environment impact assessment study

120/09/14

PRESENTATION ON ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY

ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT

ENGINEERS INDIA LIMITED

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Environment – Indian Scenario

India is the first country to make provision for protection and improvement of

Environment in its constitution vide 42nd Amendment to constitution in 1976

Directive principle of state policy in Chapter-IV of constitution, Article – 48 –A

was inserted which empowers state to make provision for environment

protection and improvement

Fundamental duties was inserted vide Article – 51 – A(g) for all citizen to protect

and improve environment

After Stockholm conference on Human Environment in 1972, in order to have

uniform law, Water Act (Prevention and Control), 1974 was passed under

Article 252 of constitution

This led to formation of Central Pollution Control Board and State PCBs

Then came Water (Cess) act in 1977 to conserve water and Air Act in 1981.

Then came unified act under EPA, 1986

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INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION

Govt. of India

Min. Of Env andForests

Central PollutionControl Board

State Govt

Dept. Of Env

State Pollution Control Board

Zonal Office Regional Office

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Indian Policies Requiring EIA

1976-77 by planning commission for river-valley projects. Later extended to those required to get PIB approval

On January 27, 1994 under Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, Government of India advised that all expansion or modernisation of any activity (if pollution load is to exceed the existing one) or a new project listed in Schedule I is required to undergo EIA process

The schedule I include 30 different types of projects Site clearance is need for site specific projects like mining, pit-head thermal

power stations, hydro-power, major irrigation projects and/or their combination including flood control, ports and harbours (excluding minor ports) and prospecting and exploration of major minerals in areas above 500 ha.

However, this notification is not applied to any project of Schedule-I if the investment is less that Rs. 100 crores or for any item reserved for Small Scale

Industrial sector with investments less than Rs.1 crore.

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The EIA Cycle and Procedures

THE EIA PROCESS IN INDIA IS MADE UP OF FOLLOWING PHASES

SCREENING

SCOPING AND CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES

BASELINE DATA COLLECTION

IMPACT PREDICTION

ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES, DELINEATION OF MITIGATION

MEASURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

PUBLIC HEARING

ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN

DECISION MAKING

MONITORING THE CLEARANCE CONDITIONS

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Roles in the EIA Process

EIA INVOLVES MANY PARTIES, GROUPED BY THEIR ROLE DEFINITION WITHIN THE PROCESS. THEY ARE :

THE PROJECT PROPONENT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS THE STATE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD / POLLUTION CONTROL

COMMITTEES (PCCS) THE PUBLIC THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AGENCY

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• THE PROJECT PROPONENT

• Project proponent needs to prepare the DFR and submits the executive

summary, to be made available to concerned public.

• The proponent has to approach the concerned SPCB for NOC and holding

the public hearing. After the public hearing the proponent submits

application to IAA for environmental clearance.•THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS

The consultant should guide the proponent through initial screening of the

project and establish whether EIA studies are required to be conducted and

if so finalise the scope of such study.

The environmental consultant is responsible for supplying all the

environment-related information required by the SPCB and IAA through the

proponent.

The consultant is also required to justify the findings in the EIA and EMP

during the meeting with the expert groups at IAA.

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STATE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD (PCB) /POLLUTION CONTROL COMMITTEE (PCC)

The state PCBs/ PCCs are responsible for assessing the compatibility of a

proposed development with current operational and prescribed standards.

If the development is in compliance, the PCB will then issue its NOC.

They shall also hold the public hearing as per the provisions of EIA

notification. The details of public hearing shall be forwarded to IAA.

PUBLIC

The public also has an important role to play in EIA. The concerned

persons will be invited through press advertisement to review information

and provide their views on the proposed development requiring

environmental clearance.

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IMPACT ASSESSMENT AGENCY (IAA)

Where a proponent is required to obtain environmental clearance, the iaa

will evaluate and assess the EIA report. In this process the project

proponent will be given a chance to present his proposal.

If a project is accepted the IAA will also prepare a set of recommendations

and conditions for its implementation based on this assessment.

Environmental clearance conditions and recommendations of IAA are

made available to the public on request through SPCB.

During the implementation and operation of the project, the IAA will also be

responsible for the environmental monitoring process.

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TWO TYPES OF EIARAPID COMPREHENSIVE

Rapid EIA is for speedier appraisal process.

While both types of EIA require inclusion/ coverage of all significant

environmental impacts and their mitigation,

Rapid EIA achieves this through the collection of ‘one season’ (other than

monsoon) data only to reduce the time required.

The review of rapid EIA submissions will show whether a comprehensive EIA is

warranted or not.

It is, therefore, clear that the submission of a professionally prepared

comprehensive EIA in the first instance would generally be the more efficient

approach.

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Screening

Screening is done to see whether a project requires environmental

clearances as per the statutory notifications based on

scales of investment

Type of development

Location of development

A project requires statutory environmental clearance only if the provisions of

EIA notification and/or other statutory notification.

