Introduction of New Strategies /Tools to control pollution

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 July 2013 14:56

1. Waste water charge program (WCP):

Like most countries, Sri Lanka adopts a traditional command and control (CAC) approach to industrial pollution control. The Environmental Protection License (EPL) is the main instrument through which the pollution is controlled. The standards for discharge of waste including wastewater are stipulated by the CEA. The list of industries has also been prescribed for which an EPL has to be obtained for operation.

In spite of the control of wastewater discharge through the EPL scheme, the quality of many water bodies continue to deteriorate in many regions of Sri Lanka. This is because the standards stipulated are concentration based and no consideration has been given to the pollution load discharged into the environment.

2. Promotion of Cleaner Production and Waste Minimization Technologies

Cleaner Production (CP) is a process through which industries could reduce the amount of waste generated thereby reduces the cost of end of pipe treatment costs. Adoption of Cleaner Production techniques is a win-win situation as the industry could meet the regulatory requirements of the CEA while increasing profits.

Unfortunately the concept of Cleaner Production hasn't been reached to a large number of industries in Sri Lanka. Therefore the Central Environmental Authority has taken steps to awaken the industrialists include the Cleaner Production Concept in their process.

CP will assist industrialists to reduce waste generation in a cost effective manner. There is the added that the pollution load to the environment will be reduced through the adoption of cleaner production technologies. Therefore adopting the CP is beneficial to industrialists in order to reduce the pollution load.

3. National Green Awards

The Concept

“The Environmental Protection License (EPL) is the existing main legal tool for control of industrial waste to the environment according to the provisions of the NEA. It is implemented as a command and control method. On the other hand Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the legal tool to protect and manage the natural Environment from the development projects. In addition to the two legal enforcement procedures, the CEA is implementing environmental Education and Awareness Programmes among all schools in the island.

However the above three systems are not adequate to achieve the CEA target in control of polluting substances to the environment. Also CEA is facing many practical difficulties in implementing the above systems in the field. Therefore it is very important and necessary to apply other administrative tools together with existing legal tools to minimize pollution from the different type of activities.

In the context, the CEA has identified the National Green Award Scheme as a strategy for environmental pollution control and management to implement among the activities which discharge or emit pollutants to the environment. The Green Award scheme makes a competitive forum among different sectors to apply the best practices in the pollution abatement and greening the environment, thereby improving the quality of environment in Sri Lanka.

Awards are considered as a recognition to their endeavors in industrial process, commitment, coordination and communication to keep the environment green and clean. And it is a platform to discover, discuss, disseminate the best options adopted by the winners while appreciating their attempts in respective industrial processes and activities as a whole. And it is one of the best ways to encourage entrepreneurs and service providers to keep the environment green and clean.

Target and Objectives

Industrial award scheme has following goals and targets as it proceeds.

1. Granting government recognition to industries/institutions which have advanced environment practices in Sri Lanka.

2. Promotion of self monitoring based pollution control and environmental management system to compliance with standards, regulations and to maintain the sustainability of the environment.

3. Enhance interest among the working group on clean and green environment within the premises.

4. Development and adoption of novel strategy to encounter the improvement of the quality of the environment.

5. Enhance environmental consensus of the industrialists by the market acceptance of their industrial products which are made by environment friendly processes.

Procedure on granting concurrence for the EPL of BOI approved prescribed industries

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Last Updated on Friday, 14 October 2022 04:38

Procedure on granting concurrence for the EPL of BOI approved prescribed industries

Under section17(2) of Greater Colombo Economic Commission Law No. 4 of 1978 as amended by the Amendment Acts ( No. 43 of 1980, No. 21 of 1983, No. 49 of 1992, No. 9 of 2002, No 36 of 2009 and No 3 of 2012) the CEA and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka entered to an agreement in 1996.

Under this agreement CEA liaise with BOI to control industrial pollution from BOI approved projects.

Procedure for issuing EPL for BOI registered industries

Environmental Protection Licenses for prescribed activities (BOI registered) in Gazette Notification No: 2264/18 dated 27.01.2022 is issued in consultation with and the concurrence of the CEA obtained by the BOI.

