EAC (EAC)

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) is the central technical committee constituted by MoEFCC under the EIA Notification 2006 that scrutinises Environmental Impact Assessment reports for Category A industrial projects and recommends Environmental Clearance (EC) conditions to the ministry. The EAC is sector-specialised — separate committees exist for thermal power, mining, industry, infrastructure, river valley projects, building and construction, and CRZ projects — with each committee comprising 10–15 subject-matter experts drawn from academia, retired senior bureaucrats, and technical institutions.

For CBG, recycling, and pyrolysis projects falling in Category A, the relevant EAC is typically EAC-Industry or EAC-Infrastructure, depending on plant capacity and waste stream classification. The Category A threshold for biogas and WtE is roughly above 50 TPD capacity or 5 MW power equivalent; large pyrolysis facilities above 50 TPD plastic input also fall here. EAC examines the EIA report submitted by the project developer (typically 300–600 pages) against the project's site-specific Terms of Reference, raises clarifications and additional information requests, and makes its recommendation after considering presentations by the developer and consultant.

The EAC process is meticulous and time-bound. Meetings happen monthly, with each project getting 30–60 minutes of committee time. Common recommendation outcomes are: clearance with specific conditions, deferral pending additional information or studies, or rejection with reasons. Conditions imposed typically cover air emission norms tighter than baseline (e.g. PM at 30 mg/Nm³ rather than 50 mg/Nm³), groundwater monitoring frequency, biodiversity offset commitments, and Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) fund earmarking at 0.5–2% of project capex for community welfare. EAC recommendations are advisory; MoEFCC takes the final decision, though deviations from EAC views are uncommon. For developers, presenting at EAC requires preparation depth — the committee identifies technical inconsistencies and benchmark deviations sharply, and unprepared presentations result in 6–12 month deferrals.

• Central technical committee under MoEFCC for Category A EIA appraisal.
• Sector-specialised: Industry, Infrastructure, Thermal Power, Mining, River Valley.
• 10–15 subject-matter experts; meets monthly with 30–60 minutes per project.
• Recommendations: clearance with conditions, deferral, or rejection — final decision by MoEFCC.