SSC JE Civil Engineering 30-Oct-2020 Shift 2 Paper

Environment Protection Act, 1986
● The environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 along with the Environment Protection Rules 1986 amended in 1999.
The Environmental Protection Act (EPA) of 1986 is umbrella legislation with wide legislative coverage.
● It gives wide powers to the central government to take all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment. Such measures include laying down standards for environmentalquality, restricting areas of industrial operations, laying down procedures for handling hazardous substances, etc.
● The central government can close down offending industries and restrict the setting up of new industries at environmentally non-compatible sites.
● The Environment Rules of 1986 lay down procedures for the setting of emission and discharge standards.
● This Act empowers the Union Government to take direct action against defaulters.
● A host of notifications have been enacted under the EPA, such as those on Environmental Impact Assessment and Coastal Regulation Zones.