The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued an office memorandum on 25th March, 2019 concerning an amendment in environmental clearance relation to the increase in number of working days for distilleries. The issue is in supersession of the earlier OM dated 4th September, 2018.
The following are the clarifications/instructions which has been issued for compliance:
- No amendment in the existing environmental clearances to increase number of working days is required in relation to projects/distilleries involving installation of incineration boilers for spent wash treatment and thus to achieve zero liquid discharge. This is subject to meeting the prescribed emission standards for boilers, minimum solid content in the slop, ZLD condition and installation/connectivity of online continuous emissions monitoring systems (OCEMS).
- The concerned State Pollution Control Boards and the Pollution Control Committees need to ensure that the prescribed emission standards for boilers are met , minimum solid content in the slop ,ZLD condition and installation/connectivity of online continuous emissions monitoring systems (OCEMS) is required to be checked before issuing Consent to Establish/Operate under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. .
- The Projects and distilleries which involve installation of incineration boilers and which have covered bio-composting operations for the end treatment of spent wash to achieve zero liquid discharge, do not require amendment in the existing environmental clearances to increase number of working days.
- This is subject to compliance of the conditions mentioned above and Standard Operating Procedure formulated by CPCB for bio composting operations, and the same is to be taken into account and ensured by the concerned SPCBs/PCCs before the issuance of Consent to Establish/Operate under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
- The distilleries which comply with the norms/requirements as mentioned above would be permitted to operate throughout the year without there being any change in the production capacity as per the environmental clearances issued to such projects.
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