Falk Environmental1 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES... plan, predict, follow-up

Falk Environmental2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) EA implies determination of environmental consequences or impact of proposed projects or activities Impact or effects means change – any change, positive or negative EA is, therefore, a study of probable changes in various biophysical and socio-economic characteristics of the environment which may result from a proposed or impending action

Falk Environmental3 RATIONALE FOR EA Development can have beneficial and adverse effects on the environment Beneficial effects often affect few individuals and environmental components Adverse effects often affect many individuals and environmental components Development needs to be managed and controlled to promote beneficial effects and prevent adverse effects Environmental assessment is a means to manage and control adverse effects of development

Falk Environmental4 BASICS OF EA Assess environmental effects of a proposal at earliest stage in planning Inform public about the proposal and obtain input to decision making process Propose measures to mitigate adverse environmental effects Identify follow-up requirements to address uncertainty Evaluate significance of residual environmental effects Take environmental consequence into consideration when approving project Conduct follow-up to determine if assessment is effective and mitigation is implemented

Falk Environmental5 EA STEPS Basic EA steps … 1.Develop a complete understanding and clear definition of the proposed action 2.Gain a complete understanding the affected environment 3.Envision implementation of the proposed action in that setting and determine possible effects on the environmental characteristics 4.Propose measures to mitigate adverse effects and evaluate significance of residual effects 5.Prepare a report on the assessment in a manner that the information may be used in decision making

Falk Environmental6 PURPOSE OF EA Basic EA objectives are to: 1. Consider environmental effects at the project planning and decision making stage 2. Anticipate and avoid, minimize or offset adverse biophysical and other effects of proposals 3. Support protection of productive capacity of natural systems and processes 4. Provide opportunities for public to be informed and participate in the decision making process 5. Promote development that is sustainable and optimize resource management opportunities

Falk Environmental7 BENEFITS OF EA l Provide for environmental protection l Preserve or enhance quality of life l Foster sustainable development l Compliance with legislation l Public awareness / acceptance / appreciation l Multidisciplinary integration l Reduced surprises / anticipate issues l On-budget / on-time projects - lower costs? l Improved professional credibility l Reduced legal liability (due diligence) l Others …

Falk Environmental8 HISTORICAL EVENTS 1950s – assessments of major projects for health and safety - separate documents for major projects 1960s – public concern recognized as part of assessment process for projects with significant effects 1970s – Environmental Assessment and Review Process (EARP); Policy Berger Inquiry - Mackenzie Valley Pipeline 1980s – Rafferty-Alameda and Oldman court decisions; EARP interpreted as a legal requirement and applied to federal jurisdiction; Brundtland Commission - emphasis on prior environmental assessment of proposed projects; sustainable development 1990s – Canadian EA legislation - new age in EA, global, sophistication, sustainable development, strategic environmental assessment, cumulative effects assessment, transboundary issues …

Falk Environmental9 EA – PRE-1970s Project review based on technical engineering and economic analysis Limited consideration given to environmental consequences Assessments carried out to ensure that health and safety is adequately protected No commitment for public consultation Separate documents submitted to each regulatory agency

Falk Environmental10 EA – EARLY to MID-1970s Environmental assessment introduced Basic principles, guidelines, procedures including public participation Requirements instituted Standard methods for impact analysis developed Several countries adopt NEPA-based approach Canada adopts a policy-based approach Major public inquiries help shape process development

Falk Environmental11 EA – LATER 1970s to EARLY 1980s More formalized guidelines Use of environmental assessment in developing countries SIA and risk analysis used in environmental assessment process Greater emphasis on ecological modeling, prediction and evaluation Program level EISs prepared in US Environmental inquiries in several countries encompass policy review aspects

Falk Environmental12 EA – LATE 1980s Canada pursues reform of EA policy approach European Countries directive on EA establishes basic principles and procedural requirements Increasing efforts address cumulative effects Development of follow-up mechanisms Ecosystem and landscape level approaches applied World Bank and other international agencies establish environmental assessment requirements Environmental assessment increasing in developing countries

Falk Environmental13 EA – 1990s to PRESENT Canada adopts EA legislation Requirements to define transboundary effects under international convention Environmental assessment identified as implementing mechanism for UN conventions SEA systems established by increasing number of countries Mediation incorporated into environmental assessment requirements Sustainability principles and global issues receive increased attention EA a tool to achieve the goal of sustainable development

