SPCB

The process to obtain a PCB certificate for Asbestos products manufacturing

Asbestos is a cluster of six naturally occurring silicate minerals comprising microscopic, thin fibres. The mineral is famous for offering chemical and heat resistance, strength and fireproofing. Due to all these, asbestos was a popular additive to various products. The naturally occurring mineral was once famous as magic for humankind. But later, it was tagged as baleful. What’s puzzling, though, is despite the mayhem of its use, India is the world’s top importer of asbestos. As an effective solution to the problem, the government made obtaining a (Pollution Control Board)PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing mandatory. The blog elaborates on the same.

Properties of Asbestos

Before obtaining the PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing, it is a wise idea to know about some properties of this mineral. These are as follows –

• Colour differs based on asbestos type.
• Individual fibres are microscopic and hence not visible to the naked eye.
• Most fibres are sharp and needle-like.
• Fibre shape differs based on asbestos mineral type.

Types of Asbestos

Asbestos is a term coined to describe six naturally occurring minerals exploited commercially. The reason for the same is their desirable physical properties. The six minerals used in asbestos products manufacturing plants are –

• the amphibole minerals grunerite asbestos (also referred to as amosite)
• the serpentine mineral chrysotile
• anthophyllite asbestos
• riebeckite asbestos(also referred to as crocidolite)
• actinolite asbestos
• tremolite asbestos

Benefits of Asbestos

Although controversial, asbestos has specific benefits and obtaining a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing is required. Read on to know the benefits in detail.

• The mineral has been used in various products because of its –
  • chemical and thermal stability,
  • high tensile strength,
  • low electrical conductivity,
  • high flexibility, and
  • Large surface area
• Asbestos products are –
  • More resistant to chemical attack (usually for alkalis),
  • More heat resistant (and usually incombustible),
  • Stronger (asbestos served as a physical reinforcer), and
  • Less conductive (asbestos had a low dielectric constant).
• The products are –
  • faster setting (asbestos accelerated water drainage in asbestos-cement pipe production),more viscose(asbestos-hardened coatings and compounds), and
  • more cost-efficient than many non-asbestos products.

How can people be exposed to asbestos?

Fibres of Asbestos may get released into the air during demolition, product use, home or building maintenance, remodelling and repair. Usually, exposure may occur only when the asbestos-containing material is destroyed in some way to emit fibres and particles into the air. That may be why obtaining a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing was mandated.

Health effects from exposure to asbestos

Increased exposure to asbestos leads to a high risk of developing lung disease. That risk can worsen by smoking. In general, more exposure to asbestos results in increased odds of developing harmful health effects.

Challenges to be overcome by the asbestos products manufacturing industry

Liability and environmental issues continue to affect the asbestos product manufacturing industry as the safe use of this mineral remains a significant concern. Federal regulatory action on asbestos has taken a variety of forms. Regulations have been enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These rules also mandated obtaining a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing.

Where are asbestos products required?

Almost all asbestos products are used in the manufacture of other final goods. Furthermore, the automobile and construction industries purchase most of the products. The automotive aftermarket, the primary automobile manufacturers, need most of the asbestos friction materials. Some vinyl-asbestos flooring are used to be sold directly to the consumer. Add to the list asbestos coatings, paints and sealants. Usually, asbestos products are considered intermediate goods, hence the demand for the same.

The detailed production process that takes place at the asbestos products manufacturing plant

The process at an asbestos manufacturing plant proceeds organised, elaborated below.

Step 1 -Asbestos ore is mined and then milled to generate a graded and homogeneous input shipped to primary industries.

Step 2 – These primary industries subsequently modify and process the raw asbestos fibre to yield a finished or an intermediate product.

Step 3 – Secondary industries may then complete the final processing of the product to yield a finished good.

Step 4 – This finished product or good is then sold to consumer industries, which install, apply, erect or use the product without further changes.

Step 5 – These operations can release asbestos fibres into the atmosphere.

What steps go into obtaining a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing?

The following steps must be adhered to obtain a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing –

Determine the status of the legal entity

Having an identity is of utmost importance for a business. Therefore, you must build the business’s legal entity according to your goals, resources and requirements. It can be any of the below-mentioned types:

• An LLP, i.e., a Limited Liability Partnership
• A partnership firm
• A proprietorship company
• Public/Private limited company
• Producer Company

Registration of the asbestos product manufacturing plant

As per the rules, District Industries Centre (DIC) registration of Small-Scale Industries (SSI) is not compulsory. But obtaining DIC is considered beneficial and essential as this registration offers several benefits to the business in loans, taxation, etc. During the initial stage, a provisional registration certificate is offered; when the manufacturing process starts, a permanent registration certificate is provided later on.

