No.J-11015/106/2009-IA.II(M)
Government
of India
Ministry
of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran
Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
New
Delhi -110510.
Dated:
15th July 2009
To
Head
of Department Env./CE(Civil),
M/s Western Coalfields Ltd.,
Coal
Estate, Civil Lines,
NAGPUR
? 440001.
Sub: Gondegaon Extension Opencast
Coal Mine Expansion Project (1.50 MTPA to 2.50 MTPA) of M/s Western Coalfields
Ltd. (WCL), located in village Gondegaon, Tehsil Parseoni, District Nagpur,
Maharashtra- environmental clearance ? reg.
Sir,
This has reference to letter No. 43011/24/2009-CPAM dated 15.04.2009 of
Ministry of Coal forwarding your application for environmental clearance under
Section 7 (ii) of the EIA Notification 2006 and letter dated 12.06.2009 on the
above-mentioned subject. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has
considered the application. It has been
noted that the application is for environmental
clearance u/s 7 (ii) of the EIA Notification 2006 for expansion in production in the existing Gondegaon Extension
Opencast Coalmine Expansion Project from 1.50 MTPA to 2.50 MTPA over the
existing Ml area of 917 ha. Environmental
clearance was obtained for Gondegaon Extension OCP for 1.50 MTPA rated capacity
on 17.10.2006. The entire ML area consists of agricultural land. No forestland
is involved. Of the total lease area, area for excavation is 277.13 ha, 299.93
ha is for OB dumps, 68 ha is for infrastructure and roads, 1.3.05 ha is for
embankment, 108.89 ha is area or blasting, and 150 ha is for plantation cover.
There are no National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves found in
the 15 km buffer zone. The expansion project does not involve change in lease
area, mining technology, in the generation of total OB and dump area, or
modalities of technical and biological reclamation of dumps. The expansion
project also does not involve additional manpower, or equipment or water
requirement for expansion in production. River Kanchan flows alongside the mine
at a distance of 100m. An embankment has been already constructed in the
existing project. The project does not involve modification of the natural
drainage. An embankment has been already constructed over 13.5 ha and no
additional modification of natural drainage is proposed in the expansion
project. The rated capacity of the mine
is 2.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of coal production. Mining is
opencast by mechanised method involving shovel-dumper. Mineral transportation
of coal is by road. Ultimate working depth of the mine is 176m below ground
level (bgl). Water table is in the range of near surfcae-18 m bgl during
pre-monsoon and 2-20 m bgl during post monsoon. Peak water requirement is 1450
m3/d, which is met from mine pit water. No fresh source of water is proposed
for use in the project operations. Peak mine water discharge is 13,929 m3/. The
total OB generation over the balance life of mine is estimated as 183.85.15 Mm3
of which 94.21 Mm3 (47.31 %) would be backfilled and the balance 89.64 Mm3 of
OB would be dumped in the 2 external OB dumps of 45m and 60m height, which
would cease from 15th year of the expansion project and only
concurrent backfilling would continue till end of mine life. OB from the
neighbouring Inder OCP is also proposed to be dumped in the voids of this mine.
A water body of 190.33 ha is to be created from the void left at the post
mining stage. Public Hearing was held on 26.04.2005 for 1.5 MTPA capacity
project. R&R for village Gondegaon involves 650 PAFs. Balance life of the
mine at 2.50 MTPA rated capacity is 19 years. The project has been approved by
M/s WCL on 19.02.2009. The capital cost of the project is Rs. 2753.71 lakhs.
2. The Ministry of Environment &
forests hereby accords environmental clearance for the above-mentioned Gondegaon Opencast Coal Mine Project of
M/s WCL for expansion in production of
coal from 1.5 MTPA to 2.5 MTPA rated capacity in a lease area of 917 ha under
Section 7 (ii) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and
subsequent amendments thereto subject to the compliance of the terms and
conditions mentioned below:
A. Specific
Conditions
(i) The embankment
constructed along the river boundary shall be of suitable dimensions and
stabilised with plantation so as to withstand the peak water flow and prevent
mine inundation.
