Context:
Environmental Compensation Guidelines issued for Battery Waste Management
Environmental Compensation (EC):
- A mechanism under the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022
- Issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), to ensure compliance and promote environmental sustainability in battery waste management.
- Purpose – Imposed on producers and entities involved in refurbishment and recycling of waste batteries for non-compliance with the rules.
- Based on the “polluter pays” principle.
- Conditions for Imposition –
- Non-compliance with Battery Waste Management Rules.
- Activities carried out without registration.
- Providing false information or wilful concealment of material facts.
- Non-fulfilment of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – Refers to the responsibility of battery producers for environmentally sound management of waste batteries.
- Unfulfilled EPR obligations for a particular year are carried forward to the next year.
- Payment of EC does not absolve producers of their EPR obligations.
- EC Regimes –
- EC Regime 1 – Levied on producers for non-fulfilment of metal-wise EPR targets (Lead Acid Batteries, Lithium-ion, and other batteries).
- EC Regime 2 – Levied on any entity for non-compliance with Battery Waste Management Rules 2022, based on application fees.
Source: PIB
Previous Year Question
With reference to India, consider the following statements:
1. Monazite is a source of rare earths.
2. Monazite contains thorium.
3. Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal sands in India.
4. In India, Government bodies only can process or export monazite.
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (b)
