Green panel rejects Tata Sponge's plea related to Odisha plant

A green panel EAC has rejected Tata Sponge Iron's plea to exempt it from public hearing for setting up of a 12.5 MW thermal power plant in Odisha, and suggested that the Union Environment Ministry may take a call on the issue based on the government policy.
Public hearings are mandated as part of the environmental clearance process for certain projects under the Environment (Protection) Act. They are the only formal means of consultation for both indigenous and non-indigenous project- affected communities.
"Regarding the request of project proponent (Tata Sponge Iron) for exemption of public hearing, the Committee recommended that the Ministry may take a decision on exemption of public hearing based on government policy," according to the minutes of the meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) held last month.

After detailed deliberations, the EAC recommended the company to come up with standard terms of references for undertaking detailed Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study and preparation of Environment Management Plan of the proposed power project, it added.
Tata Sponge Iron has sought environment clearance for installation of a 12.5 MW of thermal power plant using waste generated from their existing sponge iron plant.
In its proposal, the company said that the new power unit would be set in over 14 acres within the existing sponge iron plant at Bileipada village in Keonjhar districk, Odisha.

The
plant cost is estimated to be about Rs 72 crore.

Earlier, Tata Sponge Iron had proposed setting up of 25 MW of power plant in over 20 acres within the existing sponge iron plant premises. But it had to reduce the capacity of power plant to 12.5 MW due to change in the state and central government policy.