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The <keyword id="19896633" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="CBI">CBI</keyword> has booked the country's leading aluminium producer <keyword id="20129733" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindalco" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hindalco" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hindalco">Hindalco</keyword> of the <keyword id="19907441" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aditya-Birla-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Aditya Birla Group" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Aditya Birla Group">Aditya Birla Group</keyword> for alleged <keyword id="19895687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="corruption" source="keywords">corruption</keyword> in getting environmental clearances for <keyword id="20054958" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coal-mining" source="keywords">coal mining</keyword> between 2011 and 2013, officials said on Tuesday. The agency has also named T Chandini, the then director in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, for favouring the company as member secretary of the Expert Appraisal Committee ((EAC) in allowing mining in the Talabira-I mine in the critically polluted area of Odisha's Jharsuguda in violation of ministry guidelines, they said. The central probe agency registered an FIR against Hindalco and Chandini under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act after a nearly eight-year-long preliminary inquiry. Reacting to the FIR, a Hindalco spokesperson said, "This is an old matter pertaining to 2014-15. These mines were de-allocated as part of the government's de-allocation process. This is a matter of public record where more than 100 mines were de-allocated." The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the preliminary inquiry in 2016 on allegations that the Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited (ABMCPL) had allegedly paid "massive bribes" between 2011 and 2013 to ministry officials for getting mandatory <keyword id="20082436" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environmental-clearance" source="keywords">environmental clearance</keyword> to mine coal from Talabira. The findings of the inquiry showed that the ministry had made it mandatory in 2006 for a company to seek environment clearances for all new projects, expansion of existing products and any change in the product mix in an existing manufacturing unit. The projects needing prior environmental clearance were supposed to go through the EAC, consisting of experts from different disciplines. The clearance was given by the regulatory authority based on the EAC's recommendation. Hindalco received its first environmental clearance in 2001 for mining 0.4 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of coal from the Talabira-I mine. Another clearance was given in January 2009 for its expansion, allowing the increase in mining from 0.4 MTPA to 1.5 MTPA. Nearly a month after the second clearance, the company sought to double its capacity to 3 MTPA, which was to be considered by the EAC, it said. It emerged that the company had allegedly violated clearances given in 2001 and 2009 by producing more coal than permitted by the ministry, the FIR said. The company allegedly mined 3.04 MTPA excess coal from 2004-05 to 2007-08 and 2008-09, it said. "This fact became known during the process of consideration by the EAC of which T Chandini, director, was the member secretary," the FIR alleged. The Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board confirmed during the inquiry that the Talabira mine was in the critically polluted area of Jharsuguda, the CBI alleged. According to ministry rules, in-pipeline projects in critically polluted areas or those applying after January 13, 2010, were to be returned to the project proponent by member secretaries with the approval of the advisor. The inquiry showed that Chandini, despite being fully aware that the company was mining excess coal in violation of previous environmental clearances, did not return the project, as stipulated in the ministry circular. "Rather she acted to the contrary in as much as the proposal of HIL (Hindalco) was continued to be processed which amounted to misuse of her official position to favour HIL," the CBI FIR has alleged. Chandini, by misusing her official position, communicated to Hindalco that their proposal for grant environmental clearance would be considered in the next meeting of the EAC to be held on February 25 and 25, 2010, the agency alleged. She allegedly ensured that the clearance was granted in haste, considering the fact that Hindalco was already in violation of earlier clearances granted by the ministry, as it was already mining excess coal from the Talabira-I coal mine, it said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/unicommerce-esolutions-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112307438.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/unicommerce-esolutions-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112307438.cms" target="_blank">Unicommerce eSolutions IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-two-wheeler-sales-cross-the-1-lakh-mark-after-four-months-ola-electric-leads-the-market/articleshow/112288793.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-two-wheeler-sales-cross-the-1-lakh-mark-after-four-months-ola-electric-leads-the-market/articleshow/112288793.cms" target="_blank">Electric two-wheeler sales cross the 1 lakh mark after four months, Ola Electric leads the market</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/neeraj-chopras-paris-olympics-journey-to-begin-with-qualification-round-today-top-rivals-to-look-out-for/articleshow/112311760.cms">Neeraj Chopra qualifies for finals with a first throw of 89.34m – top rivals to look out for</a>

