Threshold test for environmental acceptability

Question 1

Unacceptable

level of environment acceptablitiy

Answer 1

• Exceeds legal threshold, e.g. quality standard
• Increases level of risk to public health and safety above qualitative or quantitative
  criteria (e.g. in some jurisdictions an increased risk of death of 1 in a million per
  year
• Extinction of biological species, loss of genetic diversity, rare or endangered
  species, critical habitat

Question 2

Normally acceptable

level of environment acceptablitiy

Answer 2

• Conflict with existing environmental policies, land-use plans
• Loss of populations of commercial biological species
• Large-scale loss of productive capacity of renewable resources

Question 3

May be acceptable only
with minimization,
mitigation, management

level of environment acceptablity

Answer 3

• Avoidance of spread of biological disease, pests, feral animals, weeds
• Taking of rare or endangered species
• Some loss of threatened habitat

Question 4

Normally acceptable

level of environment acceptablitiy

Answer 4

Some loss of populations and habitats of non-threatened species
Modification of landscape without downgrading special aesthetic values
Emissions demonstrably less than the carrying capacity of the receiving
environment