Stalin writes to PM, opposes move to drop atomic mining from public hearings

UPDATED: Sep 13, 2025 21:28 IST

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the Environment Ministry’s decision to exempt atomic mineral mining projects from public consultation, noting that several coastal districts of the state, where rare earths are abundant, are "ecologically fragile and highly vulnerable."

In a letter written to PM Modi, Stalin wrote, "The coastal districts of Tamil Nadu are endowed with deposits of Rare Earth Elements embedded in beach sand systems. These coasts are ecologically fragile and highly vulnerable. The sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay are home to endangered turtle nesting grounds, coral reefs, mangroves, and sand-dunes that serve as natural barriers against erosion and cyclonic events."

He also pointed out that these ecosystems sustain biodiversity, stabilise shorelines, sequester carbon, and protect coastal communities. Mining in such regions is inherently eco-sensitive and requires rigorous scrutiny with full involvement of local communities, he further mentioned.

Stalin also pointed to a 1994 notification, which was later amended in 1997 to introduce mandatory public hearings, key to
participatory environmental governance.

"This safeguard was reinforced in the EIA Notification, 2006. Exempting projects from public consultation would deprive local communities of their right to raise legitimate concerns relating to livelihood loss, displacement, and environmental impacts, and would weaken the principles of participatory democracy," said Stalin.

He further highlighted that the Office Memorandum (OM) issued by the Environment Impact Assessment Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on September 8 raised serious legal concerns, saying that the National Green Tribunal has in the past struck down OMs "which sought to dilute statutory safeguards."

Pointing at a 2020 Supreme Court order in Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd case, Stalin said that "substantive amendments to the EIA framework cannot be brought about by way of executive instructions such as OMs, and that such instruments cannot override statutory notifications."

"Policy changes of such significance must be deliberated transparently in Parliament and State Legislatures, with due consultation of the States and the public. Proceeding otherwise would run counter to the spirit of cooperative federalism and to the democratic ethos of our country," Stalin added.

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