CBI books Hindalco for corruption in green clearance for Talabira coal mining

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6360701" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="spacex">SpaceX</keyword> is aiming to soon launch a new 39-story rocket system called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-starship-ocean-spaceports-offshore-engineer-job-posting-2020-6">Starship-Super Heavy</a> from <keyword id="8136052" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boca-Chica">Boca Chica</keyword> at the southeastern tip of <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword>.</li><li>However, the aerospace company, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, must first complete a new environmental review with the Federal Aviation Administration (<keyword id="137685" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="FAA">FAA</keyword>) before it can receive clearance to launch.</li><li>An FAA letter sent to Business Insider by the agency on Friday details SpaceX's decision to perform what should be a quicker review called an Environmental Assessment.</li><li>But as the letter explains, SpaceX may face a more onerous years-long Environmental Impact Statement process if new and significant issues are discovered as part of the initial assessment.</li><li>In the meantime, SpaceX is aiming to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-filed-to-launch-starship-prototype-2020-7">launch Starship prototypes to about 12.4 miles</a> (20 kilometers) above Texas.</li></ul>At the southeastern tip of Texas, approximately 1,000 SpaceX workers are toiling in the sand, mud, and heat to develop a breakthrough spaceship-and-rocket system called Starship-Super Heavy.If realized as founder Elon Musk envisions, the roughly 39-story launch vehicle will be made mostly of steel, thunder to orbit with roughly 9 million lbs of fuel, and be entirely reusable — reducing the per-mass cost of sending anything to space by about 1,000-fold. Ultimately, he hopes to use the vehicle to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-spacex-blue-origin-design-lunar-landers-2020-5">send people to the moon</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-plans-1-million-people-to-mars-by-2050-2020-1">populate Mars</a>.However, this new system is not part of the <a href="https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/launch/spacex_texas_launch_site_environmental_impact_statement/#spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan approved</a> by the FAA in July 2014 for its current launch site in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/last-town-before-mars">Boca Chica, South Texas</a>. Instead, SpaceX originally specified it was to launch its workhorse <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-block-5-2018-5">Falcon 9</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-spacex-epic-rocket-launch-in-person-2018-2">Falcon Heavy</a> <keyword id="48020" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rockets">rockets</keyword> to orbit from the area.Facing public scrutiny — and standard US regulatory process — SpaceX has to perform a new environmental analysis of its operations with the FAA to ensure nearby wildlife or ecosystems won't be harmed to an unmanageable extent by Starship-Super Heavy operations, according to <a href="https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/exclusive-faa-is-investigating-south-texas-launch-facility-after-change-in-rocket-tests-by-spacex/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Border Report</a>.The step is required before SpaceX can earn permission to launch the system to orbit.To that end on Friday, the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6995183-FAA-letter-SpaceX-Starship-environmental.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAA released a letter</a> (embedded at the end of this story) explaining that SpaceX has chosen to perform what's called an Environmental Assessment, or EA, rather than a more onerous <a href="https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/launch/spacex_texas_launch_site_environmental_impact_statement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS</a>.A spokesperson at the FAA provided the letter to Business Insider on Friday following a July 9 query we'd sent about the status of SpaceX's launch site."[A]pplicants have the right to choose whether to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) under FAA oversight or work with the FAA to initiate the EIS process. If an applicant believes the proposed action would have no significant environmental impacts, or that they can mitigate any potential impacts, then the applicant typically chooses an EA," wrote Howard Searight, manager of the safety authorization division for the FAA's Office of Commercial Space <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> (AST)."However, all applicants run the potential risk that further review may uncover significant impacts that cannot be mitigated. In those cases, the FAA must conduct an EIS," Searight continued in his letter. "SpaceX has begun an EA for the action of issuing experimental permits or launch licenses to SpaceX for Starship/Super Heavy launch operations at the Texas Launch Site."The FAA said the assessment will involve the agency as well as NASA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.The letter was addressed to Jim Chapman, president of <a href="https://friendsofthewildlifecorridor.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friends of the Wildlife Corridor</a>. According the Rio Grande Valley nonprofit's website, the organization is comprised of members who "are concerned about the dwindling geographical area with native habitat and the increasing development pressure on native habitat."Chapman has consistently raised several concerns about SpaceX's activities and behavior at the site, and the FAA provided their response letter to Business Insider to address our prior queries."The FAA takes safety very seriously so if a letter is sent to us, it will get a response," an agency spokesperson said.The FAA said it's still working out a schedule and timeline for SpaceX's assessment because every such project is unique.But prior to the letter's creation, George Nield, a former FAA associate administrator who led AST for more than a decade, told Business Insider that an EA typically takes three to four months to complete, which is relatively fast compared to an EIS."I think it's likely, although not guaranteed, that the full system will be not significantly different from what [SpaceX has] already done in that 400-page assessment that was done before," Nield told Business Insider. "The reason that it matters to SpaceX and everybody else is that, if you're doing a full Environmental Impact Statement, that takes a long time — typically a couple or three years — to go through all the steps."The FAA said it expects to provide more information about the EA in the coming weeks.<h2>A rocket factory for Mars</h2><div type="image" title="spacex starship mars moon rocket factory launch site boca chica south texas june 17 2020 copyright rgv aerial photography licensed business insider 1 wm" height="2000" width="3000" msid="77038155" hostid="261"></div>In the meantime, as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-mars-rocket-spaceport-flyover-pictures-boca-chica-texas-2020-7">aerial images of the site</a> and on-the-ground reports reveal, SpaceX is continuing to develop, build, and test <keyword id="1611690" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Starship">Starship</keyword> prototypes being churned out of its factory in Boca Chica. The work has carried on amid a small community of retiree-age residents, some of whom <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-texas-spaceport-boca-chica-village-possible-eminent-domain-challenge-2020-2">refuse to sell to SpaceX</a> and leave.A full-scale 16-story Starship prototype has yet to fly, though a previous and shorter version of the rocket — known as Starhopper — successfully <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starhopper-launch-video-youtube-live-video-feed-2019-8">launched 500 feet high and landed</a> in 2019. Since then, more advanced yet still early iterations of Starship prototypes have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-rocket-prototype-explosion-fireball-boca-chica-texas-2020-5">failed and were obliterated</a> during testing, typically when engineers filled the rockets with inert liquid nitrogen to test the limits of their integrity. During a test-firing of a recent Starship prototype called SN4 in Boca Chica on May 29, the vehicle <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-rocket-prototype-explosion-fireball-boca-chica-texas-2020-5">spectacularly exploded</a>.Such a string of failures, however, is anything but unexpected, as SpaceX saw with the development of core technologies for its Falcon 9 system. Musk has also said the company may need to build about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-rocket-prototype-explosion-fireball-boca-chica-texas-2020-5">20 large Starship prototypes</a> before SpaceX can attempt to launch one into orbit.The company, operating with the bounds of its current EIS and a recently awarded launch license from the FAA, next plans to fly Starships up to 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) above Texas within the next seven months, per <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-filed-to-launch-starship-prototype-2020-7">a Thursday FCC filing</a>.SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Read the FAA's full letter below.Have a story or inside information to share about the spaceflight industry? Send Dave Mosher an email at <a href="mailto:dmosher+tips@businessinsider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dmosher+tips@businessinsider.com</a> or a Twitter direct message at <a href="https://twitter.com/davemosher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@davemosher</a>. More secure communication options are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dave-mosher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed here</a>.This story has been updated.

