Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment

A comprehensive environmental impact assessment is one of the most important tools for regulating and managing the environmental management process. It plays a key role in preventing global climate problems, both now and in the future. Let us further consider how the environmental impact of the proposed activity is assessed.

History reference

For the first time, environmental impact assessment of pollution began to be carried out in Russia in the late 80s. The first country to use this regulatory tool was the United States. At the legislative level, rules were established in accordance with which an EIA (environmental impact assessment) was to be carried out. The project for the construction of a large structure (industrial, for example) or other measures that could negatively affect the state of nature was discussed with the participation of the public and approved taking into account the views of interested parties. It should be noted that the legislative provisions adopted in the USA played a certain role in the subsequent development of the entire system.

Legal framework for environmental impact assessment

In 1985, the EEC adopted a directive that became a model for the development of EIA systems in many states. At that time, most international organizations and institutions adopted the policy and principles set out in the document for conducting environmental impact assessments. In 1991, a cross-border convention was approved. It identified the key provisions of the entire EIA system, the stages of the environmental impact assessment, provides a list of activities for which this procedure is mandatory. In the Russian Federation, this activity is regulated by the relevant provision. The latest edition of this document was approved in 2000.

Features of the development of the EIA system

During the first few years, the anthropogenic impact on the environment was mainly assessed. Mainly analyzed the impact on the hydro and the atmosphere, groundwater and soil, fauna and flora. Over time, more and more were involved in the discussion of various developments. interested parties. In this regard, the ecological and economic assessment of environmental impact has become increasingly important. In practice, experts began to pay attention to the analysis of the consequences that may arise in the course of sectoral and territorial development.

Basic elements

In the modern sense, environmental impact assessment is a systematic process. It covers both the development and implementation of approved and agreed activities. It includes the following elements:

1. Forecast (analysis) of the potential impacts of the proposed activity on the state of the environment and an assessment of their significance at all stages of preparation and implementation.
2. Consultations with parties interested in various aspects of the proposed activities to find optimal solutions for all participants.
3. Documentation of the procedure, execution of approvals, consultations, discussions and analysis results.
4. Use of results in making decisions regarding planned activities.

Key Points

A comprehensive environmental impact assessment is based on:

1. Democracy. The entire process should be accessible to all stakeholders.
2. TransparencyDecisions made during the EIA and the grounds for them should be accessible and open to participants.
3. Certainties. The time limits and the procedure for conducting an environmental impact assessment should be previously agreed upon and observed by all interested parties.
4. Accountability. Decision-makers should report to all parties involved in the process.
5. Reliability. Environmental impact assessment should be carried out objectively and professionally.
6. Expediency. The procedure and results of the analysis should ensure the protection of nature with minimal cost to the public.
7. Flexibility. In the process, specialists must take into account the specifics of the facility to which the EIA is applied and adapt the procedure in accordance with it.
8. Practical applicability. The information and results that will be obtained during the process should be used in the development and decision-making.

Procedure specifics

Environmental impact assessment differs significantly from traditional regulatory instruments. The latter, in particular, are mainly based on the use of rules and norms, licensing of certain works, and requirements for performers. EIA is characterized by the complexity of approaches and democratic procedures. This, in turn, allows you to take into account indirect effects, the specifics of specific situations. Based on this analysis, a final informed decision is made. Moreover, at each stage of the process, the opinion of interested parties is taken into account. Environmental impact assessment is most effective when used in large-scale developments. Their implementation involves not only a significant impact on nature, but also affects the interests of a wide range of individuals. For such developments, the analysis of the impact on the atmosphere, hydrosphere and other elements of the ecosystem should be carried out in their relationship and not provide for their division. Environmental impact assessment is not limited to analysis of compliance with established requirements. It involves informing the public about the progress of the process and the consequences of the implementation of certain developments. Large-scale projects are to some extent unique both in the specificity of technological processes and in the environmental conditions of the territory that is being affected.

Process

The following steps exist for conducting an environmental impact assessment:

1. EIA feasibility study.
2. Definition of tasks.
3. Preliminary environmental impact assessment.
4. Development of control measures.
5. Drawing up the final document.
6. Analysis of the quality and completeness of the EIA materials.
7. Decision-making.
8. Impact monitoring.
9. Public participation.

Feasibility analysis

Environmental Impact Assessment does not apply to all projects. Different states use different selection criteria. In the Russian Federation, the list of works and facilities with respect to which the EIA is carried out without fail is established by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The expediency of the procedure is also determined by the territorial divisions of the Ministry. For facilities and activities for which EIA is not carried out, the customer or developer draws up an appendix to the documentation. In accordance with it, a conclusion is drawn on the admissibility of the alleged environmental impact. For example, the object that is supposed to be located close to some natural monument may deserve special attention. The need for an EIA in such cases may be due to local concerns.

Problems

The greatest difficulty is the assessment of environmental impact for several objects that are planned to be located on the same territory.Difficulties, in particular, can be caused by the fact that their commissioning can be assumed at different times. Each object separately in such cases does not have a significant impact on the environment. However, together they can extremely negatively affect nature. This impact must necessarily be analyzed and taken into account during the decision-making on the project.