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Scoping

Scoping is a process of detailing the terms of reference of EIA. It has to be

done by the consultant in consultation with the project proponent and

guidance, if need be, from impact assessment agency.

The ministry of environment and forests has published guidelines for

different sectors, which outline the significant issues to be addressed in the

EIA studies.

Quantifiable impacts are to be assessed on the basis of magnitude,

prevalence, frequency and duration and non-quantifiable impacts (such as

aesthetic or recreational value), significance is commonly determined

through the socio-economic criteria.

After the areas, where the project could have significant impact, are

identified, the baseline status of these should be monitored and then the

likely changes in these on account of the construction and operation of the

project should be predicted.

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Analysis of alternatives

• ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS COVER Project location Process technologies. ‘No project’ option also.

Alternatives should then be ranked for selection of the best environmental option

for optimum economic benefits to the community at large.

Once alternatives have been reviewed, a mitigation plan should be drawn up for

the selected option and is supplemented with an Environmental Management

Plan (EMP) to guide the proponent towards environmental improvements.

An EIA report should provide clear information to the decision-maker on the

different environmental scenarios without the project, with the project and with

project alternatives. Uncertainties should be clearly reflected in the EIA report.

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Baseline Data

Baseline data describes the existing environmental status of the identified study area. The site-specific primary data should be monitored for the identified parameters and supplemented by secondary data if available.

Rapid EIA : One SeasonComprehensive EIA : Three Seasons

Third party Data Collection General data : Data Collection Agencies Specialized data : Specialized Agencies

•Land use/land Cover : NRSA•Marine : NIO• Geophysical/ground water : NGRI•Socioeconomic : IGIDR/NIRD•Biological : SACON/WII

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Impact Assessment

Impact prediction is a way of ‘mapping’ the environmental consequences of the significant aspects of the project and its alternatives.

The following issues of impacts of the project should be assessed: Air changes in ambient levels and ground level concentrations due to

total emissions from point, line and area sources effects on soils, materials, vegetation, and human health

Noise changes in ambient levels due to noise generated from equipment

and movement of vehicles effect on fauna and human health.

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Impact Assessment

Water availability to competing users changes in quality due to discharge sediment transport due to project activity ingress of saline water

Land

changes in land use and drainage pattern changes in land quality including effects of waste disposal changes in shoreline/riverbank and their stability

Biological

deforestation/tree-cutting and shrinkage of animal habitat. impact on fauna and flora (including aquatic species if any) due to

contaminants/pollutants impact on rare and endangered species, endemic species, and

migratory path/route of animals. Impact on breeding and nesting grounds

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Impact Assessment

Socio-Economic

Land acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) issue impact on the local community including demographic changes. Impact on economic status impact on human health. impact of increased traffic

Solid Waste

Can be Hazardous or Non-Hazardous Classification under Hazardous Waste Management and handling

Rules requires certain obligation in terms of disposal. Comprehensive inventorisation if area has has no land for disposal or

existing capacity is near full or prone to flooding or high ground water table

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Impact Evaluation

THE IMPACT IS SIGNIFICANT OR UNACCEPTABLE IF EMISSION/DISCHARGE LOAD AND CHARACTERISTICS OR THE RESULTANT ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ARE IN VIOLATION OR EXCEED:

Ambient Environmental Quality standard (IS10500, NAAQS) Policies of government or statutory bodies Compliance with international obligations (World Bank, TNO, OSHA) Assimilative capacity of the region

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Environmental Management Plan

EMP should include

Delineation of mitigation and compensation measures

Delineation of unmitigated impacts

Physical planning including work program, time schedule and locations for

mitigation and compensation

Delineation of financial plan

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Technological Measures

Pollution Prevention

Waste minimization

End-of-the-pipe treatment

Attenuation in the source receptor pathway

Protection of sensitive receptor

Mitigation measures

Physical Planning

Listing devices of pollution control, prevention and protection

Schedule of implementation

The proposed layout plan of the facilities

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Human Resources (Staffing/training/awareness) Identification of Skills required for implementations of EMP

Organization chart for implementation of EMP

Provision of financial supporting human resources

Financial Planning

Cost of mitigation measures

Cost of maintenance and operation Documentation of evidence

Monitoring Plan

- Stipulated Conditions

- Implementation of EMP

- Priority of specific conditions

- Issued raised in the public hearing

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PUBLIC HEARING AND DECISION MAKING

PUBLIC HEARING

Law requires that public must be informed and consulted on a proposed

development after the completion of EIA report

Any one likely to get affected by the project is entitled to have access to the

executive summary of the EIA.

DECISION MAKING

Decision making is a process involve consultation between the project proponent (assisted by a consultant) and the impact assessment authority (assisted by a group of expert).

The decision on environmental clearance is arrived through a number of steps including evaluation of EIA and EMP

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