SpaceX has kicked off a new FAA environmental review in hopes of soon launching Starship-Super Heavy rockets to orbit from South Texas

New Delhi, Feb 23 () Companies including Tata Steel, JSW Steel and Adani Power among others have requested the government to ensure that the blocks proposed to be auctioned for commercial coal mining should have prior-environmental clearance, so that issues like 'inviolate areas' does not crop up during the development of these blocks. Inviolate areas are sights of significance for conservation of biodiversity (flora and fauna) and forest types that are unique and ecologically important. In the stakeholders' meeting held last month to discuss methodology for commercial coal mining, the participants made some general observations and requested that "the mines may be cleared from the environmental angle so that issues like safety zones, inviolate areas may not crop up later during development of mines," a source said. Some prominent players who participated in the meeting were Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Adani Power, JSPL, Hindalco and GMR Power among others. During the meeting, the stakeholders also requested that sufficient large mines should be earmarked for the industry, instead of numerous small mines, the source said. The participants were also of the view that the "terms and conditions are liberal and conform to the government's intentions of opening up the Indian coal sector," the source added. The government had called meetings with various stakeholders to discuss the draft methodology as well as key bidding terms and conditions for auction of coal mines for commercial mining. Earlier, the government had said that it is initiating the process of coal auctions and the first round of sale of blocks under commercial mining is proposed to be launched in the ongoing fiscal. The announcement came days after the government approved an ordinance to ease coal mining laws that will see more local and global players enter the Indian coal sector. A company or a joint venture company incorporated in India is eligible to participate in commercial coal auctions, the coal ministry had said. "Moving ahead after the recent amendments in MMDR Act 1957 and the CMSP Act 2015, the Ministry of Coal is initiating the process for auction of coal mines for sale of coal. Expected to be held in multiple tranches, the first tranche is proposed to be launched in the current financial year," the government had said. The bidders would be required to bid for a percentage share of revenue payable to the government. The floor price shall be four per cent of the revenue share, the coal ministry notice had said. The government has released a list of 74 mines which it plans to auction under commercial mining. The ministry had said it has urged interested stakeholders to view the discussion paper and the mine specific details and submit their views/ suggestions, indicating their preferences for the mines to be considered for auction under the first tranche. SID DRR

