13 environmental impact assessment

Lesson No.12

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

ASSESSMENT

Prof. Prabha Panth

Osmania University

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Environmental Impact

Assessment• Industries create large amounts of pollution and

deplete natural resources like ground water.

• In the past, polluting industries were set up without any environmental clearance by the government.

• Therefore they caused huge environmental damages, affecting ecology and health.

• To avoid this, it is now necessary for every new factory/project to get environmental clearance before starting production.

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Definition

• Environmental Impact Assessment or

EIA, refers to the evaluation of the

effects likely to arise from a major

project or action, significantly affecting

the natural and man-made

environment.

– It is the process of predicting and

evaluating an action’s or project’s impact

on the environment, so as to assist

decision making.


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– It aims to prevent environmental

degradation by giving decision makers

better information about the

consequences that industrial projects

could have on the environment.

– All new development projects have to

submit their EIA reports to the

Environmental Ministry of the country, to

get environmental or green clearance to

commence production.


– EIA helps to identify possible environmental effects

of the proposed project,

– It proposes measures to mitigate adverse effects and

– Predicts whether there will be significant adverse

environmental effects, even after the mitigation is

implemented.

ADVANTAGES OF EIA:

• Since the environmental effects of the project

and their mitigation are considered early in the

project planning cycle, protection of the

environment can be a part of the project plan.

• Also it predicts ways to use natural resources

(like water), in an optimal way.

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• Thus leading to saving of time and cost of the

project

• It also lessens conflicts between the

industry/project and the local community, by

sharing information about environmental

impacts, and involving the latter in decision

making.

• EIA also aims at informing decision makers, and

helps to lay the base for environmentally sound

projects.

• These are the benefits of integrating EIA in all

stages of a project, from exploration and

planning, through construction, operations,

decommissioning, and beyond site closure.


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• Thus the EIA is a) Anticipatory, b)Participatory,

and c) the project can be abandoned if

environmental impact is high.

• In all the stages, it is necessary to have public

participation, as the local people are greatly

affected by the environmental damages caused

by a project/ factory.

• For example:

– Hydro electric, thermal, and nuclear projects,

– Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilisers,

pesticide factories.


• EIA as a mandatory regulatory procedure originated in

USA, in the early 1970s.

• Other countries, like Canada, Australia, and New

Zealand (1973-74), followed.

• Some developing countries such as Columbia (1974),

Philippines (1978), also introduced EIA in the 70’s.

• In India:

– The Government of India introduced EIA in 1994,

under the Environmental (Protection) Act of 1986,

– Environmental Clearance (EC) was made mandatory

for expansion or modernisation of any activity or for

setting up new projects listed in Schedule 1 of the

notification. 8

Origins of EIA


– New EIA legislation was introduced in

September 2006.

– Mandatory for various projects such as

mining, thermal power plants, river valley,

infrastructure (road, highway, ports,

harbours and airports) and industries

including very small electroplating or foundry

units.

– Project clearance to be given by State

governments, depending on the

size/capacity of the project.

– Donor agencies operating in India like the

World Bank and the ADB, also insist on

environmental clearance to projects funded

by them. 9Prabha Panth25-11-2014

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Objectives of EIA1) Information: It has to disclose to decision

makers and the public the environmental

impacts of the proposed activity.

2) Avoidance/Reduction: Identify ways of

reducing or avoiding environmental effects

of the project.

3) Participation: Public should be made

aware of the environmental impacts, and

their participation is necessary in decision

making. Because the locals are the first to

feel the environmental impacts.


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Elements of EIA

1. Alternatives: Most important part of EIA.

The project manager should give

alternatives regarding:

a) Locations for the project

b) Different and less polluting/ damaging

available technology

c) Different available product – less polluting/

damaging.

The choice of the alternative should be that

which has the least environmental impact.Prabha Panth25-11-2014

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2. Designing: of the selected project – so as to have least environmental impact.

3. Screening: to decide which of the project’s processes and products requires EIA.

4. Scoping: To determine the scope of the EIA – whether it will affect air, water, soil, or cause noise, vibration, fumes, etc.

5. EIA Report: also called EIS or Environmental Report Statement – to be prepared and submitted to the government for its scrutiny. On the basis of EIS the government will accept or reject the project proposal.


6) Reviewing: the EIA Report has to be

reviewed by both the Government and the

public.

7) Consultancy: and participation of the

public is required. If the people feel that

they are threatened by the project, they

can reject it setting up in their locality.

8) Monitoring: If the project is passed, then

government should keep monitoring it

continuously to ensure that it is following

all the environmental laws and regulations.


EIA in India• EIA was introduced in India in late 70s as an

administrative requirement.

• As per EIA Notification 1994: 32 Categories of Projects/

Processes require environmental clearance.

• Project level EIAs are practiced in India.

EIA Notification 2006. Objectives:

To formulate a transparent decentralized and efficient regulatory

mechanism to:

• Incorporate necessary environmental safeguards at planning stage;

• Involve stakeholders in the Public Consultation Process;

• Identify Developmental Projects based on Impact Potential instead

of the investment criteria.

• Categorization of projects into ‘A and ‘B’ Category based on impact

potential


• 60 days for prescribing TOR (terms of reference)

• 45 days for completing Public Hearing

• 105 days -- Environmental Appraisal and communicating

the decision.

Weakness of EIA in India:

• Quality of EIA Reports

• Monitoring and Compliance of EC Conditions

• Availability of reliable environmental data base

• Technical manpower for EIA Process

• Technology evaluation for mitigation.

• Corruption and bribery.

Environmentally unsafe projects are still being permitted.


Cases in India• EIA reports prepared by so called ‘experts’, there is large

scale misrepresentation of environmental impacts of the

projects.

• For example, a bauxite mining firm in Maharashtra gave

an EIA report based on EIA of some Russian firm!

• An EIA report of a river valley project in Karnataka, gave

data of another project thousands of miles away.

• Well known institutes like NEERI (Karcham Wangtoo

hydropower project of Himachal Pradesh) and TERI

(Dandeli hydropower project in Karnataka) submit false

data in their reports.

• Only through NGOs, agitations by locals, and Court

orders, environmental laws being somewhat implemented

in India.16Prabha Panth25-11-2014

13 environmental impact assessment

Education