EPL application is published in the Form A of the schedule II of the Gazette Notification No. 1534/18 dated 01.02.2008.
Duly filled application with following supporting documents shall be submitted for each prescribed activity to the Environment Management Division of BOI.

1.    Copy of the Business Registration (If the activity is registered)

2.    Legal authorization to use the land for the particular industrial activity. (Copy of deed/copy of the Lease agreement of the land etc.)

3.    Copy of Survey Plan of the land.

4.    Legal approvals for establishing the particular industry at the site. (Certificate of Conformity/Trade License or Consent paper from relevant LA)

5.    Production Certificate necessary for specific products. (Distilleries, medicinal products, pesticide manufacturing etc.)

6.    Proposal for pollutant abatement.

7.    Road map showing the main landmarks from the nearest town

8.    Any other detail/document requested by the Authority

 Procedure on Renewing of Environmental Protection Licence for BOI industrial activities in List "A”, List "B", List "C" and List "D”

EPL Renewal application is published in Gazette notification No.1534/18 of 01.02.2008. Duly filled application shall be submitted for each BOI registered prescribed activity to Environmental Management Division of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.

1.    Before three months prior to the date of expiry of the EPL.

2.    Before one month effecting any changes alterations or extensions to the activity.

Technical Facilitation to control Environmental Pollution by industries

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 August 2025 08:21

Registration procedure for the Consultants / Laboratories

The EPL applicant must take adequate measures to control pollution in respect of wastewater discharges, air and noise emissions to meet the stipulated environmental standards.It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that wastes are disposed so as to minimize effects in all three environmental media (air, water, land) thus achieving the optimum environmental solution overall, through Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) and "Best Available Technology"(BAT).

For this purpose an applicant of the Environmental Protection Licence (EPL) is required to assess the pollution levels which are caused due to the operation of such industrial activity by measuring such discharges and emissions from a recognized Laboratory.

Measurements of certain environmental parameters or assessments have to be carried out by certain industrialists in order to prove that the pollution levels conform to the standards stipulated by the CEA. The applicant has to take appropriate pollution abatement measures if the discharges and emission levels exceed the stipulated environmental standards.

A list of specialists/consultants has been identified by the CEA for the purpose of facilitating the industrialists to obtain necessary technological guidance and advice / consultancy to control the environmental pollution. Also a list of Laboratories has been prepared for environmental monitoring purposes; industrialists could get their waste or air sample tested to check that their samples conform to the standards stipulated by the CEA.

In order to facilitate the industrialists to overcome these problems faced and to provide better service to the industrial community the CEA review and update the consultants and laboratories lists from time to time by assessing their performance.

Applications will be called once in two years for registration of consultants/ laboratories.

If any specialists/consultants or laboratory wishes to register themselves with the CEA. They have to submit the completed Registration Form along with the following documents.

•    Business Registration

•    The Company Profile

•    Customer satisfaction letters from 03 successfully completed projects.

•    Educational Qualifications of the staff

The fee for the registration of a Consultant/Specialist/Laboratory is Rs. 15000/= (Government approved tax should be included to this)

Two years subscription fee is Rs20000/=(Government approved tax should be included to this)

•    Renewal Form of Registration for Laboratory / Consultant / Specialist

Committee for determining the sitting of High & Medium Polluting Industries  outside industrial estates ,Export Processing Zones and industrial estates ( H&M committee):

According to the cabinet memorandum no 93/340/166 dated 15/09/1993, this committee wasformed to determine the siting of High and Medium Polluting Industries outside of Industrial Estates, Export Processing Zones and industrial estates. This is one of the important decision making committee of the EPC Unit. This committee consists of members from the Board of Investment (BOI), National Water Supply &Drainage Board (NWS & DB), Ministry of Industry & Commerce, Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), UrbanDevelopment Authority (UDA) and the Central Environmental Authority.