Blocks for commercial coal mining should be pre-cleared from environmental angle: Cos tell Govt

The <keyword id="6354705" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="directorate-general-of-civil-aviation" source="Orion">Directorate General of Civil Aviation</keyword> (<keyword id="6354787" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dgca" source="Orion">DGCA</keyword>) has asked all aircraft operators to frame Standard Operating Procedures (<keyword id="50548" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SOP" source="Orion">SOP</keyword>) for commercial flight operations to ensure safe flight procedures with no alternative destination. The circular issued by DGCA on February 20 said that the operators shall establish aerodrome-wise standard operating procedures and provide guidance to flight operations personnel to ensure safe flight procedures with no destination alternate and have the same approved by DGCA. It further reads that in a rapidly changing global economy, the international air transport industry must continuously adapt to new trends and increasingly competitive market conditions. "While technological improvements in aviation continue to increase reliability and predictability, economic and environmental concerns will continue to compel operators to use fuel more efficiently. Consequently, all operators, including those leveraging existing technologies and those investing in new technologies to meet operational challenges, should be afforded the opportunity to receive a return on their investments," the circular from DGCA read. "This circular aims to provide extended guidance material necessary to support the implementation of policy to operate flights with no destination alternate in compliance with CAR Section 8 Series O Part II," it read further. DGCA has suggested certain guidelines to formulate SOP for flights with No Destination Alternate, it says that the operators shall establish a laid down procedure for each aerodrome as approved by DGCA in order to undertake flights with No Destination Alternate. DGCA in the circular also said that the procedure is only applicable to destinations with more than one independent runway. "At least one runway should be available with an instrument approach procedure. Change over time from the primary runway to the secondary runway should be specified by the airport operator. The operator should have signed MoU with each aerodrome where they intend to undertake a flight with No Destination Alternate. All the possible non-normal scenarios and contingency plans shall be discussed at the organizational level and shall be shared with the personals involved. All the personnel involved shall be trained prior to undertake flight operations with No Destination Alternate (NDA)," it read. "Operators involved in Ultra long-range (ULR) flight operations may look into No Destination Alternate in conjunction with re-clearance flight planning in order to undertake flight operations with NDA flight. Also, necessary approval shall be taken from the local regulator along with each aerodrome. The decision to commence or continue the flight with "No Destination Alternate" lies entirely with the Pilot In Command (PIC). If circumstances so dictate, the flight will be dispatched with a Destination Alternate," it read further. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/microsoft-bing-chatgpt-gives-death-threats-tries-to-break-a-marriage-and-more/articleshow/98091746.cms">Skynet, anyone? Microsoft’s Bing AI gives death threats, tries to break a marriage and more</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/celeb-couples-whose-breakups-took-over-social-media-shakira-gerard-pique-samantha-ruth-prabhu-naga-chaitanya/slidelist/98093824.cms#slideid=98094297">Shakira-Pique to Kangana-Hrithik: Celeb couples whose breakups took over social media</a>

DGCA asks aircraft operators to frame SOP for commercial flights with 'no destination alternate'

