EIA REPORT FOR MINING OF HEAVY MINERAL SAND IN ALAPPAD, PANMANA AND AYANIVELIKULANGARA VILLAGES IN KOLLAM DISTRICT FOR AN AREA OF 180 HA IN NK BLOCK IV EE BY INDIAN RARE EARTHS, CHAVARA, KOLLAM, KERALA . Draft Report Submitted to Indian Rare Earths Limited (A Government of India Undertaking) Chavara, Kollam Environmental Technology, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science & Technology (NIIST-CSIR), Thiruvananthapuram April-2018 Executive summary Indian Rare Earths (IRE) has been granted mining lease to collect heavy mineral sand in Alappad, Panmana and Ayanivelikulangara village in Kollam district for an area of 180 Ha vide G.O (Rt.) No. 746/07/ID dated 08/06/07 by the Government of Kerala. IREL has been accorded Environmental Clearance & CRZ Clearance for this mining project as per F.No. 11- 36/2008 IA- III dated 01.03.2011. The study was conducted by CSIR-NIIST for the proposed production of 2,37,150 TPA. The public in the lease area wanted the land to be given back at the earliest and requested IREL for enhancing the mining rate. Accordingly IREL propose to go for enhancement of mining from 2,37,150 TPA to 7,50,000 TPA. IREL as per work order No 21/T.No37/1314 dated 12/06/2013 has appointed CSIR-NIIST Thiruvananthapuram,to evaluate the environmental aspects and their possible associated impacts to workout environmental management plans and environmental monitoring programme to prevent, control, minimize or eliminate the adverse environmental impacts envisaged from the proposed mining activity in the 180 Ha. Application for Prior environmental clearance was submitted in Form-1 to Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India. TOR has been finalised based on the presentation on June 2015. The source of information are desk research, discussion with local panchayats, NGO’s, affected people, officials of state and central government relevant offices, literature survey and field studies. Primary and secondary data on meteorology, air, noise, water, soil, traffic, land use, ecology and socio-economics were collected and analyzed by CSIR - NIIST. The field studies were carried out from March 2015 to May 2017 for the study area (buffer zone) within 10 km radius with the IREL-ML area (core area) at the centre. No major or minor industries exist in the core area except M/s. Kerala Minerals & Metals Limited (KMML) which is 9.34 km and IREL main plant at Chavara at about 15.4 km road distance from the northwestern end of the proposed ML area. The mining lease area of 180 hectares has Vattakayal at the south and Pannikarkadavu bridge in the north. EIA study is a well-recognized, effective planning tool that ensures environmentally sound activity. In this report, the impacts on relevant discipline of environment due to the operation of the proposed project have been identified and assessed quantitatively, as far as possible. Environmental management programmes for mitigation of impacts are delineated. An environmental monitoring programme has been suggested for post operational phase of the project. The monitoring programme specifies the locations, parameters, and frequency of monitoring of significant aspects. Capacity building in terms of staff, technical expertise and monitoring facilities are also suggested. The proposed project lease area encompasses ‘vatta kayal’ which is part of the waterway called TS canal. The entire plot has heavy deposit of beach sand minerals. The mineable reserve of ilmenite, rutile, zircon, sillimanite, leucoxene and monozite is about 6.02 Million Tons as per the plan which is submitted for the period from 2016-17 to 2020-21, and the area proposed for production is in the western side of TS canal, the reserves of 6.025 Lakh tonne are calculated with the available data. As the report is awaited for the study carried out as per the UNFC classification which covers the entire lease area of 180 Ha. The average heavy mineral content of the area proposed for mining in 01 to 05 years is about 17.62%. The location of the site is given in the report. Quantification of the impacts was carried out applying mathematical models. For quantifying and predicting the air quality the Fugitive Dust Modelling Software has been used and hemispherical modelling has been used for the noise quality modelling. Battelle environmental system has been used for evaluation of impacts of environmental pollution, ecology, human interest and aesthetics. Dredge mining is a wet process and no dust pollution arises out of it. Total about 375t/day of raw material will be conveyed through 38 trips from mining area to mineral separation plant, assuming capacity of tippers as 10T. The present air quality has been evaluated by setting up four high volume samplers at four different locations. Ambient air quality for PM10, SO2, NOx were monitored. Upwind downwind and cross