Environmental Impact Statement Research Articles

Environmental assessment for wastewater reclamation and reuse projects

The purpose of an environmental review and assessment is to incorporate environmental considerations into the planning process. Prior to the selection of a specific project alternative, a thorough and unbiased analysis of the environmental impacts of every reasonable project alternative should be made. It is intended that environmental concerns be considered on an equal basis with engineering feasibility, economics, and social considerations in wastewater reclamation and reuse. This paper discusses the “procedural” and “substantive” provisions of environmental law in the United States; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and more specifically the law in California; California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The procedural aspects require the preparation of an environmental document such as an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental impact report (EIR) and the substantive provisions require mitigation of harmful environmental impacts. Suggested outlines of the content of an EIS and an EIR are provided. Specific impacts associated with wastewater reclamation projects such as groundwater impacts and growth inducing impacts are discussed. This paper is intended to be a useful tool for the planning of any wastewater reclamation and reuse project. Two examples are given for this purpose.

Environmental impact assessment practice in Ireland following the adoption of the European directive

Legislation for environmental impact assessment (EIA) was introduced in Ireland in 1976. This EIA regime had a number of defects. Subsequently, the European Directive on EIA was implemented in Ireland by several regulations. In 1992 the Environmental Protection Agency Act was enacted. This provided for the establishment of an all-encompassing environmental protection agency responsible for a number of matters concerning EIA. Ireland has not been prepared for the large increase in statements being prepared following the introduction of the European Directive. This is borne out by recent studies of EIA practice that have highlighted a number of deficiencies. For example, it has been found that 60 percent of environmental impact statements (EISs) submitted in Ireland were unsatisfactory, while only 15 percent were considered to be good. However, the number of EISs considered to be satisfactory had risen considerably over the period 1988–1992, from 8 percent to 65 percent. Difficulties have also arisen with projects funded by the European Union; it has been recommended that strategic environmental assessment be adopted in such circumstances. The practitioner in Ireland and in particular the local authorities are likely to face a difficult period over the next decade as the EIA regime comes under increasing scrutiny and attempts are made to resolve the deficiencies that have come to light.

Disposition of spent nuclear fuel using the modular helium reactor

Unprocessed light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel may prove to be an unacceptable waste form for permanent geologic disposal because of serious technical and programmatic issues related to long-term proliferation risks and safeguards requirements, to long-term containment of radionuclides, and to underground criticality. An alternative strategy using Modular Helium Reactors (MHRs) and coated-particle fuel technology would deal effectively with these issues, while generating significant revenues from the sale of electricity and demonstrating a meltdown-proof, advanced reactor design for future energy needs. This paper was submitted as a comment to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for determining the scope and content of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Yucca Mountain geologic repository.

Determining the scope and level of detail appropriate for a programmatic environmental impact statement

AbstractSince the inception of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 1969, no definitive guidance has been established for determining the scope of issues or the level of detail suitable for presentation within a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (P‐EIS). Lacking such guidance, an inordinate amount of time and resources are often consumed in determining the issues and level of detail that are most appropriately addressed within a P‐EIS versus the more detailed scope and level of detail best reserved for lower‐tier documents. Experience indicates that P‐EISs are often over bloated and unnecessarily complex. Consequently, there is a great deal of inconsistency in the preparation of P‐EISs among federal agency programs.A paradigm for assisting decision makers in making such determinations is presented below. This model expedites the preparation of P‐EISs by providing a systematic approach for determining the scope and level of detail that are most appropriately addressed at the programmatic level. Thus, the model provides agencies with an excellent means for streamlining the NEPA process by descoping needless and unnecessary issues from the P‐EIS.

Environmental assessment for wastewater reclamation and reuse projects

The purpose of an environmental review and assessment is to incorporate environmental considerations into the planning process. Prior to the selection of a specific project alternative, a thorough and unbiased analysis of the environmental impacts of every reasonable project alternative should be made. It is intended that environmental concerns be considered on an equal basis with engineering feasibility, economics, and social considerations in wastewater reclamation and reuse. This paper discusses the “procedural” and “substantive” provisions of environmental law in the United States; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and more specifically the law in California; California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The procedural aspects require the preparation of an environmental document such as an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental impact report (EIR) and the substantive provisions require mitigation of harmful environmental impacts. Suggested outlines of the content of an EIS and an EIR are provided. Specific impacts associated with wastewater reclamation projects such as groundwater impacts and growth inducing impacts are discussed. This paper is intended to be a useful tool for the planning of any wastewater reclamation and reuse project. Two examples are given for this purpose.

