Environmental Compliance Certificate

What is Environmental Impact Assessment?

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a "process that involves predicting and evaluating the likely impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts) on the environment during construction, commissioning, operation and abandonment.  It also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect the environment and the community's welfare".

As a basic principle, EIA is used to enhance planning and guide decision-making. EIA is primarily presented in the context of a requirement to integrate environmental concerns in the planning process of projects at the feasibility stage.   Thru the EIA Process, adverse environmental impacts of proposed actions are considerably reduced thru a reiterative review process of project sitting, design and other alternatives, and the subsequent formulation of environmental management and monitoring plans.

How it is used?

* Screening - is an EIA required; what level of detail is required.

* Scoping - what are the issues and impacts of the project; who are the stakeholders; what is the current state of the environment.

* Identification of alternatives - what alternatives exist?

* Impact analysis - what are the environmental, social and other related impacts of the project.

* Mitigation and impact management - how will the impacts be mitigated, reduced or managed.

* Evaluation of significance - are the impacts acceptable.

* Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or report - documentation of the proposal, impacts, impact mitigation and management options, level of significance and concerns.

* Review of EIS - EIS is open for public comment for a sufficient period of time.

* Decision making - public comments considered and a decision made whether to accept the proposal as is, modify the proposal or reject the proposal outright.

* Monitoring and review - develop an...