Environmental Impact Assessment

1. Environmental Impact Assessment Assignment Information

2. The Projects • The main assignment for PS338 consists of a group project that is the combination of a small number of individual projects. • You will receive a grade for your individual project that is separate from your Group project grade. • As a result, groups will not be punished by free riders, since the lack of effort on the part of an one individual will be able to be attributed to that individual in the group presentation.

3. The Facilities • Each group will select a possible (hypothetical) project that will have some form of environmental consequences. • The assignment is to write an environmental impact assessment of the hypothetical facility. • The point of view of the project is that of an independent consulting firm contracted to perform the analysis. • The consulting report/impact assessment should be a neutral or objective report. • It should not be seen as advocating any position. You provide data and analysis. Leave the decision up to the individuals who ‘hired’ you. • A recommendation, based on the report may be made.

4. Pick a “Facility” • Coal fired Power Plant. • Solid waster disposal site /Landfill. • A surface Coal mine. • A Municipal Sewage Treatment Plan. • A Hazardous Waste Incinerator (or a co-fired power plant that incinerated waste as a secondary source). • A Wind Farm. • A New Multi-well Hydraulic Fracturing Gas Field • A Nuclear Power Plant. • An oil refinery. • A large housing subdivision with > 500 homes. • A large meat packing plant. • A metal recycling facility. • A large industrial assembly line or factory employing > 500 employees, utilizing industrial processes of some sort. • A large chemical industry facility employing > 500 employees, utilizing industrial chemical processes of some sort. • Other _______________________________________.

5. Select your Project Role • Team Leader • Scientific/Technical Analyst I (Role) • Scientific/Technical Analyst II (Role) • GIS Analyst • Economic Analyst

6. Team leader • Responsible for • Team organization, • Arranging meetings and group communications, • Overview of facility, and the final EIS. • Identifies the affected and involved parties, and all other key actors. • May take on another team role as needed! • Fill in, but do not do someone else’s job for them!

7. Scientific/Technical Analyst • Responsible for assessing a portion of the physical and environmental impact of the facility. • This is the geological, hydrological, biological, and engineering description of the facility. • Recommend that one analyst assume responsibility for the facility and its discharges/emissions, and the other look at the effect on the environment. • But there are other ways to divide tasks, so choose what works best for your group.

8. GIS Analyst • Data and information about the location of the facility provide the basis for understanding the site’s impact on the environment, and the people in the vicinity. • Maps, images, and graphics are important for this role. • Providing data for the economic analyst is also possible.

9. Economic Analyst • Examines the impact on people. • Who benefits? • Who bears the costs? • Attempts to provide analysis that puts as much of the project as possible on a common economic basis. • Tries to answer whether the project is ‘worthwhile’ • And for wh! • In general, provides the assessment that becomes the bottom line, once the overall scope of the assessment is known.

10. Communication and Cooperation • I encourage you to communicate with each other, and across projects. • Use the eCampus Discussion section for your group project. • You can also use it to query another group about its progress/activities/resources/ etc. • In addition, I have set up discussions for the various roles • Use these to query other analysts, etc. • There will be some form of extra credit reward for those who share information. The reward will be a function of the value of the information shared, as well as the frequency and amount.

11. Information to collect • Permitting requirements and forms • US EPA • NPDES permits • AQ permits • WV DEP • Data on • Water and air quality impacts • Ecosystem – flora and fauna populations • Costs and benefits • Monetized where possible, • General description where not

12. Example Environmental Impact Assessments • These are very large! Scale down appropriately! • Wikipedia’s description • National Park Service - Environmental Impact Statements — EIS Format • http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/pdf/FileRegister/hancock_drafteis.pdf • Just Google “example of an environmental impact statement” and see what you can find that resembles you project

13. Finished ProductsThe Individual Reports • The Individual projects should be about 5 pages of written, double spaced text. • Images, Tables, Figures and maps should actually make it several pages longer! 5 pages of writing! • Go for quick summarization, with some supporting data. • Think of your report as a chapter in the larger one. Do not worry too much about intros.

14. Group Project • Powerpoint • You have 12 minutes… • My guess is 12-20 slides, depending on content, for the entire group. • Not too much text on slides • Pictures and graphics that blend well with topic, not just fluff • Keep the 6 & 6 rule-of-thumb in mind. • No more than 6 bullet points, with no more than 6 words for each point • Violate this rule whenever necessary! • But not when it isn’t necessary! • Only one person need present, but all may if you wish.

15. Presentation Week • Present last week of class • Take no more than 12 minutes • Attendance this week mandatory • You will be grading the other projects! • Being absent will affect your individual grade! • Think of it as part of your final.