Principles of EIA Flashcards
What can EIA do?
- modify and improve design
- ensure efficient resource use
- enhance social aspects
- identify key impacts and measures for mitigating them
- inform decision-making and condition-setting
- avoid. serious and irreversible damage to the environment
- protect human health and safety
In terms of integration within EIA, the EIA process addresses the following impacts:
- biophysical and resource use
- social and cultural
- health and safety
- economic and fiscal
- landscape and visual
- indigenous peoples rights and traditional areas
Core Values
Integrity - EIA process should meet local and international and requirements
Utility - EIA process should provide information relevant for decision making
Sustainability - EIA process should aim to mitigate serious adverse effects and avoid irreversible losses.
Guiding Principles of EIA (criteria for a good EIA should tick all these boxes)
- purposive
- rigorous
- practical
- relevant
- cost-effective
- efficient
- focused
- adaptive
- participative
- interdisciplinary
- credible
- integrated
- transparent
- systematic
Purposive
The process should inform decision making and result in appropriate levels of environmental protection and community well-being
Rigorous
the process should apply “best practicable” science, employing methodologies and techniques appropriate to address the problems being investigated.
Practical
The process should result in information and outputs which assist with problem solving and are acceptable to and able to be implemented by proponents.
Relevant
The process should provide sufficient, reliable and usable information for development planning and decision making. (only consider info that is important to the thing you’re looking at)
Cost-effective
The process should achieve the objectives of EIA within the limits of available information, time, resources and methodology
Efficient
The process should impose the minimum cost burdens in terms of time and finance on proponents and participants consistent with meeting accepted requirements and objectives of EIA.
Focused
The process should concentrate on significant environmental effects and key issues; i.e., the matters that need to be taken into account in making decisions
Adaptive
The process should be adjusted to the realities, issues and circumstances of the proposals under review without compromising the integrity of the process, and be iterative, incorporating lessons learned throughout the proposal’s life cycle.
Don’t just use a ready-made approach, circumstances will be different per project.
Participative
The process should provide appropriate opportunities to inform and involve the interested and affected publics, and their inputs and concerns should be addressed explicitly in the documentation and decision making.
Appropriate opportunities for public inputs and concerns to be addressed explicitly in documentation and decision making
Interdisciplinary
The process should ensure that the appropriate techniques and experts in the relevant bio-physical and socio-economic disciplines are employed, including use of traditional knowledge as relevant.
Credible
The process should be carried out with professionalism, rigor, fairness, objectivity, impartiality and balance, and be subject to independent checks and verification.
Integrated
The process should address the interrelationships of social, economic and biophysical aspects.
Transparent
The process should have clear, easily understood requirements for EIA content; ensure public access to information; identify the factors that are to be taken into account in decision making; and acknowledge limitations and difficulties.
Systematic
The process should result in full consideration of all relevant information on the affected environment, of proposed alternatives and their impacts, and of the measures necessary to monitor and investigate residual effects.
EIA Benefits
- Better environmental planning and design of a proposal
- Ensuring compliance with environmental standards
- Reduced time and costs of approvals of development applications
- Savings in capital and operational costs
- increased project acceptance by the public
General Steps in the EIA process
- screening
- scoping
- impact assessment and mitigation
- impact management
- the EIA report
- review and licensing
- monitoring
Screening
The purpose of screening is to determine:
- wether or not a proposal requires an EIA
- what level of EIA is required
Outcomes of screening:
- Full EIA, Limited, or No further EIA required
What are typical projects that might require an EIA
dams and reservoirs, (re)settlement and urban development, infrastructure, industrial facilities, energy and mineral extraction, waste management, energy development.
What. is some useful information for decision makers during screening?
– description of the proposal
– conditions and characteristics of the environment
– applicable policy planning and regulatory objectives
– identification of potential impacts
– degree of public concern and interest
What is EIA Scoping
- lays the foundation of an EIA
- Identifies important issues and factors
- meaningful public engagement
- determining appropriate boundaries (time, space, legal)
What are key objectives of scoping?
– inform and identify stakeholders
– find out their concerns
– consider feasible and practical alternatives
– identify the main issues and impacts to be studied
– define the boundaries of the EIA study
– agree on means of public involvement
What does the impact analysis or detailed study phase of EIA involve?
– identifying the impacts more specifically
– predicting the characteristics of the main impacts
– evaluating the significance of the residual impact
Mitigation
Finding better alternatives and ways of doing things;
enhancing the environmental and social benefits of a proposal; avoiding, minimising or remedy adverse impacts
The characteristics of environmental impacts vary based on:
nature, magnitude, extent/location, timing, duration, reversibility/irreversibility, likelihood, significance.
Impacts are likely to be significant if they
– are extensive over space or time
– are intensive in concentration or in relation to assimilative capacity
– exceed environmental standards or thresholds
– do not comply with environmental policies/ land use plans
– affect ecological sensitive areas and heritage resources
– affect community lifestyle, traditional land uses and values
What are the objectives of impact management?
– ensure that mitigation measures are implemented;
– establish systems and procedures for this purpose;
– monitor the effectiveness of mitigation measures;
– take any necessary action when unforeseen impacts occur
What are principles of mitigation
– give preference to avoid and prevent measures
– consider feasible alternatives to the proposal
– identify customised measures to minimise each major impact
– ensure they are appropriate and cost-effective
What should environmental management plans contain?
– summary of impacts
– recommended mitigation measures
– statement of compliance with standards
– allocation of resources and responsibilities
– schedule of required actions
– surveillance, monitoring and auditing programmes
The EIA report is a statement that assists…
– the proponent to plan and design
– the responsible authority to decide
– the public to understand
A successful EIA report will be
– actionable - by the proponent
– decision-relevant - to the responsible authority
– user-friendly - for the public
What are the main elements of an EIA report
– executive summary
– need for and aims of the proposal
– description of proposal and alternatives
– description of affected environment and community
– public consultation and views
– main impacts and their mitigation
– evaluation of significant residual impacts
– environmental management plan
What are common shortcomings in an EIA
– alternatives do not account for the environment
– key problems not described
– sensitive elements in environment overlooked
– best alternative not described (or insufficiently described)
– serious impacts not mentioned or not correctly
described
– impacts not compared with standards or targets
– appropriate mitigation measures not considered
Purpose and objectives of review
The purpose of the review process is to establish if the information in an EIA report is sufficient for decision-making
Key objectives are to:
– review the quality of the EIA report
– take account of public comment
– determine if the information is sufficient
– identify any deficiencies to be corrected.
Purpose of monitoring
Provides data on the impacts of the Project for the whole Project lifecycle. Regular monitoring of indicators. Ensures fulfilment of commitments made in approved EIA.
What is a AEE
similar to EIA, looks at effects rather then impacts (RMA), tied closely to RMA and local guidelines.
