HomeFor UkraineCarrying out environmental impact assessments (6)

Carrying out environmental impact assessments (6)

The information and guidance presented below may be helpful to those involved in the preparation of documentation, e.g. the EIA report at the stage of option selection, analysis and comparison of locations or technical solutions (construction project drawing). The EIA work should in each case focus on a sequence of structured activities related to predicting and assessing the impacts of the compared alternatives. The content presented here does not provide detailed guidance or advice on methods,

Introductory remarks


The information and guidance presented below may be helpful to those involved in the preparation of documentation, e.g. the EIA report at the stage of option selection, analysis and comparison of locations or technical solutions (construction project drawing). The EIA work should in each case focus on a sequence of structured activities related to predicting and assessing the impacts of the compared alternatives. The content presented here does not provide detailed guidance or advice on methods, techniques of predicting and assessing impacts. Instead, it presents some general issues to help understand the framework that is specific to the EIA procedures.

 

Determination of the state of the environment


The significance of the environmental impacts of a planned project is determined by comparing the change, anticipated implementation and operation of the investment with the state of the same environmental element without the investment. Such examples of environmental elements could be air or noise pollution in relation to the extension of a transport route in a city or the construction of a new expressway (motorway) between cities. By comparing the level of noise or traffic pollutants (NOx, hydrocarbons and others) before the decision is made and at the assumed level of vehicle traffic, we can estimate the change in the intensity of road noise and the aerosanitary condition in the surroundings of the planned investment.

 

However, such an obvious representation of how to estimate changes in the instantaneous 'background' does not ensure a correct assessment result. An instantaneous measurement of noise levels or air pollution concentrations does not reflect all aspects caused by different factors. Noise levels and air pollution can change, for example, as a result of an increase in the number of vehicles, changes in development, spontaneous urbanisation or the location of industry. Therefore, it is necessary to be sure that, after the implementation of the development for which we are performing an EIA, the new noise and pollution levels will correspond to the applicable standards, which can also change (e.g. to improve the living conditions of residents, the immission standards can be tightened).

 

To be sure of meeting the relevant standards, all information on the state of the environment must be analysed as thoroughly as possible, from the planning of the investment to its full-scale operation. To do this, the following factors should be taken into account:

  • current state,
  • trends of change (current and expected),
  • possible impacts of existing and ongoing investments,
  • the possible impacts of investments that may be realised prior to the commencement of the investment subject to the EIA.

As can be seen, there are many uncertain factors when determining the state of the environment.

 

They occur at the time of the decision on the planned project, but as the process of preparation and implementation of the project advances, the level of uncertainty usually increases. Thus, the EIA report should communicate both the magnitude of the uncertainty factor as well as explain the rationale behind the reasoning adopted.

Characteristics of impacts


An essential part of the EIA report is the prediction and assessment of the impacts of the considered investment alternatives. It is important to address the most significant impacts as accurately as possible. Where possible, impacts should be quantified. This will enable the variants to be compared with each other and with the baseline (before the investment).

 

Quantification of impacts is not always possible; in these cases qualitative characterisations are used (e.g. with regard to landscape change). Impacts are characterised/described in relation to the implementation, operation and decommissioning phases - with similar characteristics.

 

These include:

  • Duration. Some impacts may be short-lived or temporary, while others may continue even after the project has ceased to operate (e.g. radiological impacts of a nuclear power plant).
  • Reversibility. Some environmental substitutions, once the cause has been removed, can spontaneously cause a return to the desired state (either naturally or with human intervention). Reclamation is then easier. In contrast, irreversible changes may result in the irreversible loss of a resource (e.g. a valuable or sensitive habitat).
  • Harmfulness. Not all impacts are harmful, some may be positive. Each impact needs to be clearly defined in terms of its nature and degree/level of harm or benefit. The extent of harm should also be determined, e.g. by the size of the deforestation area or the number of people exposed to above-normal noise.
  • Probability. Not all impacts occur with the same probability. Where possible, the probability of an impact occurring should be stated with a justification for this estimate.
  • Spatial extent of change. For each impact, the approximate extent - the area of impact - should be determined. This applies to situations where, for example, road noise affects the residents of neighbouring buildings, but also to situations where wastewater from a factory goes by river into the sea and may endanger certain species of marine fauna.
  • Spatial distribution of impacts. Environmental impacts are usually analysed separately, but the EIA report should as far as possible present the cumulative effects of the planned project. It should be noted that changes will not be evenly distributed in time and space.

Interaction of the investment with the environment


Depending on the type and scale of the planned development and its location, there may be adverse interactions of the development with the environment, e.g. the hydrotechnical development of a harbour may disrupt the movement of debris over time, resulting in coastal erosion. Many new developments are accompanied by other developments that condition their implementation or operation. The construction of a motorway may require a gravel mine, and the construction of a fertiliser factory may require the implementation of a gas pipeline, power lines and an access road.

 

Depending on the type of project, the potential social, health and economic impacts must be considered and assessed.

 

Mitigation measures


The preparation of the report and the EIA process are long-term in nature, sometimes even stretching over many years. This includes mitigation measures, which the authors of the EIA report may consult with the designers or developer from an early stage. The identification of significant adverse impacts should lead to their reduction to an acceptable level. In advancing the EIA report, various ways of mitigating adverse impacts during the construction and operational phases of the project can also be considered when comparing alternatives. The mitigation measures undertaken should focus on significant impacts. The main mitigation measures can be grouped as follows:

 

  • elimination - e.g. by abandoning solutions which could cause or increase the risk of major industrial accidents,
  • preventing or mitigating adverse impacts, e.g. by limiting the spatial extent of acoustic impacts with screens along the motorway,
  • rehabilitation and restoration serves to remedy the effects of adverse impacts,
  • Natural compensation consists of restoring resources or creating substitute environments,
  • operational recommendations, e.g. by eliminating flight operations between 23.00 and 05.00,
  • maximising beneficial impacts, e.g. through cogeneration of electricity and district heating.

Monitoring


Monitoring is particularly important if a development is allowed to proceed because of its expected benefits, and there is always some level of uncertainty about the scale and significance of one or more harmful impacts.

 

There are three monitoring functions for the existing development:

  • monitoring compliance with standards (e.g. concentration of pollutants in air, water,
  • impact monitoring (scale and extent of environmental changes caused by the project),
  • mitigation monitoring (checking the effectiveness of mitigation measures).

 

In the OOS process, impact monitoring and mitigation monitoring, checking the effectiveness of the measures applied, are the most important.

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