Similarly, SSI or Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) registration can be obtained only for ancillary and small-scale undertakings or units. The units with investment in machinery and plant of less than Rs.1 crore may apply for registration with the Director of Industries of the concerned state government.

Any industry which does not need an industrial license can apply as an SSI unit at DIC for Provisional Registration Certificate (PRC). Even the industries of Schedule II have employees less than 50/100 who can apply for this registration. It will be valid for five years.

Obtain a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing

Any production or manufacturing process is bound to generate some waste. If a process doesn’t generate any waste, it may result in water, air or noise pollution. Thus, to regulate and monitor the factories and decrease their pollution, State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)or Pollution Control Committee(PCC) was set up in every state and union territory, respectively. This committee or board is legally mandated to certify the businesses for their pollution generation capacity. So, obtaining the PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing is compulsory. The certificate so granted by the SPCB is known as the Consent to Establish (CTE) certificate.

The procedure of determination of the category of the industries

Determining the category of industry in which your unit falls is essential in obtaining a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing.

1. The determination process is typically based on scores. For measuring pollution, scores will be allotted by recognising several pollutants and marks accordingly.

Totalscore	Max score	Pollution type
100	40	Air pollution
	40	Water pollution
	20	Hazardous waste

1. If the unit’s score exceeds 60 out of 100, it falls under the orange category.
2. Notably, commercial businesses under the red category won’t be allowed to run or start in eco-sensitive regions.

How is the PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing granted?

The industries falling under orange, red and green only must apply for Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO). The industries must first apply for CTE and then start the business. Furthermore, the industry also has to apply for CTO. The following steps can be followed to understand the process of obtaining a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing: –

• To obtain a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing(CTE), the applicant must register on the SPCB/PCC official portal and submit the dully-filled application in Form I with the mandated documents.
• For CTO, the procedure is similar to the CTE. The owner must register on the official portal and apply as per Form I with the stipulated documents. Upon document verification by the authorities, the PCC/SPCB sends authorised personnel for site inspection. S/he, based on inspection, creates a report according to which authorisation is given to the business for operation.
• The fees for obtaining the CTE and CTO must be submitted online under the Air and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution Act). The fee amount depends on specific factors like the day of commencement, business type, and capital investment.
• The required documents relating to the details of the industry have to be scanned and uploaded while filling out the online application. Afterwards, the hard copy of the such application, along with those scanned documents and receipt of the fees paid, has to be sent by post to the State Pollution Control Board.
• The applicant can track the status of the application on the official portal.
• Once the authorities examine these documents, the SPCB/PCCgrants the business authorisation for establishment.
• The CTO and renewal are granted for five years in the red category in which the asbestos product manufacturing unit falls.

Get other mandated licenses.

Ground Water Boring Permission

Besides obtaining a PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing, the unit’s owner must get CGWA NOC for groundwater boring. Because asbestos products manufacturing needs some water, the owner must first ascertain the water supply sources. The required water is used for domestic use by employees and in manufacturing. Thus, the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)^[1] obtains permission to dig a bore well.

BIS registration

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was formed under the BIS Act 2016 for the marking, standardisation and quality certificate of goods and related issues. The marking and standards depend on the buyers’ quality, usage and requirements. For example, obtaining the IS 2098: 1997 standard is necessary for the Asbestos Cement Building Boards, while IS 13000: 1990 is needed for Silica-Asbestos-Cement Flat Sheets.

Trademark registration

Trademark is to be obtained for asbestos products manufacturing. To obtain one, the application must be submitted on the online portal. The trademark so obtained has to be innovative and distinct. Depending on the distinctiveness, the registrar may approve and grant the certificate for trademark registration. This has to be renewed after every decade.

Factory license

Another essential step besides obtaining the PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing is getting the factory license. One must apply to the office of the FactoriesDirectorate for the same.

Conclusion

The use of asbestos in India increased from around   125000   metric tonnes to about 300000 between 2000 and 2007. In addition, the tariff on asbestos imports decreased to 15% by 2004 from 78% in the mid-1990s. Thus, India’s asbestos-cement industry is accelerating by approximately 10% every year, employing more than 100,000 people. Thus, to control the harmful effects of this industry, mandating obtaining the PCB certificate for asbestos products manufacturing was the right move.

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