EIA

following impacts of the project should be assessed:

Air Noise Water Soil Biological Socio-economic

Environment Impact Assessment

Environment Impact Assessment or EIA can be defined as the study to predict the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.1 A decision making tool, EIA compares various alternatives for a project and seeks to identify the one which represents the best combination of economic and environmental costs and benefits.

THE SCALES OF INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

Experience in developed and developing countries alike suggests that the effects of large regional developments (power stations, dams, highways, and the like) should be considered on three time-scales. 1. During construction , the environment is disturbed by heavy earth-moving equipment, temporary work camps, and roads. For the local inhabitants, the quality of life is degraded by the production of dust and noise as well as by social upheavals. 2. Upon completion of the development, grass and trees may be planted, and roads may be paved. But there is no doubt that a new environment has been created as a consequence of the flooding of a valley, diversion of a river, relocation of traffic routes, or the routine releases of air and water pollutants. 3. Over a period of several decades , the development may attract secondary industry, may cause significant increases in population, and may generate a whole series of unanticipated human activities. After 50 years, when the original structure is perhaps obsolete, the regional environmental modifications are likely to be far more substantial than the originator of the project ever imagined.

Zone

Immediate surroundings -displaced people; 'right-of-way effects' -people left near the action area; 'proximity effects' The region -regional effects, e.g., 'trans-boundary problems' The continent and the world -as applicable

Public Hearing

In india law requires that the public must be informed and consulted on a proposed development after the completion of EIA report.

Social profiling

In order to make a useful prediction of the socio-economic effects of an action and to develop indicators for this purpose, an assessment team should be assembled, and should be given the task of learning a great deal about the community or communities likely to be affected.The process of gathering the required socio- economic information has been called social profiling.

EIA vs SIA

Read intro

Forms of impact assessment

health impact assessment (HIA) and social imp act assessment (SIA)

General management

� Monitoring the present status of conditions � Identification of impacts due project on this conditions � Recommendations on mitigation measures

Roles in the EIA Process

The Project Proponent The Environmental Consultants The State Pollution Control Board / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) The Public The Impact Assessment Agency

The Broad Categories of Socio-Economic Data-Collection Methods

(a) Using existing data: Examples of existing data include statistics on age, sex, and income distributions, ethnic origin, mortality, housing type and occupancy, and education. (b) Asking questions; Survey techniques range from highly structured, randomized pre-coded questionnaires to informal, unstandardized interviews. (c) Observing individual and group behaviour:

Baseline Data

Baseline data describes the existing environmental status of the identified study area. The site-specific primary data should be monitored for the identified parameters and supplemented by secondary data if available.

The EIA process

Screening: First stage of EIA, which determines whether the proposed project, requires an EIA and if it requires EIA, then the level of assessment required. Scoping: This stage identifies the key issues and impact that should be further investigated. This stage also defines the boundary and time limit of the study. Impact analysis: This stage of EIA identifies and predicts likely environmental and social impact of the proposed project and evaluates the significance. Mitigation: This step in EIA recommends the actions to reduce and avoid the potential adverse environmental consequences of development activities. Reporting: This stage presents the result of EIA in a form of a report to the decision- making body and other interested parties. Review of EIA: It examines the adequacy and effectiveness of the EIA report and provides information necessary for the decision-making. Decision-making: It decides whether the project is rejected, approved or needs further change. Post monitoring: This stage comes into play once the project is commissioned. It checks whether the impacts of the project do not exceed the legal standards and implementation of the mitigation measures are in the manner as described in the EIA report.

EIA in india

Started in 1976-77 when the Planning Commission asked the then Department of Science and Technology to examine the river- valley projects from environmental angle. later made environmental impact assessment statutory for 30 activities.

Strategic environment assessment

Strategic environment assessment (SEA) refers to systematic analysis of the environmental effects of development policies, plans, programmes and other proposed strategic actions. This process extends the aims and principles of EIA upstream in the decision-making process, beyond the project level and when major alternatives are still open. SEA represents a proactive approach to integrating environmental considerations into the higher levels of decision-making.

Components of EIA

The difference between Comprehensive EIA and Rapid EIA is in the time-scale of the data supplied. Rapid EIA is for speedier appraisal process. While both types of EIA require inclusion/ coverage of all significant environmental impacts and their mitigation, Rapid EIA achieves this through the collection of �one season� (other than monsoon) data only to reduce the time required.�� This is acceptable if it does not compromise on the quality of decision-making. The review of Rapid EIA submissions will show whether a comprehensive EIA is warranted or not.