Pilots fear they'll lose their wings if they disclose mental health treatment — and they say the FAA's stringent policies are to blameMoments before an off-duty pilot tried to pull two red fire handles and cut off fuel to the engines during an Alaska Airlines flight in October, he made an admission. "I'm not OK," he told the two stunned pilots in the cockpit. Joseph David Emerson, who was arrested upon landing in Portland, Oregon and is now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-airlines-off-duty-pilot-accused-shut-plane-engines-details-2023-10">charged with 83 counts of attempted murder</a>, told authorities he was depressed, hadn't slept in 40 hours, and was having a nervous breakdown, according to court records. Emerson denied taking any medication, but said he'd <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-airlines-pilot-mushrooms-turn-planes-engines-off-2023-10">recently used psychedelic mushrooms</a> for the first time.But despite Emerson's emotional collapse, he <a href="https://news.alaskaair.com/alaska-airlines/information-on-alaska-airlines-flight-2059-operated-by-horizon-air/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> never sought help or told his employer or the FAA he was in the throes of a mental health crisis — until it was too late. That, pilots and aviation experts told Insider, is due in part to a major flaw in the FAA's mental fitness regulations: The agency relies on pilots to self-report when they seek therapy or treatment for mental illness, but punishes them for doing so. Though the FAA <a href="https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> the majority of mental health conditions do not disqualify pilots from flying, aviation industry insiders told Insider the reality is more complicated. When a pilot discloses mental health treatment — whether it's therapy or medication — they immediately lose the ability to fly, and will remain grounded for months or even years while undergoing FAA-mandated medical evaluations. Pilots lose their income while they're out of the skies, and may pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to complete the necessary medical evaluations to regain their wings.Emerson's wife recently <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2023/10/27/horizon-alaska-pilot-in-flight-accident-depression-mental-health-stigman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Oregon Public Radio that Emerson's depression began after the sudden death of his closest friend. He refused to talk to a professional or obtain medication because he feared any disclosure would ground him, she said, and the couple couldn't afford to lose his income.<div type="image" title="man stands during arraignment" height="1652" width="2202" msid="104966049" hostid="261" sizebytes="125002"></div>The FAA did not address a list of specific questions sent by Insider. In a statement, a spokesman said the agency was "committed to prioritizing the mental health of pilots," and pointed to an inspector general's report touting the procedures for evaluating pilots' psychological health."The FAA encourages pilots to seek early help if they have a mental-health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying," the spokesman said. "Mild depression and anxiety are examples of conditions that if properly treated are not necessarily disqualifying."Joe LoRusso, an aviation attorney who represents pilots who have had their medical certifications denied, told Insider that the process is so daunting, expensive, and risky that many pilots prefer to suffer in silence. If a pilot lies on a medical form, for example, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/fayetteville-man-charged-lying-federal-aviation-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the consequences can be significant</a>: a five-year prison sentence, a $250,00 fine, and three years of supervised release. "It is more than a job, it is more than a hobby — it is an absolute identity. These people identify as pilots, and without that identity they're lost," LoRusso, who also works as a pilot, told Insider. "And because of that, they are not willing to lie on a government form, and they are more willing to sacrifice their health." But the consequences can be deadly.<h2>'It was essentially him saying goodbye to us'</h2>To his friends and family, John Hauser was an ambitious young aviation student, a joyful and social 19-year-old who had dreamed since middle school of becoming a pilot. Hauser earned his private pilot's license at 18, saving up money from years' worth of odd jobs so he could pay nearly $10,000 for lessons and exams and flight time.Like most teenagers who lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, Hauser's adolescence lacked certain hallmarks. He lost much of the latter half of his senior year of high school, and his graduation ceremony was canceled. Though he was co-captain of his rowing team, the shutdown meant his team lost the chance to compete nationally. Despite the setbacks, his parents didn't feel that Hauser acted out or struggled any more than his peers. He even organized a virtual poker club for his friends to play late into the night.Nobody, it seems, had any suspicions about his mental health until October 18, 2021, when he crashed a plane into a field outside Buxton, North Dakota. Sitting at their dinner table that evening, Anne Suh and Alan Hauser received a text from their son saying he had a solo flight planned. They recalled responding as they always did, with a "be safe" or "we love you." But less than an hour later, they got a second text. "It was essentially him saying goodbye to us," Suh told Insider in an interview. "As a parent reading it, you knew that something was very, very wrong." Suh and Hauser texted him back immediately, then called. Then texted again, and called again. Nothing. