Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding tyre pyrolysis oil units in India, 07/11/2022
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Social Action for Forest & Environment (SAFE) Vs Union of India & Others dated 07/11/2022.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), November 7, 2022 said that tyre pyrolysis oil units (TPOs) need to follow 'zero liquid’ and ‘zero emission’ norms. Further, carbon produced during the process needs to be utilized in cement industries. Carbon material should not be simply transported to landfills, the court said.
Tyre pyrolysis oil units recycle tyres to produce tyre pyrolysis oil — which is used as fuel in cement, ceramic and other industries.
Non-compliant tyre pyrolysis oil units (TPOs) should be closed till compliance expeditiously and the NGT asked the Central Pollution Control Board to finalize the classification of the units so that application norms can be enforced. Revised standard operating procedures (SOP) should be finalized by the CPCB and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) within one month.
SOP may also provide for certifying the fuel quality standards of pyro-oil as per norms of the Petroleum Ministry, the court said.
An application was filed before the NGT about the absence of proper management of end-of-life tyres/waste tyres (ELTs) in accordance with the rules. The CPCB in its report, November 5, 2022 compiled the status of all tyre pyrolysis units in the state and Union Territories based on information furnished by the state pollution control boards.
The CPCB compiled a compliance report of 17 states where tyre pyrolysis units are existing. The report informed the court that there are 757 tyre pyrolysis oil units (TPO units) situated in 17 states of the country. Maximum number of units are in the state of Uttar Pradesh (148) followed by Haryana (101), Rajasthan (95) and Maharashtra (85).
Out of 757 units, 349 units are complying with consent conditions and SOP of MoEF&CC and 216 units are noncompliant. Actions against non-complying units like closure directions and show cause notices have been issued. Many of the non-complying units have been closed and around 192 TPO units have been closed down, according to the CPCB report.