Environment Impact Assessment and Statement

By : Kawaldeep Singh (50802036) Mandeepak Singh (50802038) Rajdeep Singh (50802053) Shivkaran Singh (50802061) Sukhdeep Singh Brar (50802064)

Role of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) :

Over recent years,

EIAs have become firmly entrenched as a mainstream part of the planning process.

Even when EIA may not be a statutory requirement have a proven track record of helping to appease public concern or opposition to a development and reassuring planners

EIA Practices and Constraints : EIA Notification (2006) as a guideline

• Mandatory for all EIA consultants to follow

Site suitability

• Sites are frozen without IEE therefore pressure on EIA study

Project magnitude and dimension

• At pre-feasibility report stage, the design is fluid, process is not firmed up and product slate uncertain

Proponents mile stones

• The reports are required almost in the yesterday’s date, time not given for proper and detailed study

EIA’s requirement is more regulatory driven than environmental sustainability of the project

Project Attributes : Limitations

Availability of project Details (Project Feasibility)

Site suitability

Land availability and requirement (not proportionate)

Natural resource availability • Air and Water shed delineations • Water balance • Land use / diversion • Biodiversity

Social Aspects

Time Frame

CRZ / sanctuary / forest / National parks / Rehabilitation and Resettlement

Environmental Attributes

Availability of dependable time series secondary data for all components of Environment .

Primary data collection – field survey• Site accessibility • Facilities available in the site• Conducive environment• Sensitivity• Equipment and human safety• Site laboratory backup

Environmental Attributes (Contd…)

Primary Data collection – laboratory strength and weakness (instrument support, manpower support, equipment support for all parameters)

Parameter selection

Air Environment :

Sampling procedure, preservation, analysis, quality control, reproducibility and consistency

• Criteria pollutant and project specific pollutants. Adequate knowledge of the process and primary and secondary pollutants likely to generate

• Parameters related to health impacts direct and indirect. Pollutant associated with particles in the atmosphere and their toxicity assessment

• Calibration of the methodology and validity of data .

• Source apportionment and establish effect relationship.

Parameter selection

Water Environment : Project specific parameters and the background water quality

• Background water quality – surface and ground and at the source requires to be assessed comprehensively to mark the environmental foot prints of the project

• Certain parameters though project specific can not be assessed for want of methodology

• Primary data can not be generated on quantity in the timeframe, dependence only on secondary data .

• Lean season data must be assessed for proper assessment of quantity.• Quantitative chemical and microbial risk assessment of the source not done

in the EIA studies for want of time.

Parameter selection

Land and Biological Environment :

Most of the data is accessed through secondary sources by the consultant in biological environment

• A comprehensive biodiversity study in the impact zone is a necessity yet can not be done in the time frame available for the project

• Flora fauna including avi-fauna is required particularly in the area close to sanctuaries, reserved forest or national parks

• Cost constraint and reservation from the proponents for spending the money

Data for land use / land pattern is available through remote sensing data but availability of topo sheets is a constraint in certain areas.

Parameter selection

Social and Health Environment :

Generation of data base through primary surveys is difficult due to time constraints as well as social awareness

Data base has to be accessed from secondary sources however, its authentication is difficult a problem

Social impacts is forerunner to EIA in majority of the cases where POPs are more

Cost benefit analysis of land diversion vis-à-vis development is not available

Impact Prediction

Methodology not uniform with all the consultants

Availability of models, suitable for predictive exercise and applicable for a specific location is some times a constraint

Models are very costly and can not be available will all the consultants

Data inputs for application of model are not available and its collection / collation is a big exercise and requires a large network of data collection

Application of model or running the model differ from model user to user and does not give consistent result

Selection of model needs to be brainstormed by the EIA professionals to get real impacts

Quantification needs to be properly done and source (point, area, line) need to be properly defined.