(ii) The
mining operations shall not extend beyond 652 ha of the lease area until the
R&R for village Gondegaon has been completed and compensation paid to land
oustees as per norms not less than that laid out under the National R&R
Policy,
(ii) OB shall be stacked
at two earmarked external OB dumpsite(s) only. The ultimate slope of the dump
shall not exceed 28o. Monitoring and management of existing
reclaimed dumpsites shall continue until the vegetation becomes
self-sustaining. Compliance status shall be submitted to the Ministry of Environment
& Forests and its Regional office located at Bhopal on yearly basis.
(iii) Catch drains and
siltation ponds of appropriate size shall be constructed to arrest silt and
sediment flows from soil, OB and mineral dumps. The water so collected shall be
utilised for watering the mine area, roads, green belt development, etc. The
drains shall be regularly desilted and maintained properly.
Garland drains (size, gradient and length) and sump capacity shall be
designed keeping 50% safety margin over and above the peak sudden rainfall and
maximum discharge in the area adjoining the mine site. Sump capacity shall also
provide adequate retention period to allow proper settling of silt material.
(iv) Dimension
of the retaining wall at the toe of the dumps and OB benches within the mine to
check run-off and siltation shall be based on the rainfall data.
(v) Crushers at the CHP of adequate
capcity for the expansion project shall be operated with high efficiency bag
filters, water sprinkling system shall be provided to check fugitive emissions
from crushing operations, conveyor system, haulage roads, transfer points, etc.
(vi) Drills shall be wet
operated.
(vii) The project authorities shall undertake regular repairing and tarring of roads used for mineral transportation. A 3-tier green belt comprising of a mix of native specieis shall be dveleoped all along the major approach roads,
(viii) Controlled
blasting shall be practiced with use of delay detonators and only during
daytime. The mitigative measures for control of ground vibrations and to arrest
the fly rocks and boulders shall be implemented.
(ix) A
progressive afforestation plan shall be implemented covering an area of 567.78
ha, which includes reclaimed external OB dump (299.93), backfilled area (86.80
ha), along ML boundary, along roads and infrastructure (18 ha), embankment
(13.05 ha) and within vacant land (150 ha) and in township located outside the
lease by planting native species in consultation with the local DFO/Agriculture
Department. The density of the trees shall be around 2500 plants per ha.
Massive plantation shall be carried out in open spaces in and around the mine
and avenue plantation along the main approach roads to the mine.
(x) Of
the total quarry area of 277.13 ha, the backfilled quarry area of 86.80 ha
shall be reclaimed with plantation and a void of 190.33 ha which is proposed to
be converted into a water body shall be gently sloped and the upper benches
shall be terraced and stabilised with plantation/afforestation by planting
native plant species in consultation with the local DFO/Agriculture Department.
The density of the trees shall be around 2500 plants per ha.
(xii) No
groundwater shall be used for mining operations.
(xiii) Regular
monitoring of groundwater level and quality shall be carried out by
establishing a network of exiting 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. Data thus collected shall be submitted to the Ministry
of Environment & Forests and tot eh Central Pollution Control Board
quarterly within one month of monitoring.
(xiv) The
Company shall put up artificial groundwater recharge measures for augmentation
of groundwater resource in case monitoring indicates a decline in water table.
The project authorities shall meet water requirement of nearby village(s) in
case the village wells go dry due to dewatering of mine.
(xv) Sewage
treatment plant shall be installed in the existing colony. ETP shall also be
provided for workshop and CHP wastewater.
(xvi) 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 agency such as NIOH, Ahmedabad within a period of one year
and the results reported to this Ministry and to DGMS.
(xvii) 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 Bhopal.
(xviii) A
Final Mine Closure Plan along with details of Corpus Fund shall be submitted to
the Ministry of Environment & Forests within six months from date of
environmental clearance for approval.
(xix) The
project authorities shall in consultation with the panchayat of the local
villages identify socio-economic and welfare measures under CSR to be carried
out over the balance life of the mine.
