Environment Impact Assessment and Statement

1. Environment Impact Assessment and Statement By : Kawaldeep Singh (50802036) Mandeepak Singh (50802038) Rajdeep Singh (50802053) Shivkaran Singh (50802061) Sukhdeep Singh Brar (50802064)

2. Role of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) : Over recent years, EIAs have become firmly entrenched as a mainstream part of the planning process. Even when EIA may not be a statutory requirement have a proven track record of helping to appease public concern or opposition to a development and reassuring planners

3. EIA Practices and Constraints : • EIA Notification (2006) as a guideline • Mandatory for all EIA consultants to follow • Site suitability • Sites are frozen without IEE therefore pressure on EIA study • Project magnitude and dimension • At pre-feasibility report stage, the design is fluid, process is not firmed up and product slate uncertain • Proponents mile stones • The reports are required almost in the yesterday’s date, time not given for proper and detailed study • EIA’s requirement is more regulatory driven than environmental sustainability of the project

4. Project Attributes : Limitations • Availability of project Details (Project Feasibility) • Site suitability • Land availability and requirement (not proportionate) • Natural resource availability • Air and Water shed delineations • Water balance • Land use / diversion • Biodiversity • Social Aspects • Time Frame • CRZ / sanctuary / forest / National parks / Rehabilitation and Resettlement

5. Environmental Attributes • Availability of dependable time series secondary data for all components of Environment . • Primary data collection – field survey • Site accessibility • Facilities available in the site • Conducive environment • Sensitivity • Equipment and human safety • Site laboratory backup

6. Environmental Attributes (Contd…) • Primary Data collection – laboratory strength and weakness (instrument support, manpower support, equipment support for all parameters) Parameter selection Air Environment : • Sampling procedure, preservation, analysis, quality control, reproducibility and consistency • Criteria pollutant and project specific pollutants. Adequate knowledge of the process and primary and secondary pollutants likely to generate • Parameters related to health impacts direct and indirect. Pollutant associated with particles in the atmosphere and their toxicity assessment

7. Calibration of the methodology and validity of data . • Source apportionment and establish effect relationship. Parameter selection Water Environment : • Project specific parameters and the background water quality • Background water quality – surface and ground and at the source requires to be assessed comprehensively to mark the environmental foot prints of the project • Certain parameters though project specific can not be assessed for want of methodology

8. Primary data can not be generated on quantity in the timeframe, dependence only on secondary data . • Lean season data must be assessed for proper assessment of quantity. • Quantitative chemical and microbial risk assessment of the source not done in the EIA studies for want of time. Parameter selection Land and Biological Environment : • Most of the data is accessed through secondary sources by the consultant in biological environment • A comprehensive biodiversity study in the impact zone is a necessity yet can not be done in the time frame available for the project • Flora fauna including avi-fauna is required particularly in the area close to sanctuaries, reserved forest or national parks • Cost constraint and reservation from the proponents for spending the money

9. Data for land use / land pattern is available through remote sensing data but availability of toposheets is a constraint in certain areas. Parameter selection Social and Health Environment : • Generation of data base through primary surveys is difficult due to time constraints as well as social awareness • Data base has to be accessed from secondary sources however, its authentication is difficult a problem • Social impacts is forerunner to EIA in majority of the cases where POPs are more • Cost benefit analysis of land diversion vis-à-vis development is not available

10. Impact Prediction • Methodology not uniform with all the consultants • Availability of models, suitable for predictive exercise and applicable for a specific location is some times a constraint • Models are very costly and can not be available will all the consultants • Data inputs for application of model are not available and its collection / collation is a big exercise and requires a large network of data collection • Application of model or running the model differ from model user to user and does not give consistent result • Selection of model needs to be brainstormed by the EIA professionals to get real impacts • Quantification needs to be properly done and source (point, area, line) need to be properly defined.

