only
during daytime with use of delay detonators. The mitigative
measures for control of ground vibrations and to arrest the fly rocks and
boulders should be implemented.
(xi) Area brought under afforestation
shall not be less than 1260 ha which includes reclaimed external
(xii)
A Progressive Closure Plan shall be implemented by
reclamation of quarry area of 974 ha which shall be backfilled and afforested
by planting native plant species in consultation with the local DFO/Agriculture
Department. The density of the trees should be around 2500 plants per ha. The
balance 20 ha of decolaed area being converted into a
water reservoir shall gently sloped along the upper
benches and stabilised and reclaimed with plantation.
(xiii) A Conservation Plan for endangered species found
in and around the project area shall be formulated and for the medicinal plants
(in-situ and ex-situ) shall be prepared and implemented in consultation with
the
(xiii)
No groundwater shall be used for the mining/project
activities. Additional water required, if any, shall be met by recycling/reuse of the water from the
existing activities and from rainwater
harvesting measures.
(xv) Regular monitoring of groundwater level and
quality should be carried out by establishing a network of exiting wells and
construction of new peizometers. The monitoring for
quantity should be done four times a year in pre-monsoon (May), monsoon
(August), post-monsoon (November) and winter (January) seasons and for quality
in May. Data thus collected should be submitted to the Ministry of Environment
& Forests and to the Central Pollution Control Board quarterly within one
month of monitoring.
(xvi)
The Company shall put up artificial groundwater
recharge measures for augmentation of groundwater resource. The project
authorities should meet water requirement of nearby village(s) in case the
village wells go dry due to dewatering of mine.
(xvii) ETP should also
be provided for workshop, coal washery and CHP. There
shall be Zero discharge of wastewater from CHP and the coal washeries. Effluents from the tailings pond shall be
treated to conform to prescribed standards in case of discharge into any water
course outside the lease.
(xviii) An STP shall be
provided for the township/colony to treat the domestic effluents to prescribed
standards and for their reuse in project activities.
(xix)
R&R shall be based on norms laid down by the
State Government and shall not be inferior than that in the National R&R
Policy and shall be completed within a specified time-frame.
(xxvi) 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 Final Mine Closure Plan along with details
of Corpus Fund should be submitted to the Ministry of Environment & Forests
for approval 5 years in advance of final mine closure for approval.
(xx)
Consent to Operate shall be obtained before expanding
mining operations.
B. General
Conditions
(i)
No change in mining technology and scope of working
should 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 should be made.
(iii)
Four ambient air quality monitoring stations should
be established in the core zone as well as in the buffer zone for SPM, RPM, SO2
and NOx monitoring.
Location of the stations should be decided based on the meteorological
data, topographical features and environmentally and ecologically sensitive
targets in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board.
(iv)
Fugitive dust emissions (SPM and RPM) from all the
sources should be controlled regularly monitored and data recorded properly.
Water spraying arrangement on haul roads, wagon loading, dump
trucks (loading and unloading) points should be provided and properly
maintained.
(v)
Data on ambient air quality (SPM, RPM, SO2 and NOx) should be regularly submitted to the Ministry
including its Regional Office at Bhubaneshwar and to
the State Pollution Control Board and to the Central Pollution Control Board
once in six months.
(vi)
Adequate measures should 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
should be provided with ear plugs/muffs.
(vii)
Industrial wastewater (workshop and wastewater from
the mine) should be properly collected, treated so as to conform to the
standards prescribed under GSR 422 (E) dated
(viii)
Vehicular emissions should be kept under control
and regularly monitored. Vehicles used for transporting the mineral should be
covered with tarpaulins and optimally loaded.
(ix)
Environmental laboratory should 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 should wear
protective respiratory devices and they should also be provided with adequate
training and information on safety and health aspects.
Occupational health surveillance
programme of the workers should be undertaken periodically to observe any
contractions due to exposure to dust and to take corrective measures, if
needed.
(xi)
A separate environmental management cell with
suitable qualified personnel should be set up under the control of a Senior
Executive, who will report directly to the Head of the company.
(xii)
The funds earmarked for environmental protection
measures should e kept in separate account and should not be diverted for other
purpose. Year-wise expenditure should be reported to this Ministry and its
Regional Office at Bhubaneshwar.
(xiii)
The Regional Office of this Ministry located at Bhubaneshwar shall monitor compliance of the stipulated
conditions. The Project authorities shall extend full cooperation to the
office(s) of the Regional Office by furnishing the requisite data/
information/monitoring reports.
(xiv)
A copy of the will be marked to concerned Panchayat/ local NGO, if any, from whom any suggestion/representation
has been received while processing the proposal.
(xv)
State Pollution Control Board should display a copy
of the clearance letter at the Regional Office, District Industry Centre and
Collector?s Office/Tehsildar?s Office for 30 days.
(xvi)
The Project authorities should 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.
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.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director
Copy to:
1. Secretary,
Ministry of Coal, Shastri Bhawan,
2. Secretary,
Department of Environment & Forests, Government of Jharkand,
Secretariat,
3. Chief
Conservator of Forests, Regional office (EZ), Ministry of Environment &
Forests, A/3 Chandrashekarpur, Bhubaneshwar
? 751023.
4. Chairman,
5. Chairman,
Central Pollution Control Board, CBD-cum-Office Complex,
6. Member-Secretary,
Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Water Resources, Curzon Road Barracks, A-2, W-3 Kasturba
Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
7. District
Collector, Hazaribagh, Government of Jharkand.
8. Monitoring File 9. Guard
File 10. Record File
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director
No.J-11015/108/2006-IA.II(M)
Government of
Ministry of Environment &
Forests
Paryavaran Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
Dated:
To
Chief Resident Executive,
M/s Tata
Steel Ltd.,
(M/s Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd.),
10th Floor, 124
New Delhi-110001.
CORRIGENDUM
Sub: West Bokaro Opencast Coal Mine Project (4.7MTPA to 7 MTPA) of
M/s Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. (M/s Tata Steel Ltd.), located in village Bharagutu,
Tehsil Ghatotand, District Hazaribagh, Jharkand -
environmental clearance ? reg.
Sir,
Attention
is invited to this Ministry?s environmental clearance letter No.
No.J-11015/108/2006-IA.II(M) dated 17.05.2007 on the
above subject and the following corrections inserted in the EC letter Specific
condition No. (xi):
(i) The words ?
(ii) The
words ?green belt (502.5 ha)? shall be replaced by ?green belt (201 ha)?.
All other conditions remain the
same.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director
Copy to:
9.
Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Shastri
Bhawan,
10.
Secretary, Department of Environment & Forests, Government
of Jharkand, Secretariat,
11.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Regional office (EZ), Ministry
of Environment & Forests, A/3 Chandrashekarpur, Bhubaneshwar ? 751023.
12.
Chairman,
13.
Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, CBD-cum-Office
Complex,
14.
Member-Secretary, Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry
of Water Resources, Curzon Road Barracks, A-2, W-3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
15.
District Collector, Hazaribagh,
Government of Jharkand.
16.
Monitoring File 9. Guard File 10. Record File.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director