Divisions

Environment Assessment and Compliance Division

The NEC is mandated by the EA Act 2000 and its RECOP 2016 to carry out the EA process. The mandate includes assessment of potential effects of strategic plans, policies, programs and projects on the environment and for the determination of policies and measures to reduce potential adverse effects and to promote environmental benefits.
The following are the primary mandates of the EACD in accordance with the NEPA 2007, EA Act, 2000 and RECOP, 2016: 
1. Review, assess and decide on issuance/rejection and/or renewal of environmental clearances (EC) for development activities in the country. 
2. Monitor, control and enforce the terms of the EC attached to development consents, including ordering sanctions and compensation for environmental damage. 
3. Establish procedures for the assessment of potential adverse impacts of strategic plans, policies, programs and projects on the environment, and for the determination of policies and measures to reduce potential adverse impacts on the environment. 
4. Assess carrying capacity in relevance of the developmental activities as deemed necessary. 
5. Prepare draft acts, rules and regulations, standards, codes of best practices for specific sectors in consultation with other relevant agencies. 
6. Prepare standards and procedures for labelling and best environmental practices with regard to any industries, operations or processes or class of industries, operations of processes. 
7. Prepare or review and revise IEE forms, EC templates, fine schedule, and fee schedule. 
8. Review and revise project categorization in consultation with the CAs (The Commission empowered the NECS in the 42th Commission meeting to exempt activity with low risk on the environment form EA process requirement and to delegate/re-delegate list of activities to CAs for EA process). 
9. Prepare or review and revise regulations and guidelines concerning Terms of Reference for environmental assessments, environmental management plans, and other environmental assessment documents. 
10. Prepare or review and revise regulations and guidelines concerning reporting on the implementation and enforcement of EA Act 2000t, information to be included in the application of environmental clearance or development consent, monitoring and controlling compliance, emergency response. 
11. Carry out investigations and research relating to problems of environmental pollution. 
12. Support the Commission in collection and dissemination of information in respect of matters relating to environmental pollution. 
13. Support the Commission in establishment or recognition of environmental laboratories and institutes to carry out the functions entrusted to such environmental laboratories and institutes under this Act. 
14. Collect, manage and disseminate information related to environmental services and management (EA process and Environment Information Management System). 
15. Generate annual report on compliance monitoring of projects. 
16. Enforce and implement EA Act 2000 and its regulation 2016. 
17. Perform such other function as directed by the commission/secretariat