The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on May 26, 2026, issued Draft Notification to Amend ICRZ 2019 for Permitting Storage of LAB, N-Paraffin, and CBFS in CRZ Areas (Excluding CRZ-IA).
The draft notification issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 proposes amendments to the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019. It has been published for public consultation, and stakeholders can submit objections or suggestions within 60 days from the date of publication.
The proposal arises from representations by State Coastal Zone Management Authorities seeking permission for the receipt and storage of certain petroleum-related chemicals—Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB), N-Paraffin, and Carbon Black Feedstock (CBFS)—within Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas, excluding the ecologically sensitive CRZ-IA category.
The matter was reviewed by multiple Expert Appraisal Committees (EACs), including those for Industry-II and CRZ clearances, which supported allowing these substances in CRZ areas (excluding CRZ-IA). The National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA), in its September 26, 2025 meeting, also endorsed the proposal, noting that these chemicals are comparatively less hazardous than others already permitted.
Accordingly, the draft amendment proposes adding these three chemicals—LAB, N-Paraffin, and CBFS—to Annexure-II of the ICRZ Notification, 2019, thereby formally permitting their storage in CRZ areas (except CRZ-IA), subject to regulatory provisions.
[Notification No. S.O. 2664(E)]
