Environmental Impact Assessment

MEL422

Environmental Impact Assessment

Presented By:Bahadur Prasad (2010ME10662)

Jasbir Singh (2010ME10682)

Ram Bihari (2010ME10715)

Ankur Rana (2010ME10654)

Rajveer Singh (2010ME10714)

Arla Sagar (2010ME1010657)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

• EIA is a systematic process to identify, predict and evaluate the environmental effects of proposed actions and projects.

• A broad definition of environment is adopted. Whenever appropriate social, cultural and health effects are also considered as an integral part of EIA.

• Finally, particular attention is given in EIA for preventing, mitigating and offsetting the significant adverse effects of proposed undertakings

Definition

It is a planning and management tool for sustainable development that seeks to identify the type, magnitude and probability of environmental and social changes likely to occur as direct or indirect result of a project or policy and to design the possible mitigation procedure.

EIA is a tool that is applied…

before major decisions are taken and when all alternatives are still open;

to inform all stages of decision making, including final approval and the establishment of conditions for project implementation;

with public participation and consultation; and

to integrate environmental considerations and safeguards into all phases of project design, construction and operation

Various activities are completed during the project cycle, which are identified in the Table

EIA…. When?

• EIA regulations define two schedules of developments.• For Schedule 1 projects an EIA must always be carried out.• For Schedule 2 projects an EIA must be carried out if the development

is likely to have a significant impact on the environment by virtue of its nature, size or location.

Examples of Schedule 1 projects include: • Major power plants • Chemical works • Waste disposal incineration • Major Roads Schemes

Examples of Schedule 2 Projects include: • Quarries and opencast • Some intensive livestock rearing • Overhead transmission lines

About Schedule 2 projects

• All Schedule 2 developments are based on thresholds. A proposed development only becomes a Schedule 2 development where it exceeds the threshold.• For example a ‘shipyard’ development only falls within Schedule 2

where ‘the area of new floor space exceeds 1,000 square meters’• Just because a project falls within one of the categories set out in

Schedule 2 and exceeds the Schedule 2 threshold does not mean that EIA is required.

Three stage process is as follows:

1. Is the proposed development within a category set out in Schedule 2? 2. If so, either: a. does it exceed the threshold set out for that category in Schedule 2? Or b. is it in a ‘sensitive area’ such as a SSSI, SPA, national park, AONB etc.? 3. If so, it is likely to have a significant effect on the environment by virtue of its nature, size or location?• If the answer to all three of those questions is ‘yes’ then an EIA is

required. • If the answer to any of those questions is ‘no’ then an EIA is not

required.

Steps in EIA

*Public involvement typically occurs at these points. It may also occur at any other stage of the EIA Process

Information from this process contributes to effective EIA in the future

No EIA

Initial environmental examination

EIA required

Approved

Not approved

Redesign

Resubmit

Proposal identification

*Public involvement

Screening

Scoping

Impact analysis

Mitigation and impact

management

EIA report

Review

Decision-making

Implementation and post-EIA monitoring

FIGURE 1: Generalized EIA Process Flow-Chart

Screening

This step determines:• whether or not EIA is required for a particular project

• what level of EIA is required

Often there is some uncertainty and an environmental assessment specialist may be required to help advise on which of the following is applied:

Environmental Appraisal Environmental Impact Assessment Environmental Audit

Screening Process

Mandatory EIA

Case-by-case consideration of requirement

for EIA

EIA ruled out

Inclusive threshold

Indicative threshold

Exclusive threshold

• The Screening Process results in the production of the Environmental Screening Summary Note (ESSN) which include -

• Brief project description• Environmental issues apparent at screening • Significance of environmental impacts, risks and/or benefits • Environmental investigation proposed • Other issues• Actions to be taken

Scoping

The specific objectives of the process are

• To enhance the environmental benefits

• To ensure compliance with relevant UK, EC and local legislation

• To consider the alternatives to the proposal that should be examined

• To identify any significant adverse environmental effects, and identify action

• To provide for public consultation and input to the identification of issues to be examined

• To define the data assembly needs and field survey activities

• To determine the predictive techniques

Outcome:

• identifies key issues and impacts to be considered

• lays the foundation of an effective process, saves time and money, and reduces conflict

The scoping process

• prepare a scope outline

• develop the outline through informal consultation with environmental and health authorities

• make the outline available

• compile an extensive list of concerns

• evaluate relevant concerns to establish key issues

• organise key issues into impact categories (study list)

• amend the outline accordingly

• develop ‘Terms of reference’ (ToR) for impact analysis

• monitor progress against the ToR, revising as necessary

Impact Analysis

→ Type biophysical, social, health or economic

→ Nature direct or indirect, cumulative, etc.

→ Magnitude or severity

high, moderate, low

→ Extent local, regional, trans-boundary or global

→ Timing immediate/long term

→ Duration temporary/permanent

→ Uncertainty low likelihood/high probability

→ Reversibility reversible/irreversible

→ Significance* unimportant/important checklists, matrix, geographical information systems (GIS),expert systems, professional judgement are used as tool for impact identification.

Impact Mitigation

• Fundamental part of project design• Simple design changes can have a dramatic effect upon improving

environmental performance• to avoid, minimise or remedy adverse impacts • to ensure that residual impacts are within acceptable

levels• to enhance environmental and social benefits

Framework for Impact Mitigation

Common (desirable)

Rare (undesirable)

Alternative sites or technology to

eliminate habitat loss

Actions during design, construction and

operation to minimise or eliminate habitat

loss

Used as a last resort to offset habitat loss

Avoidance

Mitigation

Compensation

Reporting

• Purpose- to improve the project design prior to its submission• Focused upon the key issues that the decision maker should

appreciate• Different name of EIA reports

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

Environmental Statement (ES)

Environmental Assessment Report (EA Report)

Contents of the Report

a description of the project;

• an outline of the main alternatives studied by the developer, and an indication of the main reasons for this choice,

• a description of the aspects of the environment likely to be significantly affected by the proposed project;

• a description of the likely significant environmental effects of the proposed project;

• measures to prevent, reduce and possibly offset adverse environmental effects;

• a non-technical summary;

• an indication of any difficulties (technical deficiencies or lack of know-how) encountered while compiling the required information.