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation would later show that the Piper PA-28 Hauser was flying did a 180-degree turn some 30 miles after takeoff, and began a "rapid descent" from 3,700 feet before crashing into a plowed dirt field. <div type="image" title="Photos of John Hauser" height="480" width="640" msid="104966051" hostid="261" sizebytes="29632"></div>Piecing together their own timeline afterwards, his parents said Hauser fired off a barrage of goodbye texts to his family, friends, and girlfriend as he steered his plane straight downward.Though he didn't spell out depression as the source of his anguish, his parents believe it was the likely diagnosis. They said he left them a letter in which he described feeling trapped. He believed that if he sought treatment, it would risk his future career as a pilot. That realization was crushing."I want to get help, I really do. I just know that if I get help, I won't be able to fly, and that's what I really love," John wrote, according to his father.Though intentional aviation crashes stemming from mental health conditions are rare, they are not unheard of. In 2015, Andreas Lubitz crashed the Germanwings flight he was piloting into the French Alps, killing 144 passengers and six crew members. Lubitz had been treated for <a href="https://bea.aero/uploads/tx_elydbrapports/BEA2015-0125.en-LR.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suicidal ideation</a>, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/world/europe/germanwings-crash-andreas-lubitz.html#:~:text=D%C3%9CSSELDORF%2C%20Germany%20%E2%80%94%20Andreas%20Lubitz%2C,diagnosis%20might%20explain%20why%20Mr." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hid his condition from his employer</a>.In the aftermath of their son's death, Suh and Hauser said they heard two very different narratives from those within the aviation industry on what, precisely, would have happened to his career had he sought treatment for depression."We've been told that he was, in essence, wrong, and that he could have gotten help and it would not necessarily have jeopardized his ability to fly," Suh said. "On the other hand, we've talked to a lot of pilots who have said, 'No, he was right.'" Though the FAA outwardly encourages pilots to seek help for mental health conditions — <a href="https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the agency notes on its website</a> that "most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying" — Suh and Hauser believe their son likely heard from working pilots, and from peers in his aviation program whose parents were pilots, that seeking treatment would ruin his career. For Hauser, his parents say, the system designed to keep struggling pilots on the ground actually helped drive him into a mental health crisis — while keeping him in the air.Hauser said his son included a request in his letter: "If there's anything you could do for me. Get the FAA to change their rules on pilots seeking help with mental health. I know it would change a lot of things for the better and it would help a lot of people out."<h2>A daunting process</h2>Pilots must report all physical and psychological conditions, medications, and visits to any health professionals to the FAA on <a href="https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regular medical certification forms</a> — typically, every six months or every year, depending on the age of the pilot.There are certain conditions that the FAA <a href="https://www.faa.gov/faq/what-medical-conditions-does-faa-consider-disqualifying-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> completely disqualify a pilot from flying, including bipolar disorder, psychosis, severe personality disorders, and substance abuse or dependence. But for conditions like mild to moderate depression, the FAA has approved the use of five common antidepressants, and will grant pilots what they call "special issuance medical certificates" on a case-by-case basis. The problem comes when you read the fine print, according to LoRusso. After beginning an approved antidepressant, pilots must be deemed "clinically stable" — meaning their dosage must be consistent — for a minimum of six continuous months before they can be granted medical clearance to fly. But users often need to experiment with their dosages, raising or lowering them — and that resets the six-month clock each time.<div type="image" title="Pilots conduct a pre-flight check in the cockpit of a jet before taking off from Dallas Fort Worth airport in Grapevine, Texas, on Dec. 2, 2020." height="3669" width="5813" msid="104966052" hostid="261" sizebytes="708088"></div>At a minimum, a pilot would spend six months out of the air and out of a paycheck. In reality, LoRusso said, wait times are often far longer. Even just waiting for the appropriate FAA authority to review a pilot's initial medical certificate application can take over a year, he said, adding that many pilots feel they can't take the time off work. Between flight school, plane rentals to bank flight time, and necessary licenses and certificates, it can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000 to become a pilot.Though they can apply for short-term disability through their employers, LoRusso said long wait times can outlast those payments. The decision to come forward about mental illness, LoRusso said, "has so many different ripples."The FAA spokesman said the agency has worked in recent years on decreasing wait times for return-to-fly decisions, and has hired additional mental health professionals. The spokesman added that it has also amended its policies to lessen the frequency of cognitive testing for pilots who take one of the five approved antidepressant medications.Though the FAA's regulations are intended to protect the public and ensure safe air travel, LoRusso believes the agency's approach to pilots' mental health is doing the opposite. "We say we want our pilots to be healthy and we want the FAA to be critical of them — without realizing that the FAA has created a situation that's more dangerous."