The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change vide notification dated April 12, 2022 has issued amendment to Notification dated September 14, 2006 which deal with environment clearance on new projects or activities, or on the expansion or modernization of existing projects or activities based on their potential environmental impacts.
Validity of Environmental Clearance is clarified to be the period from which a prior Environmental Clearance is granted by the regulatory authority, or may be presumed by the applicant to have been granted to the start of production operations by the project or activity; or completion of all construction operations in case of construction projects, to which the application for prior environmental clearance refers.
The prior environmental clearance granted for an existing or new project or activity shall be valid for a period of thirteen years in the case of River Valley projects or activities.In the case of Area Development projects and Townships, the validity period of ten years shall be limited only to such activities as may be the responsibility of the applicant as a developer. The prior Environmental Clearance granted for mining projects shall be valid for the project life as laid down in the mining plan approved and renewed by competent authority, from time to time, subject to a maximum of thirty years, whichever is earlier.