Environmental Management Plans (EMP)

International reference available for certain case studies can not be accepted for Indian conditions

Most of the licences for the industries are based on foreign know how and therefore difficult to match it with preventive EMP hence Reliance is more on control

EMP implementation is with industry however, role of consultant is not properly defined in the implementation of EMP

Evaluation of EMP should be done in consultation with EIA consultant and monitored periodically

Post Project Monitoring Plan

The identified impacts and the predicted values need to be validated through post project monitoring. This is not regularly done

EIA consultant should build up the capacity to handle post-project monitoring requirement and should have the knowledge to correct EMP if required

Review of EMP based on post-project monitoring is a necessity and role of EIA consultant should be more defined both in the commissioning post commissioning stage of the project

Aims and objectives of EIA

EIA can:

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

Environmental impacts

Type and nature

Magnitude

Extent

Timing

Duration

Uncertainty

Reversibility

Significance

Integration within EIA

The EIA process addresses the following environmental effects:

Biophysical and resource use

Social and cultural

Health and safety

Economic and fiscal

Landscape and visual

Indigenous peoples’ rights and traditional areas

US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

NEPA called for:

consideration of environmental values in decision making.

use of a systematic, interdisciplinary approach.

a detailed statement on:- the environmental impact of proposals - any adverse effects which cannot be avoided-alternatives to the proposed action

making the statement available to the public.

This process became known as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Evolution of EIA

early 1970s — initial development.

1970s to 1980s — increasing scope.

mid to late 1980s — process strengthening and policy integration.

mid 1990s — towards sustainability (SEA, Biodiversity).

EIA—Three core values

integrity - the EIA process will conform to agreed standards.

utility - the EIA process will provide balanced, credible information for decision-making.

sustainability - the EIA process will result in environmental safeguards

EIA — Guiding principles

The EIA process should be:

purposive – meeting its aims and objectives.

focused – concentrating on the effects that matter.

adaptive – responding to issues and realities.

participative – fully involving the public.

transparent – clear and easily understood.

EIA — Guiding principles (continued)

rigorous – employing ‘best practicable’ methodology.

practical – establishing mitigation measures that work.

credible – carried out with objectivity and professionalism.

efficient – imposing least cost burden on proponents.

Key operating principles of good EIA practice

EIA should:

be applied to all proposals with significant impacts.

begin early in the project cycle.

address relevant environmental, social and health impacts.

identify and take account of public views.

result in a statement of impacts and mitigation measures.

facilitate informed decision making and condition setting.

No EIAEIA Required

*Public involvement Scoping

Mitigation and impact

management

EIA Report

ProposalIdentification

Screening

Initialenvironmental examination

Impact analysis

Review

Decision-making

ApprovedNot approved

Implementation andfollow up

Information from this processcontributes to effective future EIA

Redesign

Resubmit

*Public involvement

*Public involvement typicallyoccurs at these points. It mayalso occur at any other stageof the EIA Process.

Generalised EIAProcess Flowchart

The EIA Process

The EIA process comprises

screening - to decide if and at what level EIA should be applied.

scoping - to identify the important issues and prepare terms of reference .

impact analysis - to predict the effects of a proposal and evaluate their significance .

mitigation - to establish measures to prevent, reduce or compensate for impacts .

The EIA Process (continued)

reporting - to prepare the information necessary for decision-making.

review - to check the quality of the EIA report.

decision-making - to approve (or reject) the proposal and set conditions.

follow up – to monitor, manage and audit the impacts of project implementation.

public involvement - to inform and consult with stakeholders.

Benefits of EIA include:

environmentally sound and sustainable design .

better compliance with standards.

savings in capital and operating costs.

reduced time and costs for approvals.

increased project acceptance.

better protection of the environment and human health.

Delays are caused during EIA when:

the EIA is commenced too late in the project cycle .

the terms of reference are poorly drafted.

the EIA is not managed to a schedule.

the EIA report is inadequate and needs to be upgraded.

there is a lack of technical data.

Ensuring fairness in the EIA process :

register consultants’ names and terms of reference.

name consultants and their expertise in the EIA report.

publish the terms of reference in the EIA report.

make EIA reports available to the public.

publish lists of screening and final decisions along with conditions for approval.