eia basic concepts 08dec2012

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Environment Impact Assessment

Basic Concepts

forAssessing

Environmental Impacts

1

Suhail Jeelani, Research Scholar VCRC


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Definition

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Anenvironmental impact assessment(EIA)is an assessment of the possible positive or negative

impact that a proposed project may have on theenvironment, together consisting on

theenvironmental, social and economic aspects

The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that

decision makers consider the ensuing environmental

impacts when deciding whether to proceed with aproject.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment


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In EIA, the term

impacts is usedinstead of effects

of activities.

What is animpact?

Review: Definition of EIA

Environmental

Impact Assessment is

A formal process for identifying:

likely effects of activities or

projects on theENVIRONMENT, and on

human health and welfare.

means and measures tomitigate & monitor these

impacts

Environment is

broadly interpreted:physical, biological,and social.


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What is an impact?

The impact of an activity isa deviation (a change)from the baseline situationthat is caused by the

activity.

To measure an impact, youmust know what thebaseline situation is.

!

The baselinesituation is theexisting

environmentalsituation orcondition in theabsence of theactivity.

The baselinesituation is a keyconcept in EIA.

More


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The baseline situation

In characterizing thebaseline situation,

many environmentalcomponents MAY be

of interest

Water Quantity, quality, reliability,accessibility

Soils Erosion, crop productivity,fallow periods, salinity,nutrient concentrations

Flora Composition and density ofnatural vegetation,productivity, key species

Fauna Populations, habitat

Special Key speciesecosystems

Env Health Disease vectors, pathogensThe components of

interest are those that

are likely to be affectedby your activityorupon which your

activity depends for itssuccess


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The baseline situation

The baseline situation isnot simply a snapshot.

Describing the baselinesituation requires describing

both the normal variability inenvironmental components &current trends in these

components.

time

Watertable

This chart ofgroundwater levelsshows both variability

and a trend over time.

Both are part of thegroundwater baselinesituation.


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Types of impacts & their attributes

Direct & indirectimpacts

Short-term & long-term impacts

Adverse & beneficialimpacts

Cumulative impacts

The EIA process isconcerned with

all types of impacts andmay describe them in a

number of ways

IntensityDirection

Spatial extentDurationFrequencyReversibilityProbability

But all impacts areNOT treated

equally.


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! It is essential in EIA to

focus on the mostsignificant impacts.

Dont waste effort & time

analyzing and discussingimpacts that are lessimportant.

Specifically,


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What is an activity?

ACTIVITY:market access

roadrehabilitation

ACTIONS:

Survey, grading, culvert

construction, compaction,etc. . .

a desired

accomplishment oroutput

E.g.: a road, seedlingproduction, or riverdiversion to irrigate

land

An activity is:

Accomplishing an activityrequires a set of actions

We are discussing the impacts of activities.What are activities?

A project or program mayconsist of many activities


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The EIA process

Scope

Evaluate baseline situation

Identify & choose alternatives

Identify and characterize potential

impacts of proposed activity andeach alternative

Develop mitigation and monitoring

Communicate and document

Phase I:Initial inquiries

Phase II:Full EIA study

(if needed)

Understand

proposed activities

Screen

Conduct preliminaryassessment (if

needed)


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Initial Environmental

Examination (IEE)

EIA Not

Required

EIA

Required

MonitoringEIA Audit and

Evaluation

IEE

Review

Scoping/

Terms of

Reference

Full-Scale

EIA

Evaluate

Options

EIA Not

Approved

EIA

Review

Decision

Making

EIA

Approved

You are here


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Phase 1 of the EIA Process

Screen theactivity

Based on the

nature of theactivity what

level of

environmental

review isindicated?

Conduct aPreliminaryAssessment

A rapid,

simplified EIA

study using

simple tools

(e.g. theUSAID IEE)

ACTIVITY ISOF MODERATEOR UNKNOWNRISK

SIGNIFICANTADVERSEIMPACTS

POSSIBLE

SIGNIFICANT

ADVERSEIMPACTS

VERY UNLIKELY

ACTIVITY IS LOWRISK (Of its nature,very unlikely to have

significant adverseimpacts)

ACTIVITY ISHIGH RISK(Of itsnature, likely to have

significant adverse

impacts)

Phase IIPhase I

Understandproposedactivity

Why is theactivity being

proposed?

What is beingproposed?

BEGINFULLEIA

STUDY

STOPthe EIA

process


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Phase 1 of the EIA process:

Understand the proposed activity

Understandthe proposed

activities


proposed?


ALL EIA processes begin withunderstanding WHAT is being proposed,and WHY.

The question

WHY IS THE ACTIVITY BEING PROPOSED?Is answered with the development objective (D.O.).

If we dontunderstandit, we cant

assess it!

building a road

increasing access

to markets

We must understand theDevelopment Objective to identifyenvironmentally sound alternatives

Not a D.O.!

Is a D.O.


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Understand the proposed activity

Understandthe proposed

activities


proposed?


Once we understand the developmentobjective, we must fully understandWHAT is being proposed.

This includes associated actions!

PRIMARY ACTIVITY:construction of diversion dam &irrigation canal

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS:

Survey

negotiate land tenure

construct borrow pit establish construction camp

construct temporarydiversion structure

dispose of soil, debris


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Screen the activity

Screen eachactivity

Based on the

nature of theactivity, what

level ofenvironmental

analysis is

indicated?

SCREENING is the process of askinga very basic set of questions aboutthe nature of activity.

These questions:do NOT require analysis.do NOT require detailed knowledgeabout the proposed sites, techniques ormethods

Example screening questions:

Does the activity involve: Penetration road building?

