Lecture 3: EIS Regulations and Policy, Environmental Indicators, Trends Flashcards
Describe the systems approach of EIS (3)
there is one key word you need to know here wrt NEPA and EIS
technical-rational model - arrive at the optimal solution
system approach emphasizes the use of indicators, measurement of results, explicit statement of goals & performance
What is an EA?
Environmental Assessment, concise public document. screening analysis done to determine if EIS is necessary, new trend is to include mitigation measures
What are the possible outcomes of an EA? what document must be kept along with an EA?
FONSI - finding of no significant impact, wont affect quality of human life, mitigation FONSIs now popular
Significant Impact - leads to an EIS (detailed statement)
Record of Decision must be kept of all time to keep track of the decision making process
What are the impacts of NEPA?
1) public information - disclosure as a tool, CEQ can coordinate efforts,
2) EIS product - long boring unintelligible, not credible, prepared by outside experts, not affected people
3) EIS process - technical exercise, conflicts concerning scope and accuracy and fairness that lead to litigation
What went wrong with NEPA?
legislation too far ahead of its time, paperwork trail mentality, CEQ inadequate, courts have reduced power, NEPA doesn’t dictate a certain result, decisions have no obligation to consider env impacts
What is right with NEPA?
impacts capacity building, institutional change, education and awareness, project design modifications, stakeholder involvement
What are some of the many technical issues with NEPA?
impacts vary spatially and temporally, complex interdependent systems, omissions in check lists, long lasting secondary impacts, tradeoff analysis, gaps in mechanistic and site-specific knowledge
What are some non-technical issues with NEPA?
overall subjectivity, time frame, not a rich set of alternatives, assessments too narrow, preliminary scoping is subjective, limited forecasting ability, assessments written in technical not lay terms, cost-benefit analysis
Resolution of Technical and Non-technical issues comes through …
technical analysis is not a conflict resolution technique
1) understanding underlying differences
2) mediation
3) communication of tech issues
4) agree on procedure for analysis
5) agree on procedures for balancing competing interests
3 takeaways from Christensen et al?
EIA implementation changed the dialogue between parties, majority of modifications for project were minor, most modifications happen in project planning and design and not in implementation
What is the EPA ROE?
Record on environment, a trend document searching for changes in indicators.
Describe the 6 categories of indicator in the EPA ROE
- Air: outdoor/indoor air quality, GHGs
- Water: fresh water, groundwater, wetlands, coastal waters, drinking water, recreational water, condition of consumable fish
- Land: land cover, land use, chemicals used, wastes, contaminated lands
- Human exposure: to environmental contaminants, health status, human disease and conditions,
- Eco Condition: extent and distribution of systems, diversity and biological balance, processes, physical and chemical attributes, biomarkers
- Sustainability: trends of consumption
What are 3 of the main messages from GEO5?
overall: human well being will be improved by maintaining a more sustainable relationship with the environment; indirect interventions can go a long way; unintended consequences matter
land use: competing demands for nat resources / globalization / urbanization intensify pressures on land
biodiversity: global biodiversity is declining, the benefits human take from biodiversity are therefore threatened
