9 - Cumulative Effects

Question 1

Define Cumulative Effects:

Answer 1

Effects of an additive, interactive, synergistic, or irregular (surprise) nature, caused by individually minor but collectively significant actions that accumulative over space and time.

Question 2

It is not possible to determine the __________________________ without the consideration of cumulative environmental effects.

Answer 2

true significance of a project’s effects

Question 3

Each additional ______________, regardless of its magnitude, can represent a high marginal cost to the environment.

Answer 3

disturbance, high

Question 4

What is a CEA?

Answer 4

Cumulative Effects Assessment

Question 5

CEA often considers development on a much _________ scale, than site related impacts.

Answer 5

larger

Question 6

Know the Conceptualization of Cumulative Effects Assessment Figure (Slide 6)

Answer 6

!

Question 7

What are the four components of a CEA?

Answer 7

1. Scoping
2. Retrospective Analysis of Cumulative Effects
3. Prospective or futures analysis of cumulative effects
4. Management of Cumulative Effects

Question 8

What is a Retrospective Analysis of Cumulative Effects?

Answer 8

The significance of past changes to the VCs of concern.

Question 9

What does Retrospective Analysis involve?

Answer 9

Assessing past VC conditions and analyzing trends and changes in conditions over time and against thresholds.

Question 10

What does a Prospective or future analysis of Cumulative Effects look at?

Answer 10

Prospective analysis is predicting and evaluating how VECs or their indicators might respond to additional stress in the future.

Question 11

What is the purpose of Prospective or Futures Analysis of Cumulative Effects?

Answer 11

Focus on whether conditions will grow worse or better, based on broad regional changes.

Question 12

Why is the Prospective / Futures Analysis of Cumulative Effects effective?

Answer 12

Scenarios based approaches can be valuable in assessing future baseline outcomes.

Question 13

What are five reasons why Project-based CEAs are rarely sufficient to deal with complex cumulative circumstances?

Answer 13

1. Issues of shifting baseline syndrome
2. Lack of data or sufficient uncertainty to make accurate predictions
3. Often scoped too narrowly
4. Often more narrowly focused on reasonably foreseeable developments
5. Issues of jurisdiction and outcomes

Question 14

What did Gunn and Noble conclude about the Dipole III CEA process?

Answer 14

fell short of good practice and significantly short of the standard identified in the EIS scoping document, which commits to a cumulative effects assessment based on best and current practices (highly criticized assessment).

Question 15

What two shortcomings did Gunn and Noble identify in the Bipole III CEA?

Answer 15

• The baseline against which cumulative effects are assessed largely ignored the cumulative effects on VECs of past actions and changing VEC conditions over time.
• Much of the effects analysis was restricted to the transmission line right-of-way, ignoring the effects of the Bipole I and II projects.

Question 16

What was the CEC recommendations on the Bipole III CEA?

Answer 16

The project not proceed until the government of MB undertakes a regional and strategic environmental assessment of the cumulative effects of current and future land uses, particularly in the northern portion of the Bipole III study area.

Question 17

What was one of the main outcomes of the CEA for the Bipole III project?

Answer 17

Generated a huge amount of data and described effects.

Question 18

What is one of the greatest constraints to CEA Management?

Answer 18

Institutional Actors:
- Different actors
- Different goals
- Different Objectives