Environment Protection Act

• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 authorizes the central government to protect and improve environmental quality, control and reduce pollution from all sources, and prohibit or restrict the setting and /or operation of any industrial facility on environmental grounds. 
• It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities charged with the mandate of preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and to tackle specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the country. The Act was last amended in 1991.
• The Environment (Protection) Rules lay down procedures for setting standards of emission or discharge of environmental pollutants.

Section 5 of EPA Act

• Under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act 1986, the central government has power to direct any authority regarding the closure or prohibition of industry, operation or process.
• Also under this law the central government can regulate or stop the supply of electricity or water or any other service. 

Why in the news? 

• In May 2020, the LG polymers plant in Visakhapatnam experienced styrene gas leakage which led to the death of 12 people and injuries of nearly 4000 individuals.
• After the incident it was found that the company was already under many violations.
• Now the case of the company is under Violation Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. 
• The decision is yet to be taken whether the Ministry will move forward to close the plant under Section 5 of the EPA.  

References:

1. https://vikaspedia.in/energy/policy-support/environment-1/forests/general-environmental-acts
2. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4316/1/ep_act_1986.pdf
3. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/environment-ministry-dithered-on-decision-to-close-lg-polymers-plant-in-vishakapatnam/article32280357.ece#:~:text=The%20Union%20Ministry%20of%20Environment,take%20ill%20on%20May%207.