(xx) R&R
of village Gondegaon involving 650 PAFs shall be implemented within an agreed
time-frame as per norms not less than that prescribed in the National R&R
Policy.
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 SPM, RSPM, SO2 and NOx. 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. Monitoring of heavy
metals such as Hg, As, Ni, Cd, Cr, in SPM and RSPM etc. shall be carried out at
least one in six months.
(iv)
Data on ambient
air quality (SPM, RSPM, SO2 and NOx and heavy metals such as Hg, As, Ni, Cr,
etc) shall be regularly submitted to the Ministry including its Regional Office
at Bhopal and to the State Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution
Control Board once in six months. Random
verification of samples through analysis from independent laboratories
recognised under the EP Rules, 1986 shall be furnished as part of the
compliance report.
(v)
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.
(vi)
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.
(vii)
Vehicular emissions shall be kept
under control and regularly monitored. Vehicles used for transportation of the
mineral shall be covered with tarpaulins and optimally loaded.
(viii)
Monitoring of environmental quality
parameters shall be carried out through establishment of adequate number and
type of pollution monitoring and analysis equipment in consultation with the
State Pollution Control Board and data got analysed through a laboratory
recognised under EP Rules, 1986.
(ix)
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.
(x)
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 e 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 Bhopal.
(xii)
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.
(xiii)
A copy of the environmental
clearance letter shall be marked to concerned Panchayat/ Zila Parishad/Municipal
Corporation or Urban Local Body/ local NGO, if any, from whom any
suggestion/representation has been received while processing the proposal. A
copy of the clearance letter shall also be displayed on the company?s website.
(xiv)
A copy of the clearance letter
shall be displayed on the website of the concerned State Pollution Control
Board. The EC letter shall also be displayed at the Regional Office, District
Industry Centre and Collector?s Office/Tehsildar?s Office for 30 days.
(xv)
The project proponent shall submit
six monthly reports on the status of compliance of the stipulated environmental
clearance conditions (both in hard copy and in e-mail) to the respective
Regional Office of the MOEF, the respective Zonal offices of CPCB and the SPCB.
The compliance status of the stipulated EC conditions shall also be uploaded by
the project authorities on their website and updated at least once every six
months so as to bring the same in the public domain. The monitoring data of
environmental quality parameters (air, water, noise and soil) shall also be
displayed at the entrance of the project premises and mines office and in
corporate office and on the company?s website.
(xvi)
The Regional Office of this
Ministry located at Bhopal 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.
(xvii)
The environmental statement for
each financial year ending 31st March in Form-V is mandated to be
submitted by the project proponent tot the concerned State Pollution Control
Board as prescribed under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, as amended
subsequently, shall also be uploaded on the company?s website along with the status of compliance of EC
conditions and shall be sent to the respective Regional Offices of the MOEF by
E-mail.
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, New
Delhi.
2.
Secretary, Department of
Environment, Government of Maharashtra, 15th Floor, New Admn. Bldg.,
Madam Cama Road, MUMBAI ? 400032..
3.
Chief Conservator of Forests,
Regional office (EZ), Ministry of Environment & Forests, E-2/240 Arear
Colony, Bhopal ? 462016.
4.
Chairman, Maharsashtra State
Pollution Control Board, Kalapataru Point, 3rd & 4th
Floors, Sion, Matunga Scheme Road No. 8, Opp. Cine Planet Cinema, Near Sion
Circle, Sion (E), Mumbai ? 400002.
5.
Chairman, Central Pollution Control
Board, CBD-cum-Office Complex, East Arjun Nagar, New Delhi -110032.
6.
Member-Secretary, Central Ground
Water Authority, Ministry of Water Resources, Curzon Road Barracks, A-2, W-3
Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
7.
Shri M.K. Shukla, CGM, Coal India
Limited, SCOPE Minar, Core-I, 4t Floor, Vikas Marg, Laxminagar, New Delhi.
8.
District Collector, Nagpur,
Government of Maharashtra.
9.
EI Division, Ministry of
Environment & Forests, New Delhi.
10. Monitoring File
10.
Guard File
11.
Record File.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director