Some spatial aspects of environmental impact statements in Israel

While many studies have analyzed EIS procedures, only a few have analyzed EISs as part of the development process. When viewed from this perspective, EISs are shown to have a skewing effect on territorial development; they address mainly infrastructure projects, and consequently delay them, but hardly touch any of the residential projects which the infrastructure is designed to serve. This discrepancy can have deleterious consequences due to residential encroachment on various infrastructure facilities, as well as due to the growing shortfall of transport and environmental infrastructure. When EISs are analyzed in terms of project area, areas where impacts and benefits are felt, and administrative control zones, it becomes apparent that the impacts and benefits analyzed may be affected by the spatial scope of administrative control and project areas. A case in point is the ‘Kalanit’ landfill in Israel. Here the benefit and impact areas analyzed in the EIS were affected by the jurisdiction of the committee that requested the EIS and to which it was submitted. This discrepancy between benefit, impact and administrative control areas is also at the source of the emerging interest in cross-boundary EIA.

A Proposal to Create a Corporate Social Environmental Impact Statement

A Proposal to Create a Corporate Social Environmental Impact Statement

Environmental health impact assessment in Flanders, Belgium

Discusses the book of guidelines for environmental impact assessment on human health published by the Flemish Government in an attempt to introduce conformity in environmental impact statements. Outlines these guidelines and how they should be used in an assessment. Discusses the interrelationship between the environment and human health.

Yucca EIS

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the disposal of commercial and DOE‐owned spent nuclear fuel and high‐level radioactive waste. The Notice of Intent for the EIS was placed in the Federal Register on August 7; the period for public comment (the “scoping” period) will end December 5, 1995.

MINE REHABILITATION: CAN WE KNOW THE FUTURE? A GEOMORPHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE FROM AUSTRALIA

As mine rehabilitation planning is an integral part of the mine plan, it is essential to be able to predict the likely success of rehabilitation in terms of its sustainability, the risk of failure, and the potential impact on surrounding ecosystems. A requirement of many regulatory authorities is the inclusion of rehabilitation plans in the Environmental Impact Statement, and at the development stage. Thus rehabilitation forecasts are commonly required in the early stages of mine planning and usually well before mining operations cease. Geomorphic modeling of structural stability, and particularly of the erosion, transport, and deposition of particulate and soluble phases of eroded materials, is an integral part of the rehabilitation assessment. Geomorphic models have to be integrated with other biophysical models in order to provide a holistic picture of the rehabilitation and its potential environmental impacts. The predictive modeling of a proposed rehabilitation structure at Ranger Uranium Mine, North...

Questionnaire checklist for cumulative impacts

Cumulative impact considerations have been required since 1979 in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process in the United States. Incorporation of these considerations has been minimal due to confusion over appropriate spatial and temporal boundaries in impact studies, lack of emphasis by project proponents and government agencies, and the absence of structured methodologies. The study described herein was conducted to delineate the types of cumulative impact methods being used in scientific studies and/or environmental impact statements (EISs) and to couple this information with existing EIA methodologies to delineate a generic methodology that could provide a framework for cumulative impact identification and assessment. Eight scientific studies were reviewed, and the utilized methods included five interaction matrices and/or composite indices, two geographic information systems, and one simple checklist. Five EISs were also reviewed relative to how cumulative impacts were addressed and the methodologies utilized. The five EISs included oil and gas leasing and development in New Mexico, a housing/urban development project in McKinney, Texas, a program to install and operate terminal Doppler weather radar facilities at airport locations across the United States, a reservoir project in the Rogue River Basin in Oregon, and a surface lignite mine in Titus County, Texas. All five EISs addressed cumulative impacts to some extent — a simple checklist methodology was used for each, although the checklist items differed from study to study. Based on these findings, and considering extant EIA methodologies, a structured questionnaire checklist is proposed for usage in scoping cumulative impacts, addressing detailed impact issues and summarizing the results of cumulative impact considerations in an impact study. The items in the proposed checklist will not all be applicable to all projects and impact studies. However, usage of this approach would provide a consistent beginning for systematically addressing cumulative impacts.

Environmental impact assessment: a healthy outcome?