Main objective of this committee is to minimize the water pollution caused by industrial effluents discharge mainly to the Kelani River as the Kelani River provides raw water from Ambatale for the supplying of almost 75% of the demand in the Greater Colombo Area. Other than that the committee provides technical inputs to evaluate proposals on locating high and medium polluting industries outside the Kelani river basin which generate high amount of wastewater.

Loan scheme for small & medium industries for creating environment friendly industrial environment

E- Friend loan scheme was introduced to create environmental friendly industrial environmental for small and medium industries by the EPC unit and Project Management Unit of Ministry of Industry & Commerce.

This loan scheme provides low cost loans to entrepreneurs that want to find out solutions to the environment problems such as industrial pollutions caused by their manufacturing, waste minimization, resource recovery and savings, pollution control and abatement measures and associated design, energy consumption and for environmental improvement initiatives.

Implementation of Environmental Recommendation (ER) Procedure for siting of New Industries

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Last Updated on Friday, 14 October 2022 04:17

What is an Environmental Recommendation (ER)?

Assessing site suitability is one of the most important procedures adopted by the CEA for non- prescribed activities under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations. All proposed industrial activities which are going to be sited outside the industrial estates approved under part IV C of the National Environmental Act those which are provided with proper environmental infrastructure facilities such as common wastewater treatment systems etc. are required to adopt and manage with environmentally sound pollution control measures before the operational stage.

Therefore, all potential industrial sites or the establishment of new industrial activities which are not subject to EIA and industries and activities which required an Environmental Protection License (EPL) are listed in Gazette Notification No 2264/18 dated 27.01.2022, are advised to obtain Environmental Recommendation (ER) from the CEA for the proposed sites.

In considering the suitability, the proposed sites are evaluated in terms of its compatibility with respect to the zoning plans of relevant local authorities surrounding land use, land availability for buffer zones, and the capacity of the area to receive additional pollution load and waste disposal requirements.

Objectives of the issuing Environmental Recommendation(ER)

•    To take adequate mitigatory measures in advance to abate or minimize the anticipated environment pollution arising from a proposed industrial activity at the initial stage.

•     Avoid difficulties to comply with the standards stipulated by the CEA (i.e., which discharge, deposit their effluents/wastes to the environment or emit noise or gases to the environment.) as industrialists have located their industries in a haphazard manner without incorporating the mitigatory measures at the beginning.

This is beneficiary to both the CEA as well as the industrialists in various aspects. The CEA gets benefit by controlling the possible pollution at the initial stage and the industrialists gets the same if they adhere to the conditions stipulated in the Environmental Recommendation.

Procedure to obtain Environmental Recommendation (ER)

Application Procedure

Application for siting of new industries can be obtained from the CEA Head Office and Provincial offices or District Offices of the CEA.  
The applicant must submit duly filled application with following supporting documents to the relevant Provincial Office or District Office of the CEA.

          1.    Copy of the survey plan of the site

          2.    Copy of the building plan if any

          3.    Route sketch of the proposed site from the nearest town

Determination and payment of inspection fee

Based on the details furnished by the industrialist, the relevant Provincial/District Office decides the amount of the inspection fee to be paid and a written request will be made to the industrialist. At present minimum amount is Rs: 3472.22 and maximum amount is Rs: 23009.26 (Without government approved tax)

The industrialist has to make such payment to the relevant Provincial/District Office, Head Office or any other Provincial/District office of the CEA. After the payment is made the receipt should be submitted to the relevant Provincial/District Office.

Field Inspection, Inspection Report with Recommendations

Once the receipt of the inspection fee is received, a team of officers will carry out a field inspection in order to assess the data furnished in the application with respect to the site and to decide the possibility to operate such industry with controlling pollution.

Inspection team will prepare a report based on the field inspection details regarding the site along with their recommendations.

Issuing Environmental Recommendation (ER)

If the site could be recommended, issue of the Environmental Recommendation to the Municipal Commissioner /Chairman of the relevant Local Authority with conditions to mitigate the possible environmental pollution. A copy of the ER will be sent to the applicant and to any other organizations/firms if related. At present, Administration fee of Rs. 5000/= is charged for issuing of ER letter. (With government approved tax)