ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

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 CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• EIA DIRECTIVE
• HISTORY OF EIA
• AIMS OF EIA
• PROJECTS UNDERGOING EIA
• PROCESS OF EIA
→SCREENING
→INITIAL ENVIRONMENT EXAMINATION
→SCOPING
→EIA OVERVIEW
→DECISION MAKING
→MONITORING AND AUDIT EVALUATION
• USES OF EIA
• CONCLUSION
• REFERENCE
 INTRODUCTION

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process which

ensures that all environmental matters are taken into account
quite early in the project at planning process itself.
It takes into consideration not only technical and economic
considerations but also, traditional aspects like impact on
local people, biodiversity etc.
 WHY EIA?

EIA is intended to prevent or minimize potentially

adverse environmental impacts and enhance the
overall quality of a project. The main benefits
and advantages of EIA are:

Lower project costs in the long-term

Increased project acceptance
Improved project design
 THE EIA DIRECTIVE

The EIA Directive requires projects likely to

have significant effects on the Environment
by virtue of their nature, size or location to
undergo an environmental assessment before
the competent authority in question grants
consent.

The EIA Directive defines a project as the

execution of construction works or of other
installations or schemes,
other interventions in the natural
surroundings and landscape including those
involving the extraction of mineral resources.
The EIA should identify, describe and assess
the direct and indirect effects of a project on
the following factors:
Human beings
Fauna and flora
Soil, Water & Air
Climate and the landscape
Material Assets
Cultural Heritage
Interaction between all above factors

EIA therefore should have a very strong social

dimension
 HISTORY OF EIA IN INDIA

Started in 1976-77, when Planning Commission asked

Department of Science & Technology to examine River
Valley Projects from environmental angle

Till 1994, Environmental Clearance from Central

Government was an administrative decision which lacked
legislative support.

On 27th January 1994, Union Ministry of Environment &

Forests, GOI under Environment (Protection) Act 1986,
promulgated EIA notification making Environment
clearance mandatory for expansion or modernization of
any activity or for setting up new projects listed in
Schedule one of the notification, which have been
amended more than 12 times.
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PROJECTS UNDERGOING EIA
 Environment Impact Assessment
EIA Clearance required

Total EIA clearance is required for 32 categories of developmental

works broadly categorized into following industrial sectors:
Mining
Thermal power plant
River valley
Infrastructure (Road, highway, ports, harbour, airports,
Industries including very small electroplating or foundry units)

Certain activities permissible under Coastal Regulation Zone Act 1991,

also require similar clearance
 Flow chart representing the process of EIA

Initial Environmental IEE

Screening Examination (IEE) Review

EIA
Scoping/
Required EIA Not
Terms of
Reference Required

Full-Scale
EIA
EIA
Approved
EIA Decision EIA Audit and
Making Monitoring
Review Evaluation
EIA Not
Approved
Evaluate
Options
 Screening
• It would be time consuming and a waste of
resources for all proposed projects and activities
to undergo EIA

• Not all development projects require an EIA, as

some projects may not pose an environmental
threat

• Screening is the process used to determine

whether a proposed project or activity requires
an EIA and, if so, what level of environmental
review is necessary.
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 Screening Flow Chart
Project type on project
screening checklist?

Project scale above the

screening threshold?
Project located in a critical
area?

IAA funding, or any other

Will the project be funded special circumstances?
by an IAA? NO

Get specific IAA

requirements

No initial
Prepare the work plan for the initial environmental
environmental examination (IEE) examination
required (IEE)
 Initial Environment Examination

 Initial environmental examination (IEE) is

intended as a low-cost environmental evaluation
that makes use of information already available.

It boost up the process of EIA and lead the

matter to further assistance.
 IEE in the Overall EIA Process

Initial Environmental Examination

1. Identifies potential significant
Project environmental issues associated
Screening
Identifies projects that with a project
typically contain potential
significant issues 2. Grades effects and identifies actual
Significant Environmental Issues
(SEIs)
3. Resolves simple SEIs
4. Recommends further action for
resolving outstanding SEIs

Full-Scale EIA or Other

Additional Study
Resolves any remaining
significant environmental issues
 Scoping
 A process of interaction between government
agencies and project proponents

 Identifies:
– spatial and temporal boundaries for the EIA
– important issues and concern
– information necessary for decision making
– significant effects and factors to be considered
– Establishes terms for reference of full scale
EIA
 Scoping

IEE Review: Project

All potential Proceeds
IEE
according to
SEIs resolved
terms of IEE

Terms of Reference
1. Background
2. Impact Issues
Significant Issues Full-Scale
Relevant Resources EIA
Report Formatting
3. Work Plan
When/Who/How of Task Completion
 Full-Scale EIA Overview
Input = Outstanding SEIs from IEE(initial
environment examination).

Assessment phase:
– Qualitative/quantitative analysis of SEI
– SEI impact significance

Mitigation development phase:

– Select appropriate mitigation measures
– Residual impact significance
 EIA overview
 Checklists
 Matrices
 Risk Assessment
 Network
 Overlays/GIS
 Expert Systems
 Risk assessment

Qualitative Quantitative
 Decision Making

• The challenge of making the final decision on

implementing a project is observed.

• Decision are taken at all stages during the EIA

process and the outcome will be based on these
decisions.

• If a large scale project falls under the jurisdiction

of countries with comparable national EIA
procedures,it should be feasible to be more
ambitious in organising EIA Transboundary..
 Monitoring

 In legislation there is a often demand for

environmental reporting when treating
permits to activities with large EIA.

 This stage involves improvement and

mitigational measures to put forward EIA.

 It also involves elements of assessing

risks and hazard management.
 Audit and Evaluation
• This is the final stage of EIA.

• Audit consists opinions and corrections of

the report which are submitted in front of
decision making committee.

• It also reveals that whether EIA is

necessary or not for the report submitted,if
necessary what are the measures taken in
order to overcome the drawbacks and
hazards..
 Uses of EIA

 Systematic evaluation of a eco friendly

project.
 Risk and hazard assessment.
 Impact identification.
 Monitoring of impact and advice.
 Development control
 Project development
 SEA(strategic environmental
assessment) and permit.
 CONCLUSION
 EIA is an important tool in assuring that
projects and plans will not give adverse
impact on the environment.
 The use of EIA has developed
throughout the world and may different
applications exists.
 EIA process thus could not only prevent
costs due to environmental aspects but also
prevent possible public opinions and protest
against a project.
 Reference
• Arya,D.S:1991,Trends of urbanisation and
its impact on environment.
•Arya,D.S.and Abbasi,S.A:1992 A new
software package as aid in Environmental
Management proceedings of ENVIPRO-
92.

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THANK YOU