Objective of EIA

The objective of EIA is to foresee the potential environmental problems that would arise out of a proposed development and address them in the project's planning and design stage. The EIA process should then allow for the communication of this information to: (a) the project proponent; (b) the regulatory agencies; and, (c) all stakeholders and interest groups.

Delphi technique

he other application, the Delphi technique, is used to achieve consensus amongst a small group of people, preferably 'key actors', The Delphi method permits relatively objective determination of 'consensus from a panel of evaluators on questions which are shrouded in uncertainty and cannot be measured or evaluated in the classical sense' (Pill, 1971). Socio-economic methods such as this have the following characteristics: 1. they are systematic; 2. they minimize bias created by dominant individuals; 3. they produce consistent comparison; 4. they aid in the conveyance of judgement (controlled feedback).

EIA - Three core values

§ Integrity: The EIA process should be fair, objective, unbiased and balanced § Utility: The EIA process should provide balanced, credible information for decision- making § Sustainability: The EIA process should result in environmental safeguards

Socio-economic and Health Environment

� Collection of demographic and related socio-economic data � Collection of epidemiological data, including studies on prominent endemic diseases (e.g. fluorosis, malaria, fileria, malnutrition) and morbidity rates among the population within the impact zone � Projection of anticipated changes in the socio-economic and health due to the project and related activities including traffic congestion and delineation of measures to minimise adverse impacts � Assessment of impact on significant historical, cultural and archaeological sites/places in the area � Assessment of economic benefits arising out of the project � Assessment of rehabilitation requirements with special emphasis on scheduled areas, if any.

Environment Management Plan

� Delineation of mitigation measures including prevention and control for each environmental component and rehabilitation and resettlement plan. � Delineation of monitoring scheme for compliance of conditions � Delineation of implementation plan including scheduling and resource allocation

Air Environment

� Determination of impact zone (through a screening model) and developing a monitoring network � Monitoring the existing status of ambient air quality within the impacted region (7-10 km from the periphery) of the proposed project site � Monitoring the site-specific meteorological data, viz. wind speed and direction, humidity, ambient temperature and environmental lapse rate � Estimation of quantities of air emissions including fugitive emissions from the proposed project � Identification, quantification and evaluation of other potential emissions (including those of vehicular traffic) within the impact zone and estimation of cumulative of all the emissions/impacts � Prediction of changes in the ambient air quality due to point, line and areas source emissions through appropriate air quality models � Evaluation of the adequacy of the proposed pollution control devices to meet gaseous emission and ambient air quality standards � Delineation of mitigation measures at source, path ways and receptor

Risk Assessment

� Hazard identification taking recourse to hazard indices, inventory analysis, dam break probability, Natural Hazard Probability etc. � Maximum Credible Accident (MCA) analysis to identify potential hazardous scenarios � Consequence analysis of failures and accidents resulting in fire, explosion, hazardous releases and dam breaks etc. � Hazard & Operability (HAZOP) studies � Assessment of risk on the basis of the above evaluations � Preparation of an onsite and off site (project affected area) Disaster Management Plan

Noise Environment

� Monitoring the present status of noise levels within the impact zone, and prediction of future noise levels resulting from the proposed project and related activities including increase in vehicular movement � Identification of impacts due to any anticipated rise in noise levels on the surrounding environment � Recommendations on mitigation measures for noise pollution

Land Environment

� Studies on soil characteristics, existing land use and topography, landscape and drainage patterns within the impact zone � Estimation of impacts of project on land use, landscape, topography, drainage and hydrology � Identification of potential utility of treated effluent in land application and subsequent impacts � Estimation and Characterisation of solid wastes and delineation of management options for minimisation of waste and environmentally compatible disposal

Water Environment

� Study of existing ground and surface water resources with respect to quantity and quality within the impact zone of the proposed project � Prediction of impacts on water resources due to the proposed water use/pumping on account of the project � Quantification and characterization of waste water including toxic organic, from the proposed activity � Evaluation of the proposed pollution prevention and waste water treatment system and suggestions on modification, if required � Prediction of impacts of effluent discharge on the quality of the receiving water body using appropriate mathematical/simulation models � Assessment of the feasibility of water recycling and reuse and delineation of detailed plan in this regard

Biological Environment

� Survey of flora and fauna clearly delineating season and duration. � Assessment of flora and fauna present within the impact zone of the project � Assessment of potential damage to terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna due to discharge of effluents and gaseous emissions from the project � Assessment of damage to terrestrial flora and fauna due to air pollution, and land use and landscape changes � Assessment of damage to aquatic and marine flora and fauna (including commercial fishing) due to physical disturbances and alterations � Prediction of biological stresses within the impact zone of the proposed project � Delineation of mitigation measures to prevent and / or reduce the damage.