Environmental impact assessment as an instrument of public policy for controlling economic growth

Abstract

This paper includes a discussion of the nature of environmental impact assessment. Then the role of environmental assessment as an instrument for controlling economic growth is presented. The advantages and disadvantages of the instrument are discussed in detail, including the problem of bias from the incentive structure built into the bureaucracy. An appendix shows some of the problems in the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act which instituted the environmental assessment requirement.