LPG Recovery Plant Project

Project Profile
The site of the proposed LPG recovery plant is located at Usar (18o36’N and 72o50’E) in Raigad district of Maharashtra. The project involves a construction of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) recovery plant to facilitate the processing of 5.0 MMSCMD of balance gas recovered from the oil and gas fields of Bombay High.

The areas of ecological interest within 25km radius of project are (I) Reserved Forests (Karla, Sagaon and Bidwagle RFs) , (ii) Protected Forests ( Belkade, Dhavar, Ambepur, Gurupada, Vave, Bapale, Chaul, Chinchoti, Bagmala and Sagargadh PFs) , (iii) Coastal areas ( 42.47 sq. km) of Arabian sea ( Alibag,Nagaon and Revadanda), (iv) Rivers (Amba and Kundalika),(v) Creeks (Palepada, Akshi and Palav), (vi) Umte reservoir and (vii) Tinveera checkdam.

Predicted Impacts

• Destruction of some features of landscape area in the core zone( area within 5 km radius of project) in the hill range of Western Ghats is unavoidable but no areas with outstanding ecological interest are likely to be threatened by the proposed development.
   

• Most of the RFs and PFs within the middle zone (area within 10 km radius of project) are patches of mono cultures of Teak and Acacia auriculiformis and have little conservation values. The proposed project is therefore not likely to bring about significant changes in existing land use and forest values.
  Industrial establishments, cultivation, fishing and tourism have already modified the coastal landscape. The project is not likely to further threaten the coastal environment.
   

• The major impacts of the implementation phase of the project will generally remain confined to 135 ha of area of the plant site.
   

• The project will result in production of effluents rich in hydrocarbon.

Mitigation Measures

• Restoration of the landscape features and the vegetal cover and the treatment of the effluent should be ensured on scientific lines.
   

• On site and off site activities need to be carefully planned to keep the disturbance at its minimum particularly in the forested habitats and the mud flat areas supporting mangrove vegetation and tidal swamps in the creeks.
   

• Adequate treatment of water containing heavier hydrocarbons recovered during LPG recovery to be ensured. For this a well developed effluent treatment plant should be installed to prevent contamination of ground water and wetland habitats.
   

Project Analysis

The project involves major development only within the confines of the site identified for the installation of the LPG recovery plant. Contamination of water sources by the effluents discharged during LPG recovery can be a major impact of the project if left untreated. The mitigatory measures suggested should be adequate to reduce substantially the impact potential of the project.

Decision on Environmental Clearance

Not known

Location Map

State Map