NEW DELHI: In a move that may boost port-adjacent industries by allowing storage of specific chemicals in coastal areas, the govt has expanded the list of petroleum and chemical products permitted for storage in the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) by amending the existing CRZ notification, 2019.The amendment, published by the Union environment ministry on Thursday, now provides for storing 26 petroleum and chemical products in the coastal areas instead of 23 such products permitted earlier. The additional products are linear alkyl benzene, N-paraffin and carbon black feedstock.The list of 23 already permitted products includes crude oil, LPG, kerosene, aviation fuel, high-speed diesel, lubricating oil, CNG, naphtha, acetic acid, methanol, liquefied natural gas and furnace oil, among others.The amendment was notified to accommodate formal representations made by various State Coastal Zone Management Authorities to facilitate the industrial receipt and storage of these specific chemicals in coastal areas. The decision was finally taken after the sectoral Expert Appraisal Committee for CRZ clearances and the National Coastal Zone Management Authority gave their nod.
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The ministry’s notification said that National Coastal Zone Management Authority, after due deliberation, considering the comparatively lower hazardous chemical characteristics of these products in relation to those already permitted, “unanimously recommended allowing the receipt and storage of Linear Alkyl Benzene, N-Paraffin, and Carbon Black Feedstock in CRZ areas”, excluding Coastal Regulation Zone-IA, through the necessary amendment.It means these products will not be allowed for storage in the environmentally most critical CRZ-IA areas (like mangroves, coral reefs, and turtle nesting grounds) along the coastline. This zone plays a vital role in maintaining the structural integrity of the coast and acting as a natural defence against hazards like cyclones, storms, and tsunamis.
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