Ardent Steel to seek green nod for pellet plant.

Iron ore pellet maker Ardent Steel will apply for fresh environment clearance (EC) for its Keonjhar plant, which was shut down by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in December 2013, company officials said.

'We are in the process of sending application to MoEF for environment clearance as per the court order,' said an official of the company.

The MoEF had asked the company to halt production at its 600,000 tonne per annum iron ore pelletisation plant last year, citing that the plant was running without EC. Though the company complied with the order, it had taken the matter to National Green Tribunal (NGT) .

The company held that since pellet making does not come under metallurgical process, there is no need to obtain EC. The NGT however, dismissed the plea of Ardent Steel in its order passed last month.


BS