Veerappa Moily, the Union environment minister eases environmental clearance norms and exempts select industries & mining projects from either providing environmental impact assessment reports or holding public hearings when they are approved by the state government.

This memorandum dated 20 Dec 2013 issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests clarifies that there is no ban on agriculture and plantations activities along the Western Ghats. Read the text.

Letter to M/s Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. from Ministry of Environment & Forests regarding environmental clearance of Cluster XV (4 UG mines with a normative production of 0.325 MTPA with a peak prod. of 0.423 MTPA in a combined ML area of 1696.55 ha) of M/s Bharat Coking Coal Ltd located in Jharia coalfields, Dist.

Letter to M/s Gujarat State Electricity Corpn. Ltd. from Ministry of Environment & Forests regarding environmental clearance of Expansion by addition of 1x800 MW (Extension Unit-8) Super-Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Plant at Wanakbori, in Thasara Taluk, in Distt. Kheda, in Gujarat dated December 2, 2013

Directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 on Western Ghats to preserve its environmental integrity.

Draft Notification declaring the area around Thol Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat as Eco-Sensitive Zone.

This MoEF notification issued on 24 October 2013, has asked Goa government see that a proper and rigorous mining closure plan is implemented "in quickest possible time" in the eco sensitive zones around the Nethravali Wildlife Sanctuary and Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary. Read full text.

As a follow up to "in principle" acceptance of the High Level Working Group (HLWG) report by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), relevant steps would be initiated to operationalise recommendations of the HLWG. Read text of the MoEF memorandum.

Letter to M/s. Udangudi Power Corporation Ltd. from Ministry of Environment & Forests regarding environmental clearance of 2x800 MW Udangadi Super Critical Imported Coal Based TPP at village Udangudi, in Thiruchendur Taluk, in Thoothukudi district, in Tamil Nadu dated October 14, 2013.

Read text of the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2013 released by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on 14 Oct 2013.