Significant stages

The procedure for conducting an environmental impact assessment involves identifying the magnitude and analysis of the materiality of the impact. These procedures are carried out in accordance with the tasks that are determined jointly with interested participants. In particular, issues to be investigated are identified, adequate alternatives to the proposed activity are developed and selected. An important stage is the process of developing measures to regulate the impact on nature. These include measures to prevent, reduce and compensate for the effects of exposure, make adjustments to the project, plan control and monitoring. At the stage of preparation of the final document, the analysis results are provided in the form established in the relevant regulatory documents.

Be sure to check them for completeness and adequacy of the data. Based on this, a decision is made on the appropriateness or inappropriateness of further work on the project, as well as the need for its refinement. Control and monitoring are carried out at the stage of construction, commissioning and during the operation of the facility. These procedures are necessary to verify the conformity of decisions and indicators that reflect the impact on nature, forecasts and requirements established during the implementation of the EIA.

Public participation

As a rule, it is provided at the stages of defining tasks, analyzing the quality and completeness of the EIA. In general, the public can participate at any stage of the assessment. Programs that provide it can have different goals. Thus, public participation may be necessary to simply inform citizens. In some cases, the involvement of a wide range of actors is carried out in the decision-making process. Public opinion can significantly affect the situation.

Customers

They act as subjects of environmental impact assessment. Customers can be legal entities or citizens. They are responsible for organizing the EIA in accordance with the requirements of regulatory acts governing the development, coordination and examination of technical documentation for the facility. Customers bear the costs associated with the assessment. When implementing an EIA in full, the costs can be quite substantial. The initiator (customer) has an obligation to fulfill the forecast of the impact of the planned work, to draw up a report on the results of the analysis, to ensure the participation of public representatives in the process of preparing and discussing materials.

Authorized bodies

These include organizations and structures that are endowed with special functions as part of an assessment of the impact on nature or within the framework of the activity as a whole. There are three main areas of work of the authorized bodies:

1. Control over the EIA process. This function is performed by the Ministry of Natural Resources. His competence includes monitoring compliance with the procedure and checking the completeness and quality of information in the documentation.
2. Making decisions based on the results of the analysis.
3. Coordination of certain areas of the intended activity. This process involves specialized bodies issuing licenses, permits, etc.

Internal systems of international financial structures

These organizations are primarily the World Bank and the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction.Their internal control structures actively apply environmental procedures in the selection of investment projects in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, as well as in developing countries. They monitor compliance with established requirements and necessary conditions by customers (initiators) applying for financial resources. Internal structures evaluate the quality of EIA materials, draw up a conclusion on the feasibility of investing.

Other interested parties

The implementation of any large-scale project will affect the interests of a fairly wide range of legal entities, citizens and social groups. Coordination of the proposed actions with them is one of the key tasks of the EIA. Stakeholders, defending their own interests, not only contribute to the search and adoption of optimal solutions. By providing additional information regarding predominantly secondary influences, significantly increase the value of the results of the assessment.

Determining the level of influence, analysis of significance

The forecast of impacts and the process of developing measures to reduce them act as one of the components of the assessment. During the procedure, those influences are identified that are practically not taken into account by the standards and norms provided for individual sources and environments. These primarily include indirect influences that are of a socio-economic nature. The forecast results are used by persons who make managerial and other significant decisions, and by other parties. Based on indicators, territorial administrative and executive bodies, representatives of the public and other entities can make an informed choice of the proposed options for the intended work, including zero (refusal from further activities).

Important point

Having identified all the likely effects, far from in all cases it is immediately possible to assess the significance and magnitude of each of them. This is due to the need for a large amount of research work, which, in turn, is associated with considerable costs. The situation is complicated by the lack of clear EIA procedures. In this regard, it is necessary to select those environmental elements and the properties of the source of influence, which determine the overall level of influence. In other words, the indicators are ranked. As a result, only significant impacts should be subject to a comprehensive assessment. To accomplish this task, specialists need to have information regarding both natural conditions, the state of ecosystem components, and the characteristics of the source that has a negative effect on them. Due to the fact that the environment in the framework of the impact assessment on it is understood not only directly to nature itself, but also to the socio-ecological and economic system as a whole, the significance of changes is more determined by the consequences of a socio-economic nature.

Significance of Negative Impacts

Identification of impacts, analysis of their level and materiality are key elements of not only EIA. A problem of a similar nature is also solved in other cases. For example, these procedures are of particular importance in determining the environmental aspects during the creation of eco-management systems. Despite some similarities, the processes have a number of features. They are determined by the scale of the analysis, the time limits in which it is performed. The impact can be characterized through a change in indicators of the state of the environment over a specific period within the boundaries of a certain territory and may be the result of real or perceived activities.Its value can be established by comparing the forecasted or actual situation with that which would have (or would have) taken place before the activities were started, or if they were not carried out at all.

Conclusion

Impact assessment is impossible without an analysis of the performance indicators of the facility (designed or existing), as well as the predicted consequences of its operation. After this, it is necessary to determine the magnitude of the impact by predicting the likely changes and identifying the most significant of them. Whenever possible, impacts should be quantified. The task of identifying the analysis of the magnitude and significance of the influence is solved using system analysis. But due to the fact that the object of evaluation itself presents a certain complexity, this technique alone is not enough. Therefore, at all stages, expert analysis is widely used. The conclusions of specialists in many cases organically complement the traditional methods for identifying negative influences. In some situations, the knowledge, professionalism and experience of experts act as the main tool in carrying out an EIA.