intro to EIA

formal EA

grounded in legal/regulatory processes leading to an approval decsion

Informal EA

same steps as formal but has NO LEGAL  REQUIREMENT OR REGULATORY DECISION

IAIA defintion of EIA

Process of idientifying, prediciting and mitigating the biophysical social or other effects of development proposals PRIOR TO MAJOR DECISONS BEING TAKEN AND COMMIMENTS MADE

stages of EIA process

1. preproject planning

2. project description

3. screening

4. scoping and baseline assessment

5. impact assessment

6. stragies for managing impacts

7. signfigance determintion

8. submission and review of EIS ( impact statmetn)

9. reccomendation and decisons

10. implentation and followup

role of practioners- consultants, scienteists, and experts

Conduct technical studies and impact assessments

• collecting baseline data, predicting imapcsa nd designing mitigation strageties

• Credibility and independence of practitioners are vital to ensuring trustworthy and comprehensive EA

role of affected interests - indigenous govs, local communties, landowners, NGOs and public

Contribute perspectives, traditional knowledge and concerns abt cultural and social and enviromental impacts

role of decisions makers - elected ministers or delgated authroites who give final approvals

Weigh scientific evidence, indigenous and public input and policy priorties to decide if project serves PUBLIC INTEREST

role of regualtors- gov. agencies

adminster EA processes and act as gatekeepres 4 preoject approval

• uphold fairness, tranparcey and complicance

• set scopes of assemtns, review submitssions and ensure consultation and legal requirmetns are met

role of project propontes in EIA

proposes development project

• prepare project descriptions, fund technical studies and responsible fore ensuring compliance with EA requirments

why honest broker is important role

resists pressure to simplfy or push a single agenda

• encourages fuller understanding of complex tradeoffs

• strengthes trust in the EIA process and supports decisions that are more transparent and more legitmate

Expert roles: Honest Broker

goal is to expand and clarify the nature and scope of information and available options, so that decision-makers and the public are more aware of the implications of different choices

 Expert roles: issue Advocate:

Uses information selectively to try and influence a decision toward a specific outcome.

type of expert roles:  Science Arbiter: 

Answers specific, factual questions posed by others, but does not volunteer information.

type of expert roles: pure scientist

focuses only on facts, providing information but no interpretation.

what is the core of every defintion/perspective of EIA

precautionary principles at the core

why shift from IA to EIA

reflects effecs of projects affect not only ecosystems but also human health, cultural values and socioeconomic wellbeing

ratio of projects that get approved in canada , even when adverse effects found

95; 73

what drives IA - scientific end

• analytical science - EA enhances sctiefic understanding

• environometnal design- informs design and engineering decisions

• infomration provision - provides data for decsion making

what drives IA - civic particpartoy end

• particpaiton - Ea supprots partcipatory decsion making - social and natural sciences

• envirometnal governacce- as a tol for delbierative deomocracy, rooted in social sicences, emphsziing justice and community self-governace

History of EIA

1960s= growth in concern over enviormental degradation - slient spring

• turning point = NEPA - created EIS