<h2>'You always need to have that switch turned on'</h2>One pilot who spoke to Insider said he assumed a career in aviation would be full of glamor, exotic travel, crisp uniforms, and first-rate planes. He felt bewildered when a flight instructor once asked him if he got homesick — surely a pilot's travels would be too exciting to think about home, he remembered thinking.So it was a shock when he began working and realized there was another side to his dream job: Immense and unyielding pressure, exhausting shifts of up to 10 hours of flight time, grueling travel, uncomfortable or unsafe hotels, terrible food, and going days or even weeks without seeing a familiar face. Even being on standby is stressful, he said — he spends those days trapped in a hotel room, waiting for a phone call. He said the pressure to perform perfectly, as well as the nonstop need for vigilance, has shaken his confidence in his chosen career. It's a standard that feels impossible to meet, he said."It's a job that you always need to have that switch turned on. It's not a job where you can just sit back for a minute and take a coffee break," he said. LoRusso said the stress of pilots' work environments is comparable to those of surgeons — precision is crucial, and mistakes can be deadly."It is very, very stressful to fly an airplane and to have 120 people behind you and to navigate weather in real time and to shoot these approaches," LoRusso said. "Pilots are not immune to that stress." <div type="image" title="airport maui" height="1000" width="1500" msid="104966053" hostid="261" sizebytes="177504"></div>The pilot, who works for a private aviation company and spoke to Insider on condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardizing his job, said he experiences depression and anxiety as a result of his work. Though he wants to seek help, he knows that even just a visit to a therapist would require a disclosure on his upcoming medical certification, and that would trigger months of uncertainty and possibly cost him his job."We're hesitant as pilots to go seek the treatment because of these repercussions that may come from it," he said. Besides the stress that comes from the pressure of the job, pilots may also deal with the kinds of life-related stressors familiar to most people — the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, the loss of a partner's job, or a traumatic event. LoRusso and the pilot said that even a single visit to a grief counselor would necessitate disclosure.The pilot said these factors are often compounded by the stigma against mental illness that pilots themselves perpetuate. The FAA spokesman said the agency has increased outreach to pilot groups to educate them on available resources, but the pilot said his peers remain reluctant."Pilots are not seeking the treatment they need, and are not really talking about how they're feeling. At the end of the day, it's like this macho mentality," he said. (According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 90.8% of pilots are male). "A lot of pilots feel like, 'Well, why do I have to open up?'"The FAA's public encouragement for pilots to seek mental health treatment has not been convincing, he said. He recalled a common refrain among students at his aviation school: "The FAA says, 'Don't be sad.'" "They're like, 'Well, yeah, go seek out treatment, but don't be sad. What do you have to be so sad about? You're flying an airplane,'" he said.Though it's unclear precisely how many of the roughly <a href="https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/civil_airmen_statistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">750,000 Americans who hold active pilot's certificates</a> have been concealing mental illnesses, research suggests the number could be high. One study published last year in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine surveyed nearly 4,000 pilots and found that <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-need-to-change-the-system-that-keeps-pilots-from-seeking-mental-health-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">56% had avoided seeking healthcare</a> because they feared losing their medical clearance to fly. Twenty-six percent had either misrepresented or withheld information during their FAA health check-ups. (Though the study focused broadly on medical care, the authors wrote that they suspected the same was true of mental healthcare.)The pilot said he's had conversations with people who have balked at the idea of pilots seeking therapy — a stigma that is just as discouraging as the FAA's protocols."Who wants a depressed pilot?"<h2>Balancing passenger and pilot safety</h2>A pilot who accepts help for a treatable mental health condition will improve both his personal and professional life, and see far more benefits than consequences, according to Dr. Matthew Goldenberg, an aviation psychiatrist who frequently evaluates pilots undergoing the FAA medical certification process. Though he conceded that the medical evaluation process is onerous and expensive for pilots, he believes it works."When you have a diagnosable and treatable mental health or addiction condition, you always have the opportunity to voluntarily seek the help that you need and you deserve. If you don't, you run the risk that the condition will worsen and the disease will make the decision," Goldenberg said. "Your disease doesn't always make the right decisions."He said the goal is to protect the public, not punish the pilot."Being a pilot is not a right. It's a privilege we hold," Goldenberg said. "There is no other way to both give somebody the treatment that they need to be safe, and protect the public in a way that builds public trust."<div type="image" title="FAA" height="2569" width="3500" msid="104966055" hostid="261" sizebytes="611678"></div>LoRusso disagrees. He believes the FAA should remove its requirement that pilots disclose visits to mental health professionals, while keeping the requirement to disclose any medications."Let a pilot see a counselor or a therapist without the scrutiny of the FAA," LoRusso said. "I promise you, there would be a significant amount of pilots who would take advantage of that, and their symptoms would not compound, and it would not be self-medicated, and it would solve a lot of the issues."The incident with Emerson, the Alaska Airlines pilot, could hamper public support for more lenient mental health regulations. Anne Suh, John Hauser's mother, said she hopes Emerson's incident prompts the public to ask, "Why did he have to do what he did?" Though the FAA's regulations are intended to safeguard the public, they may be causing harm instead, they believe. "I wonder when I get on planes now: Is this pilot a healthy pilot?" Suh said.