11. Environmental Management Plans (EMP) • International reference available for certain case studies can not be accepted for Indian conditions • Most of the licences for the industries are based on foreign know how and therefore difficult to match it with preventive EMP hence Reliance is more on control • EMP implementation is with industry however, role of consultant is not properly defined in the implementation of EMP • Evaluation of EMP should be done in consultation with EIA consultant and monitored periodically

12. Post Project Monitoring Plan • The identified impacts and the predicted values need to be validated through post project monitoring. This is not regularly done • EIA consultant should build up the capacity to handle post-project monitoring requirement and should have the knowledge to correct EMP if required • Review of EMP based on post-project monitoring is a necessity and role of EIA consultant should be more defined both in the commissioning post commissioning stage of the project

13. Aims and objectives of EIA EIA can: • modify and improve design • ensure efficient resource use • enhance social aspects • identify key impacts and measures for mitigating them • inform decision-making and condition-setting • avoid serious and irreversible damage to the environment • protect human health and safety

14. Environmental impacts • Type and nature • Magnitude • Extent • Timing • Duration • Uncertainty • Reversibility • Significance

15. Integration within EIA The EIA process addresses the following environmental effects: • Biophysical and resource use • Social and cultural • Health and safety • Economic and fiscal • Landscape and visual • Indigenous peoples’ rights and traditional areas

16. US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) NEPA called for: • consideration of environmental values in decision making. • use of a systematic, interdisciplinary approach. • a detailed statement on: - the environmental impact of proposals - any adverse effects which cannot be avoided • alternatives to the proposed action • making the statement available to the public. This process became known as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

17. Evolution of EIA • early 1970s — initial development. • 1970s to 1980s — increasing scope. • mid to late 1980s — process strengthening and policy integration. • mid 1990s — towards sustainability (SEA, Biodiversity).

18. EIA—Three core values • integrity - the EIA process will conform to agreed standards. • utility - the EIA process will provide balanced, credible information for decision-making. • sustainability - the EIA process will result in environmental safeguards

19. EIA — Guiding principles The EIA process should be: • purposive – meeting its aims and objectives. • focused – concentrating on the effects that matter. • adaptive – responding to issues and realities. • participative – fully involving the public. • transparent – clear and easily understood.

20. EIA — Guiding principles (continued) • rigorous – employing ‘best practicable’ methodology. • practical – establishing mitigation measures that work. • credible – carried out with objectivity and professionalism. • efficient – imposing least cost burden on proponents.

21. Key operating principles of good EIA practice EIA should: • be applied to all proposals with significant impacts. • begin early in the project cycle. • address relevant environmental, social and health impacts. • identify and take account of public views. • result in a statement of impacts and mitigation measures. • facilitate informed decision making and condition setting.

23. The EIA Process The EIA process comprises • screening - to decide if and at what level EIA should be applied. • scoping - to identify the important issues and prepare terms of reference . • impact analysis - to predict the effects of a proposal and evaluate their significance . • mitigation - to establish measures to prevent, reduce or compensate for impacts .

24. The EIA Process (continued) • reporting - to prepare the information necessary for decision-making. • review - to check the quality of the EIA report. • decision-making - to approve (or reject) the proposal and set conditions. • follow up – to monitor, manage and audit the impacts of project implementation. • public involvement - to inform and consult with stakeholders.

25. Benefits of EIA include: • environmentally sound and sustainable design . • better compliance with standards. • savings in capital and operating costs. • reduced time and costs for approvals. • increased project acceptance. • better protection of the environment and human health.

26. Delays are caused during EIA when: • the EIA is commenced too late in the project cycle . • the terms of reference are poorly drafted. • the EIA is not managed to a schedule. • the EIA report is inadequate and needs to be upgraded. • there is a lack of technical data.

27. Ensuring fairness in the EIA process : • register consultants’ names and terms of reference. • name consultants and their expertise in the EIA report. • publish the terms of reference in the EIA report. • make EIA reports available to the public. • publish lists of screening and final decisions along with conditions for approval.