New Rules for Managing Contaminated Sites: A Legal Framework for Environmental Remediation
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Environment & Ecology (Pollution, Environmental Laws - Environment Protection Act 1986, Hazardous Waste Rules; Key Bodies - CPCB), Governance.
Mains: GS Paper 3 (Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment).
Key Highlights from the News
New Rules: The Ministry of Environment has notified new rules under the Environment Protection Act, named Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025.
Objective: To provide a legal framework for managing contaminated sites caused by chemical pollution. Previously, no such law existed.
What is a Contaminated Site? These are places where soil, groundwater, and surface water have been polluted due to the historical dumping of hazardous waste, posing a threat to human health and the environment.
Procedure in the Rules:
The District Administration will prepare a report on suspected sites.
The State Board or an expert committee ('reference organisation') will examine it and confirm if the site is contaminated.
Those responsible for the pollution will be identified, and the cost of remediation will be recovered from them ('polluter pays' principle).
In case of loss of life or damage, there will be criminal liability under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023).
Exclusions: Radioactive waste, mining waste, and marine oil spills are not covered by these rules as they are governed by other laws.
Major Drawback: The rules do not specify a deadline for how quickly a contaminated site must be cleaned up once identified.
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