Falk Environmental14 EA TERMINOLOGY l Environmental effect (individual change) l Environmental impact (overall change or result) l Environmental Assessment (EA) l Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) l Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) l Social Impact Assessment (SIA) l Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) l Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA)

Falk Environmental15 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT vs. IMPACT Environmental effect - any change that a project may cause in the environment Environmental impact - sum of the effects or changes that a project may cause in the environment (overall result) Impact = Sum of the effects

Falk Environmental16 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) … systematic process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and proposing mitigation for adverse biophysical, socio-economic and other relevant effects of development proposals or projects prior to major decisions and commitments being taken l general process term with broad application l simply stated as the identification of future consequences of a current or proposed action

Falk Environmental17 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) … environmental assessment process applied to a specific development proposal or project l project-specific environmental assessment

Falk Environmental18 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) l Environmental assessment report prepared in accordance with institutional requirements at the conclusion of an EIA for a development proposal, usually for larger projects. l Typically, an EIS is prepared prior to public hearings or as part of reviews of environmentally significant projects Canada - prepared for panel review projects following guidelines established by the panel Manitoba - prepared for developments with potentially significant effects following guidelines established by the Director, Minister or CEC

Falk Environmental19 SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT l process of estimating the social, economic and other relevant consequences that are likely to follow from specific policy and development proposals, particularly in the context of established environmental assessment requirements l can be conducted as part of an EIA assessment or separately

Falk Environmental20 STRATEGIC EA (SEA) l process of prior examination and appraisal of policies, plans and programs and other higher level or pre-project initiatives l follows general environmental assessment procedures at a conceptual level l Canadian policy to assess federal policies, plans and programs, including budget proposals

Falk Environmental21 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT (CEA) l incremental effects of a project on the environment when the effects are combined with those from other past, present and future projects l predicts effects of projects are likely to occur in the reasonably foreseeable future l scope usually has greater spatial and temporal boundaries l regional land-use planning scale

Falk Environmental22 ENVIRONMENT? l Basic (ecosystem)  Air, land, water, biota  Natural systems  Interrelationships l Sustainability  Social  Economic  Cultural l Built environment l Infrastructure … more EA, by definition, is multidisciplinary

Falk Environmental23 EA DISCIPLINES? l Science  Biology  Chemistry  Physics, etc. l Arts  Geography  Social sciences  Political science, etc. l Engineering l Architecture l Planning l Management … etc. EA, by definition, crosses all disciplines

Falk Environmental24 ECOLOGICAL APPLICATION What level works best? l Cellular l Individual l Species l Population l Ecosystem EA approach … l Identify Valued Ecosystem Components (VECs) l Identify environmental indicators l Identify measurable parameters Effect may be at all levels but EA is usually applied at the ecosystem level

Falk Environmental25 ECOSYSTEM BASIS Ecosystem... l level of ecological study that includes all organisms in a given area as well as biotic and abiotic factors they interact with l community of living and non-living elements connected through energy flow and nutrient cycling l retains identity in geographic perspective even through dynamic shifts may occur in climatological and geological variables

Falk Environmental26 EA ELEMENTS l Scope (project / assessment) l Project description l Environment description l Environmental effects l Public concern l Mitigation l Significance l Reporting l Follow-up

Falk Environmental27 KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS MajorLT1% l Panel Review (CEAA) l Public Hearing (MEA) Complex5% l Comprehensive Study (CEAA) l Environmental Impact Statement (MEA) Simple95% (many excluded) l Screening Most are simple screenings

Falk Environmental28 PROJECT LIFE-CYCLE l Planning (assess environmental effects) l Design (mitigate adverse effect) l Construction (conduct follow-up) l Commissioning (audit) l Operation (monitor) l Renovation l Abandonment l Transfer l Decommissioning

Falk Environmental29 INTEGRATION OF EA INTO PROJECT PLANNING Sequential (no) l separate stages not effective or efficient Parallel (no) l separate process l not efficient - not coordinated Integrated (yes) l coordinated approach l effective and efficient

Falk Environmental30 Next Class … l Visit the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency website l Read about Canada’s environmental assessment process l Review the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and regulations l Review guides and policy statements l Read about proposed amendments to the Act l Go to the public registry page and search for projects in Manitoba l Come to class prepared to discuss environmental assessment in Canada