Environmental Management Plan (EMP):• Environmental issues are incorporated into the implementation phase of the

project cycle• Consists of:-

• Mitigation measures to minimise adverse impacts• Measures to enhance environmental benefits• Identified risks and uncertainties• Institutional support required for effective monitoring• Monitoring and auditing programme details• Environmental legislation and standards which apply• Resources, funds, contractual and management arrangements

Screening Checklists:

Environmental Features:• Areas containing rare or endangered species• National parks, nature reserves, Etc.• Habitats providing important resources for vulnerable groups• Moist or dry tropical and sub-tropical forestDevelopment Features• Important policy changes likely to affect the environment• Major changes in land tenure or use• Substantial changes in water use• Large infrastructure projects


Potential adverse and beneficial effects:• Livelihoods• Culture• Land management• Water quality and quantity• Local air quality• Global impacts• Conservation


Impact characterisation:• Is the impact beneficial, benign or harmful?• What is the scale and intensity of impact?• Are effects irreversible?• Are the effects due to construction and/or operations?• Are the effects likely to be politically or socially controversial?• Will there be different effects on different members of society?• What are the timescales of impact?• Checklists for Policy Approvers and Decision-makers


Project setting:• Have underlying causes of environmental damage been considered?• Would these underlying causes be better addressed by other means?Impact identification• Is there any effect on environmentally sensitive or important areas?• Have the environmental and social risks been evaluated?• Have indirect effects been addressed?Mitigation measures:• What mitigation measures are proposed?• What measures will be taken to enhance environmental benefits?• What consultation was there with concerned stakeholders?


Procedures:• Have appropriate guidelines been followed?• Have the beneficial and adverse environmental effects been integrated into

the economic analysis?• Have the appropriate authorities been consulted?Implementation:• Do local institutions need strengthening in order to effect the

environmental measures?• Who will monitor the environmental impact?• Have environmental measures been costed, and funds allocated?

Environmental Impact of Rural Transport Development:• Encroachment into precious ecological resources, including forests

and swamps. Encroachment into historical areas and cultural monuments.• Impairment of fisheries, aquatic ecology and other beneficial water

uses, due to changes in surface hydrology.• Erosion and silt runoff from exposed areas, which may also cause

impairment of downstream water quality and damage to land values.• Dust nuisances caused by both the road usage and during

construction.

Case study of an EIA in Finland, development of Highway 1

Introduction

• The national Highway 1 is part of the European road E18, which is the most important east-west road corridor in Finland.

• The section of Highway 1 between Salo and Lohja (63 km) is narrow, winding and unsafe

• According to the Finnish Road Administration, the road is running short of capacity. Already in the 1960s, the Road Administration began planning to develop this highway to a motorway standard

Environmental Impact Assessment procedure

Identification and scoping

• The new road would pass through important natural areas and would cause changes to both the natural landscape and cultural landscape areas

• The scoping was focused on identifying the most sensitive and important areas and on analysing the changes that would result because of the building of the road

• The most important goal was to determine the impacts of a new motorway and the impacts of just upgrading the existing roads

• According to the Finnish legislation on EIA, the EIA procedure is also subject to public participation.

Baseline data

• The earlier investigations and traffic forecasts done during the feasibility study were updated and some new supplementary surveys were made

• Potential impacts from noise and emissions were assessed closely and there were inquiries and interviews of local people to assess social impacts

• Different scenarios were used to look at impacts on community structure and economics

Impact study and assessment

• The EIA report covered the environmental aspects that were determined to be the most significant during the scoping phase

• A new motorway has significant advantages and disadvantages.

• In general, the upgrading of existing roads means that the already existing problems will increase and the people living next to the roads will suffer even more.

• In economic terms, the new motorway was seen to be the better solution

Disadvantages of new motorway

• Loss of biodiversity

• The new motorway will also cause fragmentation in some lake areas, as well as in one important recreation area

• Some areas that are now quiet areas will be affected by the traffic noise from the new motorway

When completed, the assessment report was subject to public comments

After the EIA

• The EIA was completed in 1996. The Finnish Road Administration proceeded to work on the final design of the project

• Some local people found evidence of flying squirrels, close to the planned motorway.

• The Road Administration ordered a report on flying squirrels for the entire road section. According to the report, 47 occurrences of flying squirrels close to the planned motorway were recorded, of which 29 were in the immediate vicinity of the road.

• This resulted in a long legal process that delayed even further the construction of the new motorway

• It was also found that a shooting range is located in an area of a proposed interchange

• A high concentration of lead was detected in the soil

• According to the amended EIA decree, the disposal of heavily leaded soil is subject to a mandatory EIA

• This meant a new EIA procedure for the cleaning up and disposal of the leaded soil, which resulted in even more delays.

Benefits of the EIA

• EIA ensured that environmental issues were taken into account in the planning procedures and the decision-making process

• In this case the EIA helped to identify environmentally sensitive areas and significant issues so that they could be taken into account and the adverse impacts could be reduced to an acceptable level

Some positive outcomes of the EIA are :-

• an important recreation area was saved by building a tunnel

• most habitats of the flying squirrel were saved by small changes in design

• groundwater areas were protected

• long sections of the road run through deep rock cuttings and the planned primary measure for noise control

THANKS..