Health considerations should form an important part of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and this is reflected in the wording of the legislation and guidelines adopted by many governments and agencies. Reviews have pointed to inadequacies in this area. Responses to these concerns have led to recommendations for the incorporation of health into EIA guidelines and some administrations have sought to do this. A review of the operation of EIA as demonstrated by Environmental Impact Statements published in the United Kingdom, reveals a lack of systematic evaluation of health impacts. If health continues to be omitted or neglected, this would be contrary to the intention of the legislation, and the legitimacy of decision-making will go on being undermined by a process which is not fully informed.

Metrics and standards for acoustic environmental assessments

Because of stringent legal requirements and growing public interest, researchers must win government approval for any sea test involving acoustic emissions which could injure or harass marine animals. The approval process requires extensive documentation on the animals in the test area and likely impact of the test. This documentation (Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement) then includes predictions of shock wave and acoustic field characteristics in terms relevant to animal harassment and injury metrics. At present, there is no ‘‘standard’’ approach to developing an EA or an EIS; each research program provides its own format, metrics, etc. This presentation considers issues of standardization for the EA and EIS processes. In particular, literature on animal effects provides a variety of empirical thresholds in various units (e.g., peak pressure, impulse), while source metrics have their own particular units (e.g., energy density at range, intensity). Finally, signal must be estimated with a model that correctly propagates the quantity of interest in complex environments. None of these steps has a standard approach. Examples are given of problems encountered and recommendations made for standardization. Special attention is given to measurement techniques for marine animal response to sound.

The 1992 Regulatory Moratorium: Did It Make a Difference?

History of Presidential Involvement in Rulemaking Since the Roosevelt administration and the recommendations of the Brownlow Commission, presidents have attempted to assert more control over regulatory agencies. Although in the past the appointment power was a mechanism used by presidents to oversee agencies, it has not provided an adequate amount of control over many agency actions. Bureaucratic advantages such as knowledge, history, and seniority put the chief executive at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the large executive branch. Moe (1985a) states that presidents began to combat this by strengthening the institutional presidency, which consists of the White House, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and other executive offices (e.g., Council of Economic Advisors). Recent research posits that the president can rely more on the loyalty of these inner parts of the executive branch than the individual cabinet level agencies. Moves by the Reagan administration to politicize the bureaucracy by placing loyal soldiers in many positions was another mechanism to assert control (Moe, 1985a). Many of these mechanisms were an attempt to control the bureaucracy. The issuing of regulations may be the most important function of many agencies because these regulations constitute the setting of policy and the development of law. During the 1970s, presidents imposed procedural constraints on rulemaking, such as requiring inflation-impact statements and environmental-impact statements, to facilitate closer review of regulation development by the White House. The Carter administration first formalized presidential regulatory review with Executive Order 12044. Executive Order 12044 dealt with general policy goals and criteria, the agencies' internal regulatory procedures, regulatory analysis (specifically for major regulations with an impact of over $100 million), and the review of existing regulations. The Regulatory Analysis Review Group (RARG), made up of representatives of OMB, the Council of Economic Advisors, several cabinet departments, and other White House offices, had the responsibility for implementing this order and coordinating interagency review. Executive Order 12044 met with some success in getting agencies to conduct more detailed analysis of regulatory actions (Tolchin and Tolchin, 1983). But, this order was only the beginning of the more active assault on regulations that occurred during the Reagan administration. Presidential involvement in regulation came to the forefront of policy making during the Reagan administration (Duffy, 1993). One of President Reagan's first acts as president was the issuance of Executive Order 12291. This order did a number of things including suspending or postponing a large number of regulations issued by agencies at the end of the Carter administration, requiring agencies to publish semi-annual regulatory agendas of those actions they expected to publish, setting up the presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief to be chaired by Vice President Bush (an early precursor to the Competitiveness Council), and establishing a routine mechanism for OMB review of agency regulations. In addition, control of regulatory review was placed in the newly created Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within OMB. This office was created by the promulgation of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, enacted during the end of the Carter administration. This move by the Reagan administration basically developed a central clearinghouse for agency regulations (Benda and Levine, 1985). Probably the most important component of Executive Order 12291 was the requirement that agencies complete Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) for all major regulations. The RIA had to apply cost-benefit analysis requiring the benefits of a regulation to outweigh its costs. OMB had enormous discretion in terms of these requirements and could waive them if desired. This would most likely occur if the action reduced regulatory burden. …

