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The 2025 Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Regulations

The 2025 Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Regulations

The 2025 Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Regulations | UPSC Compass

Why in the News?
  • The Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025 were announced by the Union Environment Ministry.
  • This is the first legal framework for the scientific identification, evaluation, and remediation of chemically contaminated sites in India.
The Regulations
  • Legal Foundation
    • Developed in accordance with the 1986 Environment (Protection) Act.
    • Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the notification source.
  • Scope
    • Oversees, evaluates, and cleans up chemically contaminated sites all over India.
Goals
  • Provide a legally binding, time-bound system for:
    • locating contaminated areas.
    • evaluation of contamination levels by scientists.
    • cleanup and remediation actions.
    • respects the “Polluter Pays” theory.
    • protects public health and the environment.
A Contaminated Site: What is it?
  • Locations contaminated by the disposal of hazardous or chemical waste, resulting in long-term:
    • soil contamination
    • water contamination
    • air contamination
  • Examples
    • deserted landfills
    • areas where chemicals can spill
    • illegal disposal sites for hazardous waste
    • closed or abandoned industrial areas
Important Clauses
  • Identification and Monitoring of the Site
    • District officials need to:
      • Report suspected contaminated sites every two years.
    • State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs):
      • After receiving the report, conduct a preliminary assessment within ninety days.
  • Complete Verification & Repair
    • Sites have 180 days to be thoroughly assessed and verified.
    • A remediation plan is created by an expert reference organisation.
  • Accountability and Liability
    • Identification of Polluters
      • Within ninety days, SPCBs will identify the polluter.
    • Cleaning Expense
      • The principle of polluter pays was used.
      • The Centre and States split the cost of cleanup if the polluter is untraceable or insolvent.
    • Penalties under the Law
      • Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023) enforces criminal liability if environmental or human harm is demonstrated.
  • Openness and Compliance
    • Establishment of a National Contaminated Materials Inventory websites.
    • The state of cleanup is made public.
    • Remedial efforts must be audited annually.
Importance for Environmental Management
  • Closes the Policy Gap
    • Gives the CPCB’s list of contaminated sites legal support.
  • Enforces Polluter Pays
    • Deadlines and fines that are enforceable by law.
  • Worldwide Alignment
    • Encourages the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations:
      • SDG 6: Sanitation and clean water
      • SDG 3: Well-being and good health
      • SDG 12: Waste management and responsible consumption.