Sterlite will talk to TN green board to restart copper unit

Vedanta Group firm Sterlite Industries said on Monday that it will hold talks with Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to restart operations at its copper facility at Tuticorin, which is now closed as per the Board's orders.

'We will engage with TNPCB to explain the factual position and are committed to cooperating fully with the authorities in this regard, in order to be able to restart operations,' Sterlite said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The copper smelter facility in the state was closed as per orders from the TNPCB, which had carried a preliminary inspection of the plant on March 23 following public complaints of emission.

'We provided to TNPCB all the technical details of the operations which confirms that all parameters and key readings of the particular period of March 23 were well within the permissible range,' it said.

The district administration also issued a press conference confirming that no case of illness was reported on account of alleged emission, based on a report by district health official, it added.

'We believe that this should have been the subject matter of detailed technical evaluation by TNPCB,' it said.

Sterlite Industries has been operating its copper smelter in Tuticorin for last 17 years and the company claims that the facility adheres to the highest standards of environment, health and safety practices.Shares of the company on Monday closed at Rs 89.70 apiece, down 4.37 per cent from its previous close on the Bombay Stock Exchange.