Seasonal acoustic propagation effect

Seasonal variations in wind and temperature gradients are known to influence the propagation of aircraft noise and sonic booms. This paper examines predictive techniques in current use for potential refinement and application to seasonal environmental impact statements. The effects of seasonally averaged refractive atmospheres were studied using sonic‐boom propagation models which include refractive effects. The atmospheric environment was chosen to be that near Edwards Air Force Base where sonic booms are known to affect the public. Sonic‐boom carpet predictions for a representative flight of an F‐111 at Mach 1.3 and 10 000 ft above mean sea level were documented. The effect of such atmospheres on predicted noise exposure contours due to a real‐world mix of supersonic flights was calculated using appropriate adjustments to the CORBOOM model. Two distinct atmospheric averaging techniques were applied for seasonal and annual comparisons. The resulting single‐event and sonic‐boom exposure predictions were compared to each other and to predictions obtained using the U.S. Standard Day Atmosphere and the Annual Reference Atmosphere for Edwards AFB. The results show the potential benefit of conducting seasonal acoustic predictions in forecasting the effects which low‐altitude aircraft flight operations have on the public.

Psychological distress as a factor in environmental impact assessment: Some methods and ideas for quantifying this intangible intangible

A case study describing citizens' contentions that restarting Three Mile Island's nuclear reactor (TMI-1) would cause psychological distress provides historical and legislative impetus for federal agencies to consider psychosocial dimensions in their environmental impact statements (EISs). Although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rejected citizens' complaints on the grounds that distress is not easily quantifiable, experts associated with the case noted that the NRC's contention was not entirely valid and that the National Environmental Protection Act missed a golden opportunity to promote the development of methodology and models for incorporating psychosocial factors into the EIS. This study describes some of the methods that have subsequently been used for measuring distress in the context of technological hazards.

Federal environmental impact statements as an important source of information

This article examines the background and characteristics of environmental impact statements (EIS), prepared by Federal agencies in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and discusses the sources that provide bibliographic control for EISs. In order to encourage awareness of the studies, the article explores their usefulness beyond their original function, outlines the legislative basis for EISs, describes the EIS process and format, and identifies government and private sector sources that facilitate access to them. A table listing the sources suggests alternatives for locating and acquiring the studies.

Environmental Impact Statement Preparation

Environmental Impact Statement Preparation

The monitoring of breeding seabirds and eiders

Twenty-one species of seabirds breed regularly in Shetland, some of them in huge, spectacular, multi-species colonies on cliffs. The Sullom Voe Environmental Advisory Group Environmental Impact Statement (SVEAG 1976) provides a table showing the relative importance of seabird species in terms of Scotland and the British Isles. We have updated these data in the light of the Seabird Colony Register (Lloyd et al. 1991) and present data for seven species, vulnerable to oil pollution, in Table 1. It is clear that these populations are of national importance and indeed several are internationally important. Separately, an estimate was provided by SVEAG of the numbers of sea ducks and divers wintering in Shetland waters and updated estimates are given by Suddaby (1992) (Table 2). Chief among these is the eider duck (Somateria mollissima) which is apparently resident in Shetland throughout the year (Heubeck 1993a). In its Eighth Report, on Oil Pollution at Sea, the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (1981) recognised the vulnerability of seabirds to oil pollution and this was clearly a matter of concern in Shetland and elsewhere when the flow of enormous quantities of crude oil into Sullom Voe via undersea pipelines and out of Sullom Voe by large tankers became a reality. The risk to seabirds of oil pollution is well documented (Bourne 1968; RSPB 1979). Dunnet (1974, 1980, 1982, 1987) has reviewed the situation in relation to the North Sea oil industry.

Improving the use of Science in Environmental Assessments

Scrutiny of Environmental impact Statements (EIS) as scientific documents is still in its infancy in Australia, yet we already have litany of complaints about their quality. My examination of I31 EISs covering a range of projects, habitats and legislatures revealed that few tackled ecological issues and mostly without a quantitative approach utilizing statistical analyses. I therefore conclude that the science in EISs is rather more rudimentary than the standard seen in ecological journals. Here I outline the genesis of problems with how science is used in environmental assessment and suggest several means by which scientists and regulatory authorities can try to rectify the situation. These suggestions revolve around my central point that the image of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) needs to be put more positively — to deserve this requires in turn, a higher standard of scientific input and use. Even if some environmental impact studies verge upon being pseudoscientific, they should be of interest ...