(5)The Committee shall, before issuing a permit, require the applicant to carry out the environmental impact assessment of the proposed activities in such manner as may be prescribed and shall issue a permit if the conditions specified therein has been complied with:Provided that any application for a permit relating to activities in Antarctica which has reasonable apprehension of causing less than a minor or transitory impact on the environment shall be made to the Committee six months prior to the commencement of the proposed activity:Provided further that while examining an activity, the Committee shall take into account the opinion of the independent experts:Provided also that if after examination, the Committee is satisfied that such activity has reasonable apprehension of causing minor or transitory impact on the environment, then it shall require the applicant to conduct an Initial Environmental Evaluation and to submit a report thereon to it, three months prior to the commencement of the proposed activity:Provided also that if after conducting the Initial Environmental Evaluation, the Committee is of the opinion that the activities will have more than a minor or transitory impact on the environment, it shall require the applicant to conduct a Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation and to submit a report thereon.