Crisis in the skies: Pilots aren't getting mental health treatment because they fear they'll lose their wings

New Delhi, Feb 28 () Public sector undertaking KIOCL Ltd on Friday said it has received green clearance for setting up a coke oven plant in Mangalore. However, the clearance is subject to specific conditions stated in an approval letter andsector specific general conditions as per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's Office Memorandum, KIOCL said in a filing to BSE. The ministry has accorded environmental clearance, under the provisions of Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006, for setting up of non-recovery coke oven plant (0.18 MTPA) with cogen captive power plant (10MW) and ductile iron spun pipe (DISP) (0.2 MTPA) within the existing premises of its blast furnace unit at Mangalore, the company said. KIOCL Ltd, formerly known as Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd, a flagship company under the Steel Ministry, was formed in 1976 for mining and beneficiation of low grade iron ore at Kudremukh, Karnataka. SID SID ANSANS

KIOCL gets green nod to set up coke oven plant

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A German court on Friday ruled that <keyword id="107096" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tesla">Tesla</keyword> would not be able to clear as much forest as it intended to in order to build its new <keyword id="2179091" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="gigafactory">Gigafactory</keyword> outside <keyword id="3731" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="berlin">Berlin</keyword>.</li><li>The court ruled the deforestation would endanger the local population of hibernating sand <keyword id="109567" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="lizards">lizards</keyword>.</li><li>Tesla already tried to relocate all the lizards from its site, but many of the lizards would already have been in their winter dens, the court found.</li><li>Therefore, Tesla's relocation won't have been enough to save the population.</li></ul>As Tesla races to finish its new German Gigafactory by July 2021, a local species of lizard could pose a real problem.A German court on Friday issued an order forbidding Tesla from chopping down trees that are home to hibernating sand lizards who would not survive the clearance process.The court order noted that Tesla already tried to accommodate the protected species by collecting and moving any lizards it found onsite. However, because many of the male lizards would already have been in their winter dens, the court says Tesla's relocation efforts wouldn't have been enough to protect the lizard population.It's not clear how, or if, the court order will impact the factory's completion date.This isn't the first time reptiles have slowed construction of the Grünheide Gigafactory, which according to CEO Elon Musk is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55235802">due to open in July 2021</a> and aims to produce 500,000 cars a year.Authorities suspended forest clearance on December 10 after environmental groups <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-ordered-to-suspend-tree-clearance-at-german-factory-tagesspiegel-2020-12">voiced concerns about hibernating snakes</a>. This newest ruling, given on December 18, solidifies that suspension.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/panasonic-tesla-gigafactory-ev-battery-challenge-2020-11?r=ih-sub">A VP at the world's third largest battery supplier says today's supply chain can't handle the coming surge in demand for electric cars</a>Snakes and lizards aren't the only environmental concerns the Gigafactory has had to deal with. In November 2019, conservationists warned that the factory's construction could <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-gigafactory-endanger-bar-species-scientists-warn-2019-11">endanger a local bat species</a>, and it has met with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/court-halts-work-on-tesla-berlin-gigafactory-environmental-concerns-2020-2">fierce opposition from local environmentalist groups</a> - two of whom, NABU and Green League, filed the concerns with the court about hibernating reptiles."We can't accept the idea of a special 'Lex Tesla' that would have watered down <keyword id="87" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Germany">Germany</keyword>'s standards for conservation and the protection of species," Christiane Schröder, a manager at NABU, told the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d6d51776-76af-45cf-9cfa-d557412f037b">Financial Times</a>.The ruling on the sand lizards also came the same day the factory had to halt construction because of a reported <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-gigafactory-berlin-construction-halted-unpaid-100-million-deposit-2020-12">unpaid 100 million euro ($122 million) deposit</a>.In October, construction was stopped reportedly because the site had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-water-shut-off-berlin-factory-construction-site-german-reports-2020-10">forgotten to pay its water bill</a>.

Tesla's German Gigafactory has a lizard problem

New Delhi, Feb 12 () Realty firm Godrej Properties on Wednesday said it will challenge the NGT order quashing environmental nod granted to one of its housing project in Bengaluru, saying no construction work has been done in the buffer zone of lake. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) quashed the environmental clearance (EC) granted to a high-rise residential project being built by Godrej in Bengaluru for raising construction in the buffer zone of Kaikondrahalli lake. "NGT has passed an order concerning our projects in Bengaluru. We reiterate that as a responsible corporate, we follow all concerned regulations and are confident of our compliance in this project," Godrej Properties said in a statement. "There has been no construction in the buffer zone and we are confident of our merits and compliances in the case. We are in the process of challenging the said order," it added. Godrej Properties is the real estate arm of diversified Godrej Group. Earlier, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice S P Wangdi said no environmental clearance could have been granted which permitted construction in the buffer zone of Kaikondrahalli lake and drains merely by imposing a condition that no such construction will be raised. "Stand of the project proponent that the project is permissible cannot be accepted. It is clear that the project stipulates construction in the buffer zone, in violation of zoning plan and judgment of this tribunal as affirmed by the Supreme Court. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed and the EC is quashed," the bench said. MJH RVK

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CBI books Hindalco for corruption in green clearance for Talabira coal mining

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SpaceX has kicked off a new FAA environmental review in hopes of soon launching Starship-Super Heavy rockets to orbit from South Texas

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Crisis in the skies: Pilots aren't getting mental health treatment because they fear they'll lose their wings

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KIOCL gets green nod to set up coke oven plant

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Tesla's German Gigafactory has a lizard problem

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Godrej Properties to challenge NGT order quashing green nod for housing project in Bengaluru

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