direction location as well as the land use, wind rose were considered in selection of the sampling locations. Ambient Air Quality monitored at Vellanathuruthu PHC, Project Location, Amrithananthamai math and Maravana Junction for PM10, SO2 and NOx. ii The air pollutants of interest in this project are PM10. The main sources are emissions during mining and transportation. However dust emission is not significant in dredge mining as the ore and rejects are in wet or slurry form. Road transportation of ore on the haul road is the only source of dust emission. On commissioning of mining activity there will be increase in truck movement by 46 trips. Due to this increase in truck movement there will be increase in dust emission. For prediction of dust emission the modelling software Envitrans MINE Fugitive Dust Modelling Pro was used. The model shows incremental increase in pollution caused due to the area due to truck. However the incremental values are within the CPCB limit prescribed for PM10, which is 100µg/m3 for 24 hour. This value is based on the prediction obtained without any control measures. The maximum value of PM10 for an average of 24 hours was 63 µg/m3 observed inside the mine lease and minimum value for PM10 for an 3 average of 24 H was 45 µg/m . Similarly SO2, NO2 values showed, less than 10 µg/m3 for all stations. The permissible limits as per NAAQ std’s 3 3 for PM10 is 100 µg/m and for SO2 and NO2 the limits are 80µg/m .Thus the observed values for air quality taken over the period of February to April 2016 and February to May 2017 in core and buffer zone is within the permissible limits. The report looks into the viability of barge economics which appears to be a feasible option for transporting mineral concentrate using TS canal ( part of NW3 water way) to IREL plant. The distance to IREL plant site is only 6.85 km as compared to 15.4 km road distance from northern end of the ML area. Considering the existing traffic congestion along the NH - ML area road , the availability of canal adjacent to the ML area , shorter distance to plant via water transport and provision of local employment to fishermen community, it is recommended that a trial run using water transport be conducted by IREL. Country boats can be considered on environmental and socio-economic grounds. The loading and unloading of mineral concentrate from country boats has to be worked out. The loading of concentrate can be carried out by allowing concentrate slurry to flow into the boat or barge. Advantages and cost economics of barge transport which is ecofriendly best suited compared to road transport are covered in the report. iii Another option for transportation of the slurry is by pumping. A seven stage pumping at a rate of 65 tph is proposed The total estimated cost of the project is Rs.500 lakhs. Water quality changes are widely considered to be the most significant consequence of mining activities. The surface and ground water characteristics have been established through field monitoring data at 13 locations generated during the study with respect to physicochemical characteristics and pollutant levels and the same has been compared with quality criteria for drinking water. The details are given in chapter-4. The Ground water contour map indicated that the flow/movement of water direction is predominantly towards South West and to the eastern side of the lease. Maximum noise level during the study period was observed at Near municipal Corporation office, Karunagapally Junction which are busy junctions along the national highway which can be ascribed due to commercial activities, movement of continuous vehicular and other traffic and location of bus stand. Minimum ambient noise level observed was 50 - 60 dB at the Primary Health Centre Vellanathuruth, Pandarathuruth. The low values could be attributed to considerably less traffic and calm environment. The noise level at dredge is about 70 dB that fades off at less than 50 meters and beyond 50 meters there was no effect of dredge operation. The modeling results also show almost the same results. Nearest habitation is beyond 100m distance and hence there is no need for noise control measures. However, the impact on staff at dredge should be minimized by introducing shift system, automation wherever possible and practicing safety measures. Surface mining usually renders the land unsuitable for other uses unless it is restored or rehabilitated. The consultant suggests simultaneous refilling of the mine in progression with mining. After the recovery of HM concentrates the reject sand is used for refiling the mined out area. As the back filling is integrated into the mining process, the excavated land will be subsequently reclaimed and the ground surface of the reclaimed land will be brought back to the contours matching with the surrounding topography.