Environmental Impact Assessment PDF

Environmental Impact Assessment INTRODUCTION Environmental impact, or probable consequences of change for the environment, should screen the matching process and the evaluation as a whole Land suitability is assessed on the assumption that the kinds of land use proposed will be sustaina...

Environmental Impact Assessment INTRODUCTION Environmental impact, or probable consequences of change for the environment, should screen the matching process and the evaluation as a whole Land suitability is assessed on the assumption that the kinds of land use proposed will be sustainable - to provide environmental safeguards Any adverse changes to the environment shall be neither severe nor progressive. Environmental effects could be unfavorable or favorable. o Not necessarily unfavorable – e.g. establishment of irrigation in an arid area may improve soil organic matter o In The Netherlands, long-term application of farm manure (plaggenboden) - the product of transferring livestock wastes to arable land over several centuries, has improved soil fertility o Important to assess the possibilities of environmental degradation, E.g. Unfavorable – increased soil erosion, soil salinization, pasture degradation o Environmental degradation shall neither be severe nor progressive o Severe degradation – land resources are largely and irreversibly destroyed, e.g. severe gully erosion o Progressive land degradation - the condition in which a resource is being continuously depleted by a land use practice, e.g. degeneration of vegetation by uncontrolled pastoralism When a hazard of severe or progressive degradation is identified, the technical measures necessary to prevent it are determined and their cost calculated. Frequently such land is classified as Not Suitable for that particular land use - sustained use of the type concerned is not possible or the cost of preventing degradation is excessive. Some degree of land degradation may be accepted as unavoidable but the evaluation should state that only short- term use is foreseen, and should give information on the nature and extent of the degradation and on the expected condition of the land when the use ends. o off-site effects, i.e. consequences for the environment outside the area under study, should be considered. o E.g. effects of forest clearance upon river flow regimes, or changes in river water and sediment content caused by reservoir construction upon navigation, fisheries, etc. o influence of saline drainage water on the quality of irrigation water downstream. Environmental Impact Any change in the environment that is caused by an activity or factor. The change maybe physical, biological, chemical, social, economic or political Maybe direct of indirect impact E.g. Coal-fired power plant o Direct impact – increase in SO2 in the air – increase in incidence of asthma 1 o Indirect impact – acid rain – defoliation – leaching of soil nutrients – decrease in soil fertility Environmental Impact Assessment is a "process that involves predicting and evaluating the likely impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts) on the environment during construction, commissioning, operation and abandonment (Ex-ante analysis – before project) It also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect the environment and the community's welfare". Offers an integrated approach to preventing environmental problems and, therefore is an effective instrument in environmental management E.g. Bolinao Cement Plant o Make use of huge limestone deposit in the area o Put up a port in coastal area, which is a marine reserve o 60% of product to be exported o Plant will destroy the ecology of the area o LGU was in favor because of expected revenue o DENR recommended the abandonment of the project Purpose of EIA EIA is used to enhance planning and guide decision-making. primarily presented in the context of a requirement to integrate environmental concerns in the planning process of projects at the feasibility stage. Thru the EIA Process, adverse environmental impacts of proposed actions are considerably reduced thru a reiterative review process of project siting, design and other alternatives, and the subsequent formulation of environmental management and monitoring plans. results to the issuance of an Environmental Compliance Commitment (ECC) document which shall be conformed with by the proponent and represents the project's Environmental Compliance Certificate. The release of the ECC allows the project to proceed to the next stage of project planning, which is the acquisition of approvals from other government agencies and LGUs, after which the project can start implementation. Principles of EIA 1. Do not undertake or authorize activities until environmental effects are examined. 2. Define clearly criteria for significance of impacts 3. Identify significant issues to study early. Focus attention on them (Scoping) 4. EIA content: projection description; environmental description; alternatives; assessment of environmental impacts; mitigation measures; identification of knowledge gaps; transboundary concerns; summary. 5. Concentrate effort on impact issues. 2 6. EIA information should be independently reviewed. 7. Public involvement is necessary prior to the decision about the activity. 8. Allow time to consider input made during the review. 9. Decision regarding the activity should be made in writing and should be public. It should identify necessary mitigation measures. 10. Monitoring, evaluation and management should be applied during the implementation phase as needed. EIS System Regulatory Framework PD 1151 (1977) Required EIA preparation for projects affecting environmental quality PD 1152 (1977) Required land use management regulatory agencies to consider environmental impacts of locating industries Does not require EIA but just consider environmental impacts PD 1586 (1978) Centralized the EIS system under NEPC (National Environmental Protection Council) and authorized the President and the NEPC projects subject to the EIS Giving power to the President and Mrs. Marcos over the environment PD 1586 (1984) Revised Rules and Regulations limited EIS for environmentally critical projects (ECPs); established requirements for environmentally critical areas (ECAs); fees, compliance, monitoring system; closure of ECPs operating without ECC; identified lead agencies for ECPs and ECAs EO 192 (1987) Establishes the central and regional structure of DENR, including the EMB; abolished NEPC, and the transferred NEPC powers and functions to EMB Environmentally Critical Areas (ECAs) National park, watershed and wildlife reserve Potential tourist spots Habitats of endangered or threatened species (including mangroves or coral reefs) Unique historical, archaeological and scientific area Tribal area Area prone to national calamities Critical slope Prime agricultural lands Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs) 3  Projects with high potential for negative impacts New or production expansion projects in the sectors of: o Heavy industry (e.g. petro chemical plants) o Resource extraction (e.g. mining) o Large infrastructures (e.g. roads, power plants) Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs) I. Heavy industries Non-ferrous metal industries Iron and steel mills Petroleum and petro-chemical industries, including oil and gas Smelting plants Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs) II. Resource Extraction Industries Major mining and quarry industries Forest projects Logging Major wood processing plants Introduction of fauna (exotic animals) in public/private forest) Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs) Exempted projects: Operational before 1982 except with expansion of new facilities Non-pollutive Capitalized at less than P500,000 Employs less than 20 persons III. Fishery projects Dikes for/and fishponds development projects Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs) IV. Infrastructure Projects Major dams Major power plants (fossil-fueled, nuclear-fueled, hydro- electric, or geothermal) Major reclamation projects Major roads and bridges V. Golf Course Projects 4 Steps involved in EIA 1. Scoping 2. Baseline characterization PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 3. Impact prediction 4. Impact evaluation 5. Environmental management planning 6. EIS preparation Scoping Very early activity in an impact assessment in which an attempt is made to identify the attributes or components of the environment for which there is public or professional concern, or both and to explore the possibilities for studying and predicting the effects of a planned action on the attributes and components so defined. It is a process of identifying key issues and set the limits or boundaries of impact. Baseline characterization A description of conditions existing before development against which subsequent changes can be detected through monitoring. To fulfill this role, baselines normally must consist of statistically adequate descriptions of the variability inherent in the valued ecosystem component prior to the onset of planned action Impact prediction (What will happen as a result of the project?) Characterizes project activities from “cradle to grave” Synthesizes baseline data to describe the initial development Identifies all potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of the project Compiles a candidate list of key impacts Identifies unknown factors 5 Environmental Impact Evaluation Identify significant impact, only significant impact have to be mitigated Analyzes the significance of impacts as basis for implementation of mitigation measures The question of “significance” in national environment constitute the very heart of EIA Impact Management Mitigation and Enhancement Plan Mitigation measures o Should not cause unacceptable impacts o Should be economically feasible o Should be effective Impact monitoring Continued observation Compliance monitoring Impact monitoring Measurement and evaluation of environmental impacts of a project Verify predictions Identify unanticipated impacts Reporting and accountability 6