Environmental Impact Assessment Myriam Raiche November 8, 2007

What is an EIA? Simplified: EIA considers an action and its possible consequences A process and planning tool used for data gathering and decision making (public and private) Identifies, predicts, and assesses the likely consequences of proposed development activities on the surrounding environment Idealistically, process should be comprehensive and objective

Canadian Environmental Assessment Research Council Definition Process which attempts to identify and predict the impacts of legislative proposals, policies, programs, projects and operational procedures on the biophysical environment, on human health and well-being. It also interprets and communicates information about those impacts and investigates and proposes means for their management. (Dearden and Mitchell, 2005, 171)

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Purpose of EIA:  Minimize or avoid adverse environmental effects before they occur  Incorporate environmental factors into decision making

Examples for Use of EIA Physical projects:  Hydroelectric dam, wind farm, waste facility Programs:  Renewable energy development scheme, recycling program Policies:  Energy policy, waste management policy

Types of EIA Progression of EIA, from 1970s, into various environmental focuses:  Cumulative impact assessment  Social and economic assessment  Strategic impact assessment

Jurisdictions & Regulations Public:  Federal level: CEAA administered by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency  Provincial/Territorial level: Provincial acts such as BC’s EAA administered by the BC Environmental Assessment Office  Inter-jurisdictional agreements between federal and provincial/territorial authorities: Canada-BC EA Cooperation Agreement

Jurisdictions & Regulations  Local level: Regional and municipal regulations administered by local government and planning departments Private:  Consultants, resource managers, planners, engineers, etc; sub-contracted or hired directly by developer and subject to same regulations

EIA Approval 4 assessment types described in the CEAA:  Screening & class screening  Comprehensive study  Mediation  Review panel

Summary of Steps in EIA Process  Proposal  identify basic concept of project  Screening  Is an EIA legally required?  legalities (permits, legislation), scale (size, cost), nature of project (public/private, type)  Scoping  identify issues and impacts to be addressed

Summary of Steps in EIA Process  Assessment  data collection, impact prediction, evaluation  Preparation, Submission, Review of EIA report  Decision/Recommendation  approval or rejection based on EIA report recommendations  Monitoring & Compliance  Parameters for maintaining and enforcing recommend

Benefits Protection and/or improvement of human and environmental health Maintenance of biodiversity Sustainable use of natural resources Minimized risks of environmental disasters Opportunity for public participation Fewer conflicts between users

Challenges Early involvement of EIA process in project planning and development Threshold of environmental impact: finding the acceptable level of environmental impact Lack of black and white in decision-making: need to balance subjective judgments and cultural values with scientific studies

Challenges Every project is unique: standard format is not always available but allows for creativity and project-specific measures Data collection: lack of data and imperfect data (leads to guesswork and unknowns)

References Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency website at Dearden, Philip and Mitchell, Bruce. (2005). Environmental Change and Challenge. A Canadian Perspective. 2nd ed. Canada: Oxford University Press. Environmental Assessment Office website at Environmental Impact Assessment. Urban Environmental Management. Global Development Research Center website at Hanna, Kevin S. (Ed). (2005). Environmental Impact Assessment. Practice and Participation. Canada: Oxford University Press.

Questions? Do you think EIAs have been successful in their mandate or are economic issues still at the forefront? What about in the future… Are they empty statements?