1. Environmental Impact Assessment Proportionate Assessment
Rufus Howard
BSc LLM FIEMA CEnv PEIA MIoD
14th June 2017

2. 2005 to 2013 Trends Over Time

3. Industry Evidence Programme (IEP)
The Goals of the IEP are to:
Focus EIA on the significant environmental topics
Identify topics of negligible concern
Identify topics with established mitigations that reliably reduce significance
Identify topics with likelihood of significant adverse effects
Provide a central hub for evidence, good practice and guidance
Provide standardised and verified mitigation solutions
Provide standardised templates for conditions
Provide standardised monitoring for impacts during construction and operation
Provide evidence to support decisions that lead to a proportionate EIA
Reduce costs and programme for developers, regulators and stakeholders
Provide greater legal and scientific certainty for all stakeholders
Establish knowledge gaps to direct further research

4. Steering Committee

5. Existing Model EIA Missing link Scoping Baseline Screening EIA
Mitigation Plans
HRA / WFD
Monitoring

6. ? Proposed New Model IA Missing link complete via IEP IA Screening
(Inc. HRA/WFD)
Front Loaded Scoping
Screening
Desk Based Baseline ?
Additional Baseline
Mitigation & Management
Plans
Industry Evidence Programme
Adaptive
Monitoring
Missing link
complete via IEP

7. Marine Archaeology Summary of Project
Of they 117 Major impacts identified how many were substantively mitigated? 90% (exc. Visual)
50 Offshore Wind Farms over 17 years
3000 documents, 19 GB data, typically 18 EIA chapters
10 postgrad researchers, expert survey, workshops
117 Major Adverse identified. Median: 2, Range: 0 – 4.4
What are the two most frequently cited major impacts?
Marine Archaeology
Landscape and Visual (Seascape)
Of the 25 Major archaeological impacts how many were mitigated to below significant thresholds?
90%
Of the 24 Major visual impacts how many were mitigated to below significant thresholds? 0%

8. First Pass Review - Positives
Of they 117 Major impacts identified how many were Positive? 10
How many of the wind farms recorded contribution to climate change transition, or reduction in carbon generation assets as a major positive impact?
Of the 10 major positive impacts how many were Socio – Economic? 7
Why did the other 43 windfarms not record major socio-economic benefits?
Is there any evidence of ecological benefits from fisheries exclusion, new substrate etc.?

9. Digital Assessment

11. Clients and Regulators Views?

12. Any Questions?
@Rufus_Howard