Citing incomplete information, scientists urge APPCB to defer public hearing for TGV SRAAC expansion unit
A group of scientists wrote a letter to A.P. Pollution Control Board Chairman P. Krishnaiah, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) Secretary Tanmay Kumar and Kurnool District Collector P. Ranjit Basha on Monday, requesting that the public hearing for the proposed expansion be rescheduled, because the EIA report had reportedly not provided comprehensive details about various greenhouse gas emissions.
The EIA report, the organisation said, did not mention information regarding the alleged use and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including CCl₄ and Trifluoroethane (R23), and inadequately assessed the risks associated with potential toxic release of chemicals such as chlorine.
''The report does not mention whether Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) listed under the Stockholm Convention, will be utilised in the proposed PTFE manufacturing process,'' the scientists wrote in the letter. They pointed out that PFOA was prohibited across the world due to its inherent toxicity, environmental persistence, and bioaccumulative properties.
''At a time when the National Green Tribunal is speaking about the widespread contamination of Indian water bodies by PFAS, including PFOA, the proposed PTFE unit in Kurnool district presents a risk of exacerbating the ongoing environmental crisis if PFOA or any other PFAS is used in their production process as a surfactant,'' the scientists said.
The manufacturing of PTFE would result in the emission of R23 (HFC-23), a potent greenhouse gas with an exceptionally high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 14,800 times that of CO₂. The report did not mention how the unit would address the issue of potential R23 emissions, they said, requesting that a moratorium be imposed on granting of environmental clearance to the unit until comprehensive details were provided.
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The Hindu
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Time of India
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