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A Andrews

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A Andrews

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  1. EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS UNDER National Environmental Management Act 1998 as amendedSubmission to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs, on behalf of the Federation for a Sustainable EnvironmentSouth Durban Community Environmental Alliance30 -07-2013 A Andrews

  2. Overview • Purpose : general/regulatory • Methodology of EIA • Benefits • Concerns re efficiency and effectiveness • Reports and studies • EU model • Recommendations • u • u

  3. Purpose of EIA • Integration and Best Practical Environmental Option “option providing most benefit and least harm to environment at a cost acceptable to society” (BPEO) • Involves: • balancing diverse/competing interests, eg impact minimisation and promotion of development • specialist studies • placing all info before decision maker

  4. Main points: Purpose of EIA under NEMA s 24 • Guides decision making re activities that significantly affect the environment • Gives effect to Constitution section 24: reasonable measures • Gives effect to Constitution section 33: procedurally fair administrative action PAJA 3(2)(b) : right to be heard and 6(2)(e)(iii): all relevant info must be considered

  5. EIA study process • Outsourced to EAPS • Disclosure of information • Public participation • Description of receiving environment • Issues and impacts • Alternatives and mitigation measures • Monitoring of records of decision

  6. Benefits 1 : civil society • Opportunity to influence decision making to improve environmental conditions eg air and water quality • Transparency • Accountability • Public participation • Local knowledge • Impact minimisation

  7. Benefits 2 • Improved decision making for communities living near major polluters • Eg NATREF oil refinery SASOLBERG 2000 expansion application and authorisation to emit 100 tons of SO2 • EIA submissions resulted in reduction to 32 tons of SO2 by 2005 • Targets for 2020: 5,5 tons SO2 per day

  8. Civil Society concerns 1. Insufficient time to comment; 2. inadequate disclosure of information; 3. lack of independence of EAPS; 4. no real consideration of alternatives; 5. poor drafting and voluminous documents;

  9. Efficiency and effectiveness studies • 2010 DEAT “Review of Efficiency and Effectiveness of EIA in South Africa” • Free state study : Retief et al : Screening Retief F, Coert N.J. Welman & Luke Sandham (2011):Performanceof environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening in South Africa: a comparative analysis between the 1997 and 2006 EIA regimes, South African Geographical Journal: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2011.592263 No national empirical studies on efficiency and effectiveness of EIA

  10. STUDY 1: DEAT 2010 review of EIA’s Concerns: • Costs • Delays • Quality of documents • Partiality of environmental practitioners – paid for by applicants • Access to information - sometimes limited • Monitoring and Enforcement of conditions • Aimed at getting approval not impact assessment

  11. Conclusions Notes: • not an empirical study; variety of perceptions of what is effective and efficient; not defined in the study. • The majority of EIA’s are conducted efficiently and effectively ; • Statistics are skewed by the time taken by a few projects; • Cost not a major issue except in limited case; • “immeasurable role that the existence of the EIA regulations play in the choices people make in respect to activities should also not be underestimated.”

  12. 2010 review of EIA: quality of assessed documents

  13. Recommendations • Increased govt capacity • Greater independence of EAPS • Screening for compatibility required early • Sensitive areas should be protected by specific targets and thresholds • Alternatives and cumulative impacts • Other instruments should complement EIA eg strategic ea, cost benefit analysis, risk assessment

  14. STUDY 2 : Screening: Free State Study • Screening for appropriate use of EIA’s • Lists • Thresholds for impact • sensitive areas • Free States : NEMA eia’s • BA: 64% of assessments triggered by 4 activities ie change of land use (30%) cell phone masts (14%); concentration of animals (10.4%) • EIA: 79% of activities triggered by 3 activities ie developments> 20ha (79%);filling stations (13%) and sewerage treatment (4%)

  15. Studies on EIA • 2010 review of EIA • not empirical; • based on application of criteria to 600 eia’s • Retief et al: Screening of EIA: • Free state only

  16. SCREENING CONCERNS - SA • Screening to determine whether to have an eia or basic assessment? • Use of discretion: • Administrative capacity and its impact on the use of discretion • Uneven results in different provinces • Undue influence on use of discretion

  17. EU approach to screening “Member states must adopt measures that ensure that before consent is given projects likely to have a significant effect on the environment by virtue of size, nature, location must require assessment and development consent” EU Directive 85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC

  18. EU screening (2) • ANNEX 1 Directive 97/11/EC Article 4(1) Projects in Annex 1: always require impact assessments, or basic assessments. Eg oil refineries. • ANNEX 2 Article 4(2) Projects in Annex 2: EIA decided on case by case examination or by thresholds and criteria set by Member states. • Article 4(3) Relevant criteria and thresholds to be applied in article 4(2)All decisions have to be made public

  19. Examples of Screening criteria For EU Annex 2 • Quantitative characteristics Land area, Volume of materials, Voltage, pressure, cost, capacity; eg cell phone near to schools • Characteristics Location, types of chemicals; waste disposal: eg animal feedlots, chemical tanks wetlands, • Combination of both

  20. EXAMPLES of Screening questions : (EU Annex 2) • Some examples illustrating how to use the checklist are given below. • Questions to be Considered For further guidance on factors • Briefly describe Is this likely to result in a significant effect? Yes/No/? - Why? • Brief Project Description: • Development of 500 houses adjacent to an existing rural settlement at ABCville. • 1. Will construction, operation or decommissioning of the Project involve actions which will cause physical changes in the locality • (topography, land use, changes in waterbodies,etc)? • 2. Is this likely to result in a significant effect? If yes, why • Yes. The project will involve development of a large site currently in agricultural use and crossed by a small river. Yes. Loss of agricultural land and diversion of river • 3. Will the Project involve use, storage, transport, handling or production of substances or materials which could be harmful to human health or the environment or raise concerns about actual or • perceived risks to human health? • No except in the small amounts typically used by householders • 4. Is this likely to result in a significant effect? If yes, why :No

  21. EXAMPLES of Screening questions (2): (EU Annex 2) Will the Project produce solid wastes during construction or operation or decommissioning? • Yes. Construction will require excavation of a small hill and transport and disposal or re-use of a large quantity of spoil. Is this likely to result in a significant effect? If yes, why • Yes. Transport could have significant impact on neighbouring village

  22. Assessing significance (EU Annex 2) • For questions answered yes: • Number of people affected • Change in environmental conditions • Effect over a large area • Temporary or permanent effect • Risk that environmental standards might be transgressed • Receptors affected ( fauna flora businesses) • Scarce resources affected

  23. EU: Sensitive natural areas • Special procedure for assessment of activities that have an impact on designated sensitive sites. (NATURA 2000 sites). • Covers additional activities not included under Annex1 and Annex 2

  24. Recommendations for screening : RSA • National study indicating distribution of activities require BA or EIA • Generic low impact activities subject to norms and standards and sensitivity of site • 2 lists of activities. • List 1 requires BA or EIA. • List 2 determine if EIA required based on criteria and evaluation • Mapping of highly sensitive environments where: • Listed activities that should not be authorised • Method determine if non listed activities should be subject to an eia

  25. Thank you

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