Environmental impact assessment

Environmental impact assessment is a technique or a process by which information about the environmental effects of a project is collected, both by the developer and from other sources, and taken into account by the relevant decision making body before a decision is given on whether the development should go ahead.

Procedures

John Glasson, Riki Therivel et. al. suggest the following procedures for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, which is developed from their earlier book originally published in 1994.

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, a now-dissolved UK governmental agency in charge of environmental affairs, also provides with a checklist of matters that may be considered for inclusion in an EIA. This checklist is often used as a guidance to ensure that all the possible significant effects of the development are considered.

The environmental effects of a development during its construction and commissioning phases should be considered separately from the effects arising while it is operational. Where the operational life of a development is expected to be limited, the effects of decommissioning or reinstating the land should also be considered separately.

Section 1: Information describing the project

1.1 Purpose and physical characteristics of the project, including details of proposed access and transport arrangements, and of numbers to be employed and where they will come from.

1.2 Land-use requirements and other physical features of the project: • during construction; • when operational; • after use has ceased (where appropriate).

1.3 Production processes and operational features of the project:

• type and quantities of raw materials, energy and other resources consumed; • residues and emissions by type, quantity, composition and strength including: discharges to water; emissions to air; noise; vibration; light; heat; radiation; deposits/residues to land and soil; others.

1.4 Main alternative sites and processes considered, where appropriate, and reasons for final choice.

Section 2: Information describing the site and its environment

Physical features

2.1 Population - proximity and numbers.

2.2 Flora and fauna (including both habitats and species) - in particular, protected species and their habitats.

2.3 Soil: agricultural quality, geology and geomorphology.

2.4 Water: aquifers, watercourses, shoreline, including the type, quantity, composition and strength of any existing discharges.

2.5 Air: climatic factors, air quality, etc.

2.6 Architectural and historic heritage, archaeological sites and features, and other material assets.

2.7 Landscape and topography.

2.8 Recreational uses.

2.9 Any other relevant environmental features.

The policy framework

2.10 Where applicable, the information considered under this section should include all relevant statutory designations such as national nature reserves, sites of special scientific interest, national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty, heritage coasts, regional parks, country parks and designated green belt, local nature reserves, areas affected by tree preservation orders, water protection zones, conservation areas, listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments and designated areas of archaeological importance. It should also include references to relevant national policies (including Planning Policy Guidance (P P G ) notes) and to regional and local plans and policies (including approved or emerging development plans).

2.11 Reference should also be made to international designations, e.g. those under the EC ‘Wild Birds’ or ‘Habitats' Directives, the Biodiversity Convention and the Ramsar Convention.

Section 3: Assessment of effects

Including direct and indirect, secondary, cumulative, short-, medium- and long-term, permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects of the project.

Effects on human beings, buildings and man-made features

3.1 Change in population arising from the development, and consequential environment effects.

3.2 Visual effects of the development on the surrounding area and landscape.

3.3 Levels and effects of emissions from the development during normal operation.

3.4 Levels and effects of noise from the development.

3.5 Effects of the development on local roads and transport.

3.6 Effects of the development on buildings, the architectural and historic heritage, archaeological features and other human artefacts, e.g. through pollutants, visual intrusion, vibration.

Effects on flora, fauna and geology

3.7 Loss of, and damage to, habitats and plant and animal species.

3.8 Loss of, and damage to, geological, palaeontological and physiographic features.

3.9 Other ecological consequences

Effects on land

3.10 Physical effects of the development, e.g. change in local topography, effect of earth-moving on stability, soil erosion, etc.

3.11 Effects of chemical emissions and deposits on soil of site and surrounding land.

3.12 Land-use/resource effects:

• quality and quantity of agricultural land to be taken; • sterilization of mineral resources; • other alternative uses of the site, including the ‘do nothing1option; • effect on surrounding land uses including agriculture; • waste disposal.

Effects on water

3.13 Effects of development on drainage pattern in the area.

3.14 Changes to other hydrographic characteristics, e.g. groundwater level, watercourses, flow of underground water.

3.15 Effects on coastal or estuarine hydrology.

3.16 Effects of pollutants, waste, etc. on water quality.

Effects on air and climate

3.17 Level and concentration of chemical emissions and their environmental effects.

3.18 Particulate matter.

3.19 Offensive odours.

3.20 Any other climatic effects.

Other indirect and secondary effects associated with the project

3.21 Effects from traffic (road, rail, air, water) related to the development.

3.22 Effects arising from the extraction and consumption of materials, water, energy or other resources bythe development.

3.23 Effects of other development associated with the project, e.g. new roads, sewers, housing, power lines, pipelines, telecommunications, etc.

3.24 Effects of association of the development with other existing or proposed development.

3.25 Secondary effects resulting from the interaction of separate direct effects listed above.

Section 4: Mitigating measures

4.1 Where significant adverse effects are identified, a description of the measures to be taken to avoid, reduce or remedy those effects, e.g.:

(a) site planning;

(b) technical measures, e.g.:

• process selection; • recycling; • pollution control and treatment; • containment (e.g. bunding of storage vessels). (c) aesthetic and ecological measures, e.g.:

• mounding; • design, colour, etc.; • landscaping; • tree plantings; • measures to preserve particular habitats or create alternative habitats; • recording of archaeological sites; • measures to safeguard historic buildings or sites.

4.2 Assessment of the likely effectiveness of mitigating measures.

Section 5: Risk of accidents and hazardous development

5.1 Risk of accidents as such is not covered in the EIA Directive or, consequently, in the implementing Regulations. However, when the proposed development involves materials that could be harmful to the environment (including people) in the event of an accident, the environmental statement should include an indication of the preventive measures that will be adopted so that such an occurrence is not likely to have a significant effect. This could, where appropriate, include reference to compliance with Health and Safety legislation.

5.2 There are separate arrangements in force relating to the keeping or use of hazardous substances and the H S E provides local planning authorities with expert advice about risk assessment on any planning application involving a hazardous installation.

5.3 Nevertheless, it is desirable that, wherever possible, the risk of accidents and the general environmental effects of developments should be considered together, and developers and planning authorities should bear this in mind.