ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool used to assess the significant effects of a project or development proposal on the environment.
EIAs make sure that project decision makers think about the likely effects on the environment at the earliest possible time and aim to avoid, reduce or offset those effects. This ensures that proposals are understood properly before decisions are made.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the term "environmental impact assessment" is usually used when applied to actual projects by individuals or companies and the term "strategic environmental assessment" (SEA) applies to policies, plans and programmes most often proposed by organs of state. It is a tool of environmental management forming a part of project approval and decision-making. Environmental assessments may be governed by rules of administrative procedure regarding public participation and documentation of decision making, and may be subject to judicial review.
The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision-makers consider the environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to proceed with a project. The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) defines an environmental impact assessment as "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made". EIAs are unique in that they do not require adherence to a predetermined environmental outcome, but rather they require decision-makers to account for environmental values in their decisions and to justify those decisions in light of detailed environmental studies and public comments on the potential environmental impacts.
STAGES OF THE EIA PROCESS
EIA has 5 main stages. If an EIA is required, an Environmental Assessment Impact Report will be written and submitted with the application for development consent. The public will have the chance to comment. This makes sure you're given a chance to be involved in decision making.
Competent authorities decide whether to grant consent for a project. Information from the EIA process must be looked at when making a decision. Comments from statutory consultees and the public are also taken into account.
1. Screening: This entails deciding if an EIA is required
2. Scoping: This stage decides what needs to be covered in the assessment and reported in the ‘EIA Report’
3. Preparing the EIA Report: The EIA report has to include the likely significant environmental effects of the development
4. Making an application and consultation: The EIA Report and development application must be publicised (including electronic advertisement), interested parties and the public must be given an opportunity to give their views on it
5. Decision making: The EIA Report and any comments made on it must be taken into account by the competent authority before they decide whether to give consent for the development. The decision notice has to be published
