“Environmental impact assessment tends to ignore wider impact on biodiversity”

In a move that will bring cheer to wildlife lovers but could dismay industry lobbyists already complaining about the difficulty in obtaining green clearances, the government plans to add biodiversity conservation as a new criterion to grant environmental and forest clearances. “There is no biodiversity clearance till now,” admitted Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, speaking ahead of the United Nations summit on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which begins in Hyderabad next week.

The Supreme Court told the Centre today that it will not hesitate to stop Kudankulam nuclear power plant if mandatory safety measures are not being been taken care of.

New Delhi A petition was filed on Wednesday in the Supreme Court to restrain the resumption of iron and manganese ore mining in Goa amid a judicial commission estimating a loss of R35,000 crore to the exchequer due to illegal mining in the state since 2000.

It also sought to restrain trade and transportation of ore already mined and existing in the leasehold area, in transit or stored or stocked on the jetties in the state. A PIL petition filed by an NGO, Goa Foundation, also sought setting up of a special probe agency to investigate the alleged loss to the state revenue, the illegalities committed in mining activities and the connivance of public servants in abetting the same.

The expansion project to fire up BPCL’s Kochi refinery capacity to 15.5 million tonnes a year

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd’s integrated refinery expansion project in Kochi is expected to get environmental clearance anytime now with Tuesday’s meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee (Industry) for Environmental Impact Assessment in New Delhi ending on a positive note. Union Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas told The Hindu on the telephone that the expert committee, which considered the project, was positive on its assessment though a formal announcement had not been made on the project getting the green signal.

PANJIM: With few days left for the new mining season to commence, Goa government, which had earlier assured to allow mining firms to resume operations by November, has now expressed helplessness as Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has kept Environment Clearances in abeyance.

Talking to reporters, Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya said that State government cannot predict as to when the new mining season would start in Goa, as the Union ministry has continued suspension of the Environment Clearances (ECs) of all mines.

PANJIM: In yet another major blow to mining firms hoping to start the mining season by November end, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has decided not to renew Air and Water consent of 107 mining leases, at least temporarily.

GSPCB at its 104th meeting, held on Tuesday, has made permissions under Forest Conservation Act (FCA) and Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) mandatory for those mines, operational in the forest areas, including wildlife sanctuaries. Hence, it is now amply clear that mining operations would be delayed further, though industry was expecting to start it by November, after State government suspended mining operations.

Public sector enterprise escapes public glare in coal scandal ----------