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Environmental Education

Environmental Education. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Content. What is EIA? - Definition Why need EIA? - Concept How EIA is conducted? EIA contents EIA reports Environmental Monitoring and Auditing EIA Ordinance in Hong Kong How does EIA work in Hong Kong?

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Environmental Education

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  1. Environmental Education Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

  2. Content • What is EIA? - Definition • Why need EIA? - Concept • How EIA is conducted? • EIA contents • EIA reports • Environmental Monitoring and Auditing • EIA Ordinance in Hong Kong • How does EIA work in Hong Kong? • Case studies of EIA application in Hong Kong

  3. What is EIA? - Definition • A set of structured and systematic activities • To assess and control the possible environmental impacts arising from a project plan and strategy • Can be applied at all stages of planning and implementation • From conception and design to construction, operation and decommissioning. • Attempts: • To predict or measure environmental effects of certain human activities • To investigate and propose means of mitigation those effects.

  4. Environmental Impact Assessment: a pollution control before pollution occurs Traditional pollution control policies: include penalties to prevent pollution and surcharge for remediations. EIA Concepts [1]

  5. EIA Concepts [2] • Environmental Impact Assessments is an action in advance • EIA is a scientifically, objective and integral investigations, analysis and prevention • EIA is a decision making procedure

  6. How EIA is conducted? [1] • EIA steps: • Present environmental elements involved in project or affected by the project processes are investigated and analyzed. • Prediction, modeling or projecting of environmental impacts caused by the project is studied and mitigation measures for the impacts caused are considered as well • The considered environmental elements and impacts are documented as an EIA report.

  7. How EIA is conducted? [2] • EIA steps (cont’): • The reports are submitted to the decision-makers to evaluate for both the reliability of the report and feasibility of the project. Public participation may involve in this stage. • Based on the impact and mitigation measures available, the project may be rejected or admitted.

  8. How EIA is conducted? [3] • EIA contents: • Description of Environment • Impact Prediction • Impact Evaluation • Impact Mitigation

  9. How EIA is conducted? [4] • EIA reports • Environmental Monitoring and Auditing • Continuous environmental monitoring and auditing after the permission of the project, to ensure compliance of the project proceeding and the mitigation measures proposed • Environmental impacts are monitored • If proposed mitigation measures cannot compensate the impacts, new mitigation measures should be proposed or the projects are subjected to halt

  10. EIA Ordinance in Hong Kong [1] • Enacted in 1997 • Came into force in 1998 • Aims: • to avoid, minimize and control the adverse impact on the environment permit

  11. EIA Ordinance in Hong Kong [2] • Features of the newly enacted EIA Ordinance include: • All specified projects are required to undertake EIAs and properly implement mitigation measures as recommended in EIAs; • Both developers and contractors, or whoever carries out the work are responsible for ensuring mitigation measures be properly followed through; • Provision of a set of criteria in form of a technical memorandum for undertaking EIA and an explanatory guidebook; • EIA application requirements to both public and private sector projects; • Times limits on all aspects of the EIA process;

  12. EIA Ordinance in Hong Kong [3] • Enforced by the director of Environmental Protection Department (EPD) • Designated projects required EIA must be proceeded with environmental permit issued from Hong Kong Environment Protection Department (EPD). • To acquire the permit, project promoters have to carry out EIA and report to EPD. • The EIA report is then reviewed by EPD, and in some aspects, such as ecological impacts, by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to ensure the project will not cause any major ecological degradations

  13. EIA Ordinance in Hong Kong [4] • EIA is usually carried out by consultant companies by the request of project promoter. • The assessment methods may follow the EIA Study Brief and Technical Memorandum. The final report submitted to EPD would be reviewed. • passing several review stages • EIA reports are then opened for public inspection • EIA reports are accessible in the EPD web site. • Public feedback could be sent back to EPD • Comments would be approved with the reference of public comments. • After the approval of EIA reports, environmental permits for the project will be issued. • During the project processes, proper environmental monitoring and auditing are required

  14. Case studies of EIA application in Hong Kong [1] • July 2000 - Controversy EIA report ‘Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau spur line’ • Long Valley is passed through by the proposed railway line. • The wetland in Long Valley: • Rich in bird species - ‘The Second Mai Po’ • Irrigated by the local farmers and such freshwater wetland attracts some rare birds to stay (e.g. Painted Snipe). • Different voices from KCRC, local residence, Hong Kong citizens and green groups. • Director of Environment Protection Department finally made the decision of not issuing permit for the project.

  15. Case studies of EIA application in Hong Kong [2] Proposed Spur Line Routes across Long Vally, the central red line is the central alignment passing through the center of wetland. (Source: KCRC – Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line EIA report, available in 2001 http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_0442000/C2/C2.htm http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_0442000/C2/fig2-3.gif)

  16. Discussion • Do you agree to build the “Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line”? • How do you relate “EIA” and “Sustainable Development”? • Have you ever read the EIA report of the “Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line”? How do you comment on the mitigating measures proposed in the report?

  17. Relevant Websites • Environmental Impact Assessment Taiwan (http://epa.com.tw) • Environmental Protection Department - Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/eia) • Hong Kong Bird Watching Society - Save Long Valley (http://www.hkbws.org.hk/lvalleyframe.html) • Ming Pao – Fate of Long Valley (http://www.mingpaonews.com/longvalley/index.htm) • The Kowloon-Canton Railway Cooperation (http://www.kcrc.com/eng/index.html)

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