EXPERT APPRAISAL COMMITTEE
- November 24, 2020
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Subject: Governance
Context: The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) wants to expedite the environment appraisal of industrial projects.
Concept:
- The recommendations include ensuring that EAC meetings are held at least once in 15 days.
- All proposals that were placed for approval 10 days before a meeting ought to be considered (It is 15 days now).
EAC:
- The MoEFCC currently has seven EACs for different sectors.
- Expert appraisal committees (EAC) exist at the Union as well as state levels (state expert appraisal committee or SEAC) to advise the government on environmental clearance of development projects.
- The role of EAC is integral to the process of granting environmental clearance to development projects.
- The Expert Appraisal Committees (EACs) opine on whether a proposed project beyond a certain size ought to be commissioned and recommend ways to mitigate the potential environmental impact.
- Their advice is critical to the MoEF’s eventual decision to either clear or red flag a project
- According to the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, evaluation of proposals involves four steps: screening, scoping, public hearing and appraisal.
- EAC/SEAC are involved in various capacities in all the stages, except for public hearing.