1.8 EIA
EIA
2020-07-06 18:41:43
- through EIA planners try to harmonise dev activities w/ environmental concerns
- can prevent future liabilities or expensive alteration in project design
- objective is to foresee potential env problems, identify key impacts issues
- started in 1976-77 for river valley projects
EIA in India
Screening
- to see whether a project requires env clearance
- based on criteria like scales on investment, type of dev, location of dev
Scoping
- process of detailing the terms of reference of EIA
- done by a consultant, MoEFCC has published sector-wise guidelines
- Quantifiable impacts are assessed and non quantifiable impacts such as aesthetic value determined
Baseline Data
- describes existing environmental status
- primary data should be monitored and supplemented by secondary ones
Impact Prediction
- way to map env consequences, predict all factors and uncertainities that would arise
- Impact on air, noise, water, land, biological, socio economic and impact on economic status
Assessment of Alternatives, Delineation of Mitigation Measures and EIA Report
- for every project possible alternative be identified and env attributes of it compared to the original project
- should also consider the no project options, alternatives should then be ranked
- mitigation plant for the selected option supplemented with an Env Management Plan : to manage clearance conditions
- EIA report should provide info on various env scenarios w/ and w/o the project
Public Hearing
- public be informed and consulted after completion of EIA report
- consisting of bonafide local residents, local associations, env groups etc
Environment Management Plan
- should include delineation of mitigation and compensation measures, unmitigated impacts
- physical planning, time schedule, location etc for mitigation and compensation sys in place
- Delineation of mitigation plan
Decision Making
- consultation b/w project proponenets and EIA authority
- decision on env clearance
Monitoring Clearance Conditions
- during both construction and operation phases of a project
- to ensure commitments are complied and to observe prediction of EIA were correct or not
- corrective action when there is deviation from prediction
Components of EIA
- Rapid EIA differs from comprehensive in terms of time scale, done to show if a comprehensive EIA is req or not
Air Env
- determinatinon of impact zone, monitor existing status of ambient air quality
- monitor site specific meteorological data, estimate quantities of air emission
- predict changes in it
Noise Env
- monitor present levels and predict future noise levels
- identify imapct due to it, recom mitigation measures
Water Env
- study of existing ground and surface water resources wrt quantity and quality
- predict impact, quantify and characterisation of waste
- evaluate proposed pollution prevention, predict impact of effluent discharge, assess feasibility of water recycling
Biological Env
- assess flora and fauna, potential damage to both terrestrial and marine flora and fauna
- predict biological stress within impact zone, delineate mitigation measure to prevent/ reduce damage
Land Env
- studies on soil characterstics, estimate on impact of project on land use, landscape topography
- identification on potential utility of treated effluent, estimation and characterisation of solid wastes
Socio-economic and Health Env
- collection of demographic, epidemiological data, projection of anticipated changes in socio-economic and health
- assess impact on historical and cultural and archaeologica sites
- assess rehab requirement w/ special emphasis on scheduled areas
Risk Assessment
- Hazard identification, Maximum Credible Accident MCA to id potential hazardous scenarios
- Analysis of possible failures and accidents resulting in fires
- Hazard and Operability HAZOP studies
- Assessment of risk, preparation of o site and off site DM plan
Environment Management Plant
- Delineation of mitigation measures, monitoring scheme for compliance
- Delineate implementation plan viz scheduling and resource allocation
EIA Notification of 2006 #important #Act
- It has decentralised the env cliearance projects by classifying them into Categories A and B
- 'Category A' projects are appraised at national level by Impact Assessment Agency (IAA) and the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC).
- Category B projects are apprised at state level by State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC).
- Category A projects require mandatory environmental clearance and thus do not undergo the Screening process
- Category B projects undergoes screening process and they are classified into two types B1 and B2.
- B1 requires mandatory environmental clearance. B2 do not require EIA.
Key Element of Initial Project Description and Scoping
- for key projects, Initial Project Description IPD to enable project screening and scoping -> this would facilitate reviewers task
- IPD should provide - location and land use, details of project, outlining key element of project, offsite and onsite activities
Siting/ Project Location Critera per MoEF
- prime agricultural land/forest land may not be converted to industrial site
- land acquired be min, space for storing solid waste, layout should conform to landscape of CRZ norms] should be followed
- project location be reviewed for ambient air, critically polluted ares, natural disaster prone areas etc
Procedure for Public Hearing
- coys that want public hearing for clearance of projects should submit to SPCB #important
- SPCB gives notice to be published in 2 newspapers along mentioning the date, time and place of public hearing
- suggestions from public within 30 days from date of publication of notification, can also make oral/ written suggestion
- Public hearing panel could have rep of SPCB, DC, rep of State gov, max 3 reps from local bodies viz Municipalities, panchayats etc
Drawbacks of EIA in India
- several projects not listed because they are not listed in Schedule 1 or do not have high enough investmemt
- teams formed for conducting EIA lacks expertise, lack of exhaustive ecological and socio-economic indicators for IA
- Public hearing not being taken at early stage, no of projects not included in mandatory public hearings, indigenous knowledge of people not respected during EIA
- Reports mostly incomplete, ignore or omits significant info, many reports are base only on a single season
- reports made for clearance, unbiased review is missing, bending of rules common
- documents are bulky, technical, sometimes fraudulently made
- No accredition of EIA consultants
- EMP for strategic industires viz nuclear are kept confidential, details regarding effectivenes and implementation not provided, emergency preparedness plans not discussed
Recom
- Independent, sector wide EIA needed, creation of info desk, creation of centralised baseline data bank
- all projects where there is a significant alteration of ecosys should compulsorily go through env clearance, no industrial act in ecologically sensitive area
- Public hearing for most projects
- Focus shifts from utilisation of exploitation to conservation of ecosys
- impact on agribiodiversity, and traditional knowledge should be included
- clearly state adverse impact, studies should be carried for at least 1yr
- State amd Centre should make list of credible and independent competent agencies along w/ national level accredition
- prior informed consent of local communities be made mandatory, language for specifying condition be made clear and specific
- executive committee be replace by expert comm
- automatic withdrawal of clearance if condition of clearance not met, robust monitoring mechanism estd by state dept
- Judicial upheaval of NGT
- Capacity building
Environment Supplement Plan ESP
- undertaken by an alleged violator of EIA 2006 act to get clearance for their project
- can continue their activity by paying financial penalty
Negatives
- attempt to legalise violations, defeats the purpose of EIA
- indirectly allows pardoning of violations, escape mechanism for violators