The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), on November 2025, issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Checklist of Minimal Requisite Facilities under Rule 9 of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, for the utilisation of spent Cupric Chloride (CuCl₂) generated during the manufacture of Cypermethric Acid Chloride (insecticide). The SOP permits utilisation of this hazardous waste (Category 29.1 of Schedule I and C-2 of Schedule II) for recovery of Copper Hydroxide, to be used strictly in pesticides, dyes and dye intermediates, and other non-food, non-pharma, non-fertilizer industrial applications.
The SOP prescribes a detailed authorization and compliance framework for SPCBs/PCCs, including grant of permission only for CPCB-notified SOPs, verification of waste characteristics, issuance of passbooks, maintenance of records through the National Hazardous Waste Tracking System (NHWTS), and periodic inspections. It lays down strict process controls such as mechanized handling (no manual transfer), use of reactors with pH sensors, alkali scrubbers with stacks, prescribed emission and fugitive standards, effluent treatment through ETP/CETP or zero-liquid-discharge systems, and environmentally sound disposal of secondary hazardous wastes through authorized TSDFs.
Further, the SOP mandates labelling of recovered Copper Hydroxide, detailed record-keeping (Forms 3 and 4), liability for environmental damage, compliance with the Factories Act and Public Liability Insurance Act, and siting preferably within notified industrial areas. It also specifies plant size and efficiency norms (0.2 MT Copper Hydroxide from ~8.7 MT spent CuCl₂), requirements for online emission monitoring where applicable, and a minimum infrastructure checklist including acid-proof storage tanks, covered sheds, mechanized transfer systems, reactors, filtration units, and alkali scrubbers to ensure safe and compliant utilisation.
