Environmental Conservation Rules, 1997 (ECR'97)

ECR'97 is a set of rules implemented in Bangladesh under the Environment Conservation

Act, 1995. It regulates various aspects of environmental protection and conservation,
including:

1. Project Categorization and Environmental Clearance:

 ECR'97 classifies industrial units and projects into four categories based on their
potential environmental impact:
o Green: Minimal impact, requiring self-declaration and compliance with
general standards.
o Orange-A: Moderate impact, requiring an initial environmental examination
and environmental clearance from the Department of Environment (DoE).
o Orange-B: Significant impact, requiring a detailed environmental impact
assessment (EIA) and environmental clearance from the DoE.
o Red: Highly hazardous or polluting, requiring a comprehensive EIA and public
hearing before environmental clearance.
 The rules prescribe procedures for obtaining environmental clearance for different
categories of projects.

2. Ecologically Critical Areas:

 ECR'97 empowers the government to declare certain areas as "Ecologically Critical

Areas" due to their environmental significance. This restricts certain activities within
these areas to protect sensitive ecosystems.

3. Pollution Standards and Emission Limits:

 The rules set ambient air, water, and noise pollution standards for different areas and
prescribe permitted discharge/emission levels for various industrial activities and
sources.

4. Waste Management:

 ECR'97 regulates the collection, transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal of

various types of waste, including hazardous waste, medical waste, and electronic
waste.

5. Environmental Monitoring and Reporting:

 The rules require industries to monitor their environmental performance and submit
regular reports to the DoE.

6. Enforcement and Penalties:

  ECR'97 empowers the DoE to inspect and monitor industries for compliance with
environmental regulations. The rules also prescribe penalties for violations of the
rules.

Additional Resources:

 Full text of ECR'97: https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/bgd19918.pdf

 Environmental Clearance
Procedure: http://doe.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/doe.portal.gov.bd/page/
71a829c3_6b74_4ee9_90a6_158e2898b228/Environmental%20Clearance
%20Procedure.pdf
 Department of Environment (DoE) Website: http://www.doe.gov.bd/

Please note: This is a brief overview of ECR'97. For specific details and current
regulations, please refer to the official documents and DoE websites.