Welcome to the lecture on environmental impact assessment. After this lecture, you will learn about principles and levels of environmental impact assessment, as well as the procedure of the assessment. Environmental impact assessment is a process that can be used to identify and estimate the potential environmental consequences of proposed developments and policies. Environmental impact assessment is highly a inter-disciplinary process involving inputs from many fields in the sciences. Environmental assessment is a tool used by developers and civil planners in the United States, Europe, and some other countries. The purpose of the environmental assessment is to minimize the negative impact of human activities on the environment. Environmental assessment is a process, not a set of information, data, documents obtained as a result of this process. It is performed according to certain systematic rules. It covers all stages of planned activity. In consists of analysis and forecast of potential environmental impact of the planned activity and consultations with stakeholders. The results of the forecast of impact and consultations are used in making decisions on the planned activity. Environmental assessments may be conducted to review the potential effects of individual projects, such as the construction of a particular power plant, integrated development schemes, or proposals to develop numerous projects in some area. Examples include an industrial park or integrated venture to harvest, manage, and process a natural resources such as a pulp mill, with its associated wood supply and forest management plans. And government policies that carry risk of having substantial environmental effects. Examples include decisions to give a national priority to the generation of electricity using nuclear reactors. Government agencies and businesses proposing large projects usually hire an independent environmental consulting firm to conduct environmental risk assessment and to preview the possible environmental consequences. Environmental consultants also perform scientific environmental monitoring at existing sites and, if necessary, recommend methods of clean up environmental contamination and damage caused by noncompliant projects. The principles of environmental impact assessment are, first any activity may potentially be hazardous to the environment. Initially it has to be proved. If it is not then there is no danger. Environmental impact assessment is mandatory when planning an economic or other environmentally significant activity. It is mandatory to identify and analyze alternative for achieving the aim of the planned economic or other activities, including the zero option, which means abandoning the planned activity. Ensure public participation in preparation and discussion of materials on environmental impact assessment of the planned economic and other activities. Scientific basis of environmental assessment. Use of materials only with scientifically reliable data. Principle of comprehensiveness. Performance of research taking into account the interrelation of various environmental as well as related social and economic factors. The principle of information availability is the customer's obligation to provide all participants of the environmental impact assessment process with the possibility of obtaining complete and reliable information. There are two levels of environmental assessment. The first is an environmental impact assessment, a systematic process of identifying and taking into account environmental factors and assessing possible environmental impacts, taking into account alternatives in the implementation of a specific project. The second is a strategic environmental assessment, an assessment of possible environmental and social environmental consequences of implementing strategic decisions. For example, plans, programs of original or industry development. The object of the strategic environmental assessment study may be laws and other regulatory acts, including international agreements, development plans of certain industries, territorial plans, and development schemes. Although the assessment and these two levels has different objects of study, it generally has a single procedure. Environmental impact assessment process is cyclical, with interaction between the various steps. Environmental assessment includes the following steps. Screening the project plan5 is to screen it for scale of investment, location, and type of development, and if the project needs stationary clearance. Scoping the project's potential impacts, zone of impacts, mitigation possibilities, and need for monitoring. Collection of baseline data. Baseline data is the environmental status of study area. Impact prediction, positive and negative, reversible and irreversible, and temporary and permanent impacts need to be predicted, which presupposes a good understanding of the project by the assessment agency. Mitigation measures and report. Report should include the actions and steps for preventing, minimizing, or bypassing the impacts, or else the level of compensation for probable environmental damage or loss. Public hearing. On completion of the environmental impact assessment report, public and other groups living close to the project site may be informed and consulted. Decision making. Impact assessment authority, along with the experts, consult their project in charge along with a consultant to take the final decision. Monitoring and implementation of environmental management plan. The various phases of implementation of the project are monitored. Assessment of alternatives. For every project, possible alternatives should be identified and environmental attributes compared. Alternatives should cover both project location and process technologies. Risk assessment, inventory analysis, and hazard probability and index also form part of environmental impact assessment procedure. In this lecture you have learned about principles and levels of environmental impact assessment as well as the procedure of the assessment.
