Screening & Scoping

1. Screening & Scoping

2. Steps in the EIA Screening Is an Environmental Impact Assessment necessary? Scoping What should be included in the study? Impact ID & prediction What aspects of the project will cause impacts on the environment? Impact mitigation How can the design be changed to reduce the predicted impacts? Reporting What are the key issues to be taken into account by decision makers? Decision making Do the benefits of the project (social and economic)outweigh the environmental costs? Monitoring & evaluation Were the environmental impacts correctly predicted?

3. Industry

4. Power and minerals

5. Airports and housing projects

6. Dams and water treatment

7. Agriculture and forestry

8. Developing screening criteria • What generic criteria should be used to decide whether or not an EIA is required for a development project? • Write down three criteria each. (2 minutes)

9. EIA criteria (Annex III) • EC 97/11 suggests three main criteria to provide guidance on whether the project requires an EIA: • the characteristics of the project; • the location of the project; and • characteristics of the potential impact.

10. Project characteristics • the size of the project • cumulation with other development • use of natural resources • production of waste • pollution and nuisances • risk of accidents

11. existing land use relative abundance, quality and regenerative capacity of natural resources in the area Absorption capacity of natural environment wetlands coastal zones mountain and forest areas nature reserves, parks and special protection areas areas where quality standards already exceeded densely populated areas landscapes of significance Project location

12. Extent geographical area size of population affected Transboundary nature Magnitude and complexity Probability of impact Duration, frequency and reversibility Characteristics of potential impacts

13. Annex I - Mandatory EIA Crude-oil refineries Thermal power stations > 300 MW Nuclear installations Airports > 2.1 km runway Inter-basin transfers >100 Mm3/yr Waste water treatment >150,000 people Dams >10 Mm3 Annex II - Discretionary Agriculture, silviculture and aquaculture Extractive industry Energy, mineral and chemical industry Infrastructure Tourism and leisure Other projects Projects requiring EIA under Directive 97/11 (some examples) • Case - by - case

14. Screening checklist - Project description • Physical characteristics and effects • Land-use requirements • Existing use & status of the site • Existing use & status of surrounding area • Type and quantity of residues and emissions • Human implications • Environmental implications

15. Variations in project life cycle (Adapted from Glasson et al., 1999)

16. Dimensions in the Environment Local Regional National Global Physical environment 2020 Socio-economic environment 2010 Now (Redrawn from Glasson et al., 1999)

17. Human beings, population Changes in population Health & Safety Disease incidence Well-being and quality of life Fauna and Flora Ecology Terrestrial ecology Freshwater ecology Coastal ecology Environment description (1)

18. Soil soil & geology Water Water Freshwater ecology Coastal ecology Air Air & Climate Odour Dust Environment description (2)

19. Material assets Architectural, archaeological and cultural heritage Archaeological and other material, cultural assets Landscape Interactions between the above Environment description (3)

20. Two words to remember in EIA • Comprehensiveness • all potentially significant impacts • Focus • only potentially significant impacts

21. To conform to EC 97/11 statements should include a description of: project characteristics main alternatives base-line environment significant impacts on environment methods to prevent, reduce or offset impacts Statements should also contain: a non-technical summary an indication of difficulties encountered in compiling statement Environmental Impact Statements