In an Office Memorandum dated 25th March, 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (“Ministry”) has issued clarifications / instructions relating to amendment of the existing Environmental Clearance (“EC”) of distilleries (Molasses and Non Molasses based), for increase in the number of working days.
Background:
Earlier, the Ministry had issued environmental clearances to molasses-based distilleries utilizing their concentrated spent wash for bio-composting, with the condition that the distilleries must not operate during rainy season and thus the number of working/operating days was restricted to 270. Subsequently, the formulation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) (please refer to the attachment titled “Standard Operating Procedure For Bio-Composting Operation for Molasses Based Distilleries”) by Central Pollution Control Board (“CPCB”) for bio-composting operations, enabled distilleries to operate even during the rainy season also i.e. throughout the year.
In this regard, the Ministry, through an Office Memorandum dated 4th September, 2018, stipulated that the existing ECs for such distilleries were not required to be amended, subject to compliance of the said SOP.
In light of the above, the Ministry has issued the following clarifications / instructions for compliance, with immediate effect.
- In case of projects / distilleries involving installation of incineration boilers for spent wash treatment and thus to achieve zero liquid discharge there would be no requirement for amendment in the existing EC to increase number of working days or otherwise, provided that the prescribed emission standards for boilers, minimum solid content in the slop, Zero Liquid Discharge are met and installation / connectivity of online continuous emissions monitoring systems is ensured.
- In case of projects / distilleries involving installation of incineration boilers and / or having covered bio-composting operations for the end treatment of spent wash to achieve zero liquid discharge, there would be no requirement for amendment in the existing EC to increase number of working days, subject to compliance with the conditions mentioned in (1) above and the Standard Operating Procedure formulated by CPCB for bio-composting operations is ensured.
- Distilleries complying with the requirements as per (1) or (2) above, may be permitted to operate throughout the year without any change in the production capacity as per the ECs issued to such projects.
The Ministry also informed that such the above requirements would be ensured by the concerned State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Centres before issuing the Consent to Establish / Operate under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
