Page 151 - DGH_Annual_Report

Environmental and Regulatory Oversight in India’s ream Oil & Gas Sector
oil and gas sector.
This section captures these developments in a
chronological format for ease of reference and
classifies them under the respective types of
clearances:
8.3.6 Environmental Clearance (EC)
• 2020
January 2020: Exemption of Exploratory
Drilling from EIA Requirements
MoEF&CC, through its notification dated
16th January 2020, reclassified onshore and
offshore oil and gas exploration activities
as Category B2 projects under the EIA
Notification, 2006.
This was a landmark step as B2 projects are:
Exempt from public hearing and EIA
report preparation.
Not being subject to the scoping stage
(Terms of Reference).
This reclassification acknowledged that
exploratory activities typically have minimal,
temporary environmental impacts that
can be mitigated through standard
environmental safeguards.
• 2021
March 2021: Streamlining of ‘Essential
Details Sought’ (EDS)
MoEF&CC issued an Office Memorandum on
15th March 2021 placing a 30-day limit on the
pendency of proposals awaiting response on
EDS. Beyond this period, proposals would no
longer remain in the Ministry’s pending list.
This intervention, long advocated by DGH,
addressed persistent delays caused by back-
and-forth communication between project
proponents and the Ministry.
• 2022
April 2022: Simplification of Coastal
Regulation Zone (CRZ) Clearance for
Exploratory Drilling
Earlier, separate approvals were required
under both EIA and CRZ notifications,
leading to protracted timelines. Based on
DGH’s representation, MoEF&CC issued
clarificatory OMs (dated 26.04.2022 and
151
29.11.2022) stating that Category B projects in
CRZ areas could now be appraised solely by
the State Environment Impact Assessment
Authority (SEIAA), enabling a combined EC
& CRZ clearance at the state level without
central appraisal. This major procedural shift
has helped fast-track drilling in CRZ zones.
May 2022: Rationalization of EC Validity
Linked with Forest Clearance (FC)
In line with Supreme Court directions
(Lafarge case), MoEF&CC clarified that:
The validity of ECs granted for projects
involving forest land shall be reckoned
from the date of Stage-II FC, or a
maximum of two years from EC date,
whichever is earlier. This was a long-
pending concern since delays in
obtaining Stage-II FC led to premature
EC expiry. The rationalization effectively
safeguards the EC validity window
without compromising environmental
safeguards.
May 2022: Extension of EC Validity
Relaxation
and
Hearing
in
Public
Requirements
EC Validity for Hydrocarbon Projects
extended to 10 years, with a 1-year
extension provision.
Notice period for rescheduling public
hearings reduced to 15 days (from 30
days).
Public hearings can now be presided
over by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate,
if confined to one subdivision, enabling
quicker coordination.
June 2022: Standardization Measures
Baseline Data Validity: As per OM
dated 08.06.2022, the validity of baseline
data and public hearing reports for EC
application has been fixed at three
(3) years, reducing redundant data
collection.
Certified Compliance Report (CCR)
Timelines: The OM also mandates
issuance of CCRs within 3 months from
the date of application. This streamlines
EC amendments and expansions,
especially for drilling additional wells.