Environmental Protection is an important component in environmental management. The Provincial Environmental Authority of the North Western Province executes a massive role in implementing the concept of sustainable development trough proper environmental protection practices in the North Western Province. The Main duty of the Provincial Environmental Authority of the North Western Province (PEA-NWP) is issuing of Environmental Protection Licenses (EPLs). EPL is an environmental protection permit that allows the industry to operate in a manner that does not violate the environmental equilibrium, but also allows the release of solid, liquid and gaseous wastes into the environment within the norms and regulations gazetted by the Authority. The legal provisions in this regard have been published in the Gazette Notification No. 1685/11 of 21/12/2012 published under Section 20 & 21 of the Provincial Environment Statute (PES) No. 12 of 1990.

The norms and regulations pertaining to the issuing of EPL are given comprehensively in said gazette notification and however those norms and regulation are equal to such national norms and regulations. The prescribed activities, for which EPL is required is gazetted under the schedule IX of the said gazette notification. The EPLs for the activities listed under the part A and part B of scheduled IX are issued by the PEA-NWP whilst EPLs for the activities listed under the part C are issued by the relevant Local Authority. The application form also has been published in said gazette notification and the applications for EPL shall be submitted to this Authority in accordance with that format. A site inspection is carried by the officials of the Authority after receiving of the duly filled applications and either granting or rejection of EPL is decided thereafter. By such EPL, the licensee is allowed to release, discharge and deposit of solid, liquid and gasses waste in to the environment within the norms and regulations gazetted by PEA-NWP. The EPL is granted for a validity period of one year in general and that can be granted for a validity period of either three months or six months as well in consideration with the prevailing circumstances.

The application can be submitted online or directly to the Provincial Environmental Authority or to the relevant Local Authority with the following documents..

• 1. Documents to prove the ownership of the land. (copy of the deed, copy of the lease agreement etc.)


• 2. A copy of the Survey Plan of the land (photocopy of the plan)


• 3. Building plan


• 4. Building layout plan


• 5. Copy of Business Registration Certificate / Copy of the National Identity Card of the Industrialist.


• 6. Project Proposals and Proposals for Mitigation of environmental Pollution


• 7. Route map to the proposed site.


• 8. GPS coordinates


• 9. The approval obtain form the relevant Local Authority when required. (Compliance Certificate , Trade License or Approval from the Local Authority)


• 10. Necessary certifications and approvals for special projects. (distillery products, pharmaceutical products, pesticide products, explosive based products etc.)


• 11. Board of Investment Approval (only for BOI projects)


• 12. Any other document or details when, required

The application and the required documents will be duly verified and if necessary, the industrialist is informed to submit further more documents.

It is compulsory to conduct a field inspection at the project site with regard to the application and therefore inspection fee is charged to cover the cost incurred with the field inspection and the administrative expenses as well. Online applicants can pay the inspection fee through online payments to the PEA-NWP and if not directly to the PEA-NWP. The relevant payments can be made directly to the Local Authorities for the industries obtaining the EPL from the Local Authority.

A site inspection is carried out by the officers of the PEA-NWP after paying the inspection fee. The site inspection is done in order to verify whether the industry can be functioned in accordance with the norms and regulations gazetted by the Authority.

The site inspection report will be prepared by the relevant officer based on the observation of the site inspection as well as the reports submitted by the industrialist. If the inspection report recommends the operation of the industry, the EPL will be issued with the approval of Director PEA-NWP. In case of environmental pollution should be controlled, furthermore technical reports are obtained from the industrialist and such technical reports will be evaluated by the PEA-NWP to grant the EPL.

When the aforesaid requirements are fulfilled the EPL is issued with conditions to be complied by the industrialist. The license fee is charged as per the scheduled III of the gazette notification No.1685/11 dated 21.12.2010 published by the PEA-NWP.

The grant of EPL is rejected in such circumstances of non compliance of conditions/ regulations stipulated gazetted by the PEA-NWP.

The industrialist has legal rights to make an appeal with regard to the rejection of issue of EPL for any project within 30 days.

The EPL renewal applications can be collected in such a way of online, directly from the PEA-NWP or directly from the local authority. The renewal application should be submitted one month prior to the expiry of existing EPL. In addition to that the prior approval of PEA-NWP should be obtained for any kind of change or alternation of the industry, although it functions under an EPL. The same process is applied for the renewal of EPL as well.