National Mineral Policy 2006 - Department of Mines

the international norm of upto 6 months (180 days) for granting environmentclearances. There is scope for reducing this time frame.• As in the past, no environmental clearance is required for grant of RP. Forprospecting there are ambiguities in the latest notification. The Committee feelsthat the level of waste-generation is very minimal at the prospecting stage as welland that there is no basis for requiring environmental clearance. It, therefore,recommends that prospecting should be exempted from such clearance.3.45 The most major reason for delays in the grant of clearances under the EPA is theprocedure followed for public consultations. An idea of the processes involved for publichearing can be had from Figure 3.3.91