Large-scale irrigation?

Introduction of non-nativecrop or agroforestry species?


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Screen the activity

Screen eachactivity

Based on the

nature of theactivity, what

level ofenvironmental

analysis is

indicated?

screening classifies the activity intoa RISK CATEGORY:

VERY LOW RISK

VERY HIGH RISK

MODERATE ORUNKNOWN RISK

EIA process ends

Do full EIA study

Do preliminaryassessment

The outcome of thescreening process

determines the next stepin the EIA process


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Screen the activity

Each donor agency

and national EIA lawhas its own set ofscreening questions.

!

Screeningdetermines whether

the preliminaryassessment is

necessary

!


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The Preliminary Assessment

Conduct aPreliminaryAssessment

A rapid,

simplified EIA

study using

simple tools(e.g. the

USAID IEE)

The purpose of a preliminaryassessment is to providedocumentation and analysis that:

!

Allows the preparer todetermine whether or notsignificant adverse impacts arelikely

Allows the reviewer to agree ordisagree with the preparers

determinations

Sets out mitigation andmonitoring for adverse impacts


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The Preliminary Assessment

Typical PreliminaryAssessment outline

1. Background (Development

objective, list of activities)

2. Description of the baselinesituation

3. Evaluation of potential

environmental impacts

4. Mitigation & monitoring

5. Recommended Findings

For each activity it covers, apreliminary assessment has 3possible findings:

The project is very unlikelyto have significant adverseimpacts. (EIA process ends)

With specified mitigationand monitoring, the project

is unlikely to havesignificant adverse impacts

The project is likely to havesignificant adverse impacts(full EIA study is required)


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EIA Impact Identification Methods

Checklists

Matrices

Networks

Overlays/GIS

ExpertSystems

RiskAsse

ssment


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What is mitigation?

Mitigation is. . .The implementation ofmeasures designed to

reduce the undesirableeffects of a proposed

action on theenvironment


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To arrive at findings:Identify, Predict and Judge

Identify potentialimpacts

Judge thesignificance of

potential impacts

Predict potentialimpacts

Arriving at the FINDINGS in a preliminaryassessment requires 3 steps:

Many resources describe the potentialimpacts of typical small-scale activities.

Determine which potential impacts are likelyto become actual, and quantify theseimpacts to the extent possible.

1

2

3 Determine whether the predicted impacts areindeed significant!THIS WILL OFTEN DEPEND ON HOWEFFECTIVE THE PROPOSED MITIGATIONMEASURES ARE!


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We only proceed toPhase II of the EIA process

ifPhase I indicates that

a FULL EIA STUDYis required

!

Most small-scale activities donot require a full EIA study!


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The Full EIA study

The full EIA study hasvery similar objectivesand structure to a

preliminaryassessment.

However, the full EIAstudy differs in

important ways:

A formal scoping processprecedes the study to IDissues to be addressed

Analysis of environmentalimpacts is much moredetailed

Alternatives* must beformally defined. Theimpacts of eachalternative must beidentified & evaluated,

and the results compared.

Public participation isusually required.

A professional EIA teamis usually required.

!

!

!

*includes the project asproposed, the no-action alternativeat least one other real alternative

!


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The Full EIA study

With a few additions, thebasic outline of thepreliminary assessment isthe template for the stepsinvolved in a full EIA study:

Scope

Evaluate baselinesituation

Identify & choosealternatives

Identify and characterizepotential impacts ofproposed activity and

each alternativeCompare alternatives

Develop mitigation andmonitoring

1. Background (Developmentobjective, list of activities)

2. Description of the baselinesituation

3. Evaluation of potentialenvironmental impacts

4.Mitigation & monitoring

5.Recommended Findings

Basic steps of the fullEIA study

Commun

icate&Docum

entthroughout


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In summary,

The full EIA study is a farmore significant effort thanthe preliminary assessment.

It is reserved for activities forwhich screening or thepreliminary assessmentshows that significant

impacts are likely.


The Full EIA study


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Who is involved in EIA?

Sponsor of the activity(usually commissions/conducts theEIA)

Regulatory agencies/

Review authorities

Broad-based public

Public consultation is usually

only REQUIRED for full EIA

studies.

However, it is good practice

for preliminary assessmentsbecause:

Predicting impacts is

FACILITATED by broad-

based public consultation;

Judging significance is verydifficult without it.

Transparency and

accessibility require

disclosure to stakeholders

Communities (men & women)Civil societyPrivate Sector


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EIA is undertaken early enoughto affect project design

Mitigation and monitoringdeveloped in the EIA process is

implemented.

Making EIA effective

To be an effective tool,EIA must be:

integral part of theproject development

cycle.

Honest

Transparent &accessible

The full EIA study mustconsider real alternatives

Impacts must be assessed

honestly.

The EIA products must be clearand accessible to key actors.


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References

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Basic Concepts for EIA. Visitwww.encapafrica.org

EPA Informationhttp://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/index.html

NEPAs Forty Most Asked Questions

http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/40/40P3.htm

Regulations for Implementing NEPA

http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm

EPA Laws, Regulations and Guidance

http://es.epa.gov/oeca/ofa/legis.html

Policy and Procedures for the Review of Federal

Actions Impacting the Environment

http://es.epa.gov/oeca/ofa/policy.html

Cross-Cutting Environmental Laws: A Guide for Federal/State Project Officers, January, 1991

http://es.epa.gov/oeca/ofa/crosscut.html

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Basic Concepts for EIA. Visit

www.encapafrica.org 29
http://www.encapafrica.org/http://www.encapafrica.org/

eia basic concepts 08dec2012

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