The Environmental Commission was established by section 81(1) of the Environmental Management Act, 2000 (the EM Act, 2000) for the purpose of exercising the jurisdiction conferred upon it by that Act or by any other written law.
The Commission is a superior court of record and is bound by the relevant statutory provisions, the common law and the rules of natural justice. The Commission adjudicates applications, appeals and complaints under the EM Act, 2000 and the subsidiary legislation made thereunder. There is also provision for the jurisdiction of the Commission to be extended to other matters by any written law.
The core business of the Commission includes:
- • hearings and decision-making
- • alternative dispute resolution
- • staff processing of hearings
- • public relations
- • public access
The Commission ensures that information on its role, function and services is freely accessible to the public. The Commission provides citizens with a forum for addressing their environmental concerns either where locus standi is specifically provided under the EM Act, 2000 and subsidiary legislation made thereunder, or as an interested party to proceedings in accordance with the Environmental Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure, 2001.
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