Appointment and composition of the Committee

(1) There shall be appointed by the Minister a Committee whose function shall be to– (a) review and recommend approval or otherwise of the environmental impact assessments; (b) advise during the review stage, the Department of the adequacy or otherwise of (c) advise during the review stage, the Department of circumstances where a public hearing or public consultation is desirable or necessary; (d) make recommendations to the Department on ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the environmental impact assessment process; and (e) examine the information submitted in environmental impact assessments on the basis of scientific evidence and facts concerning social, economic and ecological (2) The Committee shall comprise the following sixteen suitably qualified persons– (a) the Chief Environmental Officer or his nominee; Environmental Protection 25 (b) the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys or his nominee (c) the Director of Health Services or his nominee; (d) the Chief Forest Officer or his nominee; (e) the Fisheries Administrator or his nominee; (f) the Chief Meteorologist or his nominee; (g) the Director of Geology and Petroleum or his nominee; (h) the Chief Engineer or his nominee; (i) the Chief Executive Officer of the ministry responsible for environment; (j) the Financial Secretary or his nominee; (k) the Chief Executive Officer of the ministry responsible for trade or his nominee; (l) a suitably qualified person trained in coastal zone or marine resources management or related field; (m) a suitably qualified person trained in human ' development or social services; (n) a suitably qualified person representing a tertiary level institution; and (o) two registered non-governmental or private sector Representatives who shall serve for a period not exceeding two years. 26 Environmental Protection (3) Nine members shall constitute a quorum for meetings of (4) The Chief Executive Officer of the ministry responsible for environment shall be the Chairperson of the Committee. (5) Every member of the Committee shall have a right to vote. (6) The Chairperson may co–opt persons to the Committee in order to strengthen technical expertise required in the review of an environmental impact assessment. (7) A person co–opted under subregulation (6) shall not have the right to vote. (8) The Chief Environmental Officer shall act as the Secretary of the Committee. (9) Subject to the Act and these Regulations, the Committee may regulate its own proceedings. (10) Every question before a meeting of the Committee shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present at the meeting. (11) On every question before a meeting, the Chairperson shall have a deliberative vote and in the case of an equality of votes, he shall also have a casting vote.