EIA application in China's expressway infrastructure: clarifying the decision-making hierarchy

China's EIA Law came into effect in 2003 and formally requires road transport infrastructure development actions to be subject to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). EIAs (including project EIA and plan EIA, or strategic environmental impact assessment, SEA) have been being widely applied in the expressway infrastructure planning field. Among those applications, SEA is applied to provincial level expressway network (PLEI) plans, and project EIA is applied to expressway infrastructure development 'projects' under PLEI plans. Three case studies (one expressway project EIA and two PLEI plan SEAs) were examined to understand currently how EIAs are applied to expressway infrastructure development planning. Through the studies, a number of problems that significantly influence the quality of EIA application in the field were identified. The reasons causing those problems are analyzed and possible solutions are suggested aimed at enhancing EIA practice, helping deliver better decision-making and ultimately improving the environmental performance of expressway infrastructure.     

初探产业园区规划环境影响跟踪评价实施技术路线和指标体系构建

环境影响评价法颁布十年,规划环评实施进入进一步深化和拓展阶段,跟踪评价是规划环评实施重要内容之一。目前跟踪评价暂缺乏相关技术导则和规范,无法指导实际工作。本文就跟踪评价实施步骤、技术路线、指标体系构建3个方面,探讨跟踪评价在具体工作中如何实施。以产业园区规划为例,将步骤划分为已实施部分规划的回顾性评价、未实施部分规划的预测评价两部分分别分析;技术路线将规划要素与环境资源要素相互对应分析;指标体系构建以规划要素、环境要素、资源要素、管理要素4个方面进行讨论。     

我国城市总体规划环境影响评价探讨

城市总体规划是城市发展之纲，在我国城市规划体系中占有重要地位。随着环评法的实施，我国已陆续开展了多项城市总体规划环境影响评价工作，取得了理论、方法等方面的进展和实践经验。本文根据城市总体规划的特点和任务探讨了城市总体规划环评的重点，并对城市总体规划环境影响的评价实施主体、层次深度、替代方案、承载力评价、景观影响评价、风险评价和跟踪评价等方面做了进一步的讨论。     

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act's Public Registry System

Public access to information and public participation in the environmental assessment (EA) process are cornerstones of the Canadian EA system. The Government's commitment is stated in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act which requires that federal departments establish and operate a public registry of information on the EAs they conduct to ensure convenient public access. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has taken the lead to ensure this commitment is met through the development of an innovative electronic Public Registry System. The system allows all federal departments conducting EAs to meet their obligations in a consistent and cost-effective manner. The public can easily access information on the 'who, what, when, where and why' of all EAs carried out by the federal departments, as well as document listings and the actual EA documents. Access is through the Internet, CD ROM, and in hardcopy.     

The integration of EIA and planning in New Zealand: changing process and practice

The Resource Management Act, passed in 1991, has significantly revised the practice of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in New Zealand. In contrast to a previous emphasis on environmental impact reports of major projects, the new requirements call for environmental impact assessment of all resource consent applications and of all regional, district and city policies and plans. This signals a change directed at incorporating environmental considerations into day‐to‐day planning decisions, with the purpose of achieving sustainable management. The paper identifies and discusses some key issues which are critical for successful integration of EIA within a planning framework.     

环境影响评价与西部大开发的可持续发展

环境影响评价作为协调经济发展与环境保护关系的重要手段,将在西部大开发中发挥重要作用。本文从可持续发展的高度,提出进一步完善环境影响评价的具体对策,以确保实现西部大开发的可持续发展。     

Environmental impact assessment in the People's Republic of China

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures have been in existence in the People's Republic of China over the last decade. The impetus for China's introduction of EIA was provided by the Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, which was adopted by the Fifth National People's Congress in 1979. The EIA process, which is administrative and not statutorily mandated, has been applied primarily to construction projects. Four stages are typically involved in an EIA investigation: design of the investigation, evaluation of background environmental quality, prediction of environmental impacts, and an assessment and analysis of the environmental impacts. A variety of approaches is used for predicting and analyzing environmental impacts, ranging from ad hoc methods to fairly sophisticated mathematical models. The results of the EIA investigation are compiled in an environmental impact statement, which is used as the basis for decision making by personnel in environmental protection departments. The EIA process does not include provisions for citizen notification or involvement. Views differ concerning the effectiveness of the EIA program in protecting China's natural, social, and cultural environments. Some hold that the EIA program has brought about improvement in environmental protection, while critics contend that the program has had little effect in the prevention of pollution. However, most, if not all, observers seem to feel that the program should be continued and improved. A major avenue for improvement is to place the evaluation of a particular project in a regional context. An earlier version of this paper was distributed at a workshop on Environmental Assessment Development Planning held in conjunction with the VII Annual Meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment, Brisbane, Australia, July 5–8, 1988.     

Environmental assessment in countries in transition: evolution in a changing context

Over the last fifteen years, Environmental Assessment systems of transitional societies of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia have undergone dramatic change from appraisals integrated into centrally planned economies to formal procedures aimed to ensure interdisciplinary analysis of environmental impacts and linked to publicly accountable decision-making. In most Central European nations, EA systems have been radically reformed to approximate the procedures used in developed countries, particularly in the European Union. In contrast, EA in most of the former Soviet republics has been reformed more gradually and is still based on the so-called State Environmental Review procedure inherited from the USSR and substantially different from 'Western' EA. About one-third of the transitional countries (in the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia) have, so far, failed to establish functioning EA systems. Throughout the region, there has been a gap between EA legislation and practice, especially concerning interdisciplinary analysis of environmental impacts, public participation, and utilisation of EA findings in decision-making. A key driving force in the reform of EA systems has been the change in their societal context, the so-called 'process of transition'. Three main policy agendas--environmental protection, reforms of decision-making, and conforming to international requirements--along with the institutional context of EA regulations and practice have influenced both the change of EA systems over time and the regional variations in the patterns of their evolution. This study suggests that an effective reform of an EA system should be context-sensitive, or be 'in gear' with the political and economic transition. Future EA research should consider their changing societal contexts and focused on practical effects of applying EA procedures.     

回顾性环境影响评价程序及内容研究

回顾性环境影响评价是环境影响评价的一个分支,是继常规环境影响评价之后,为检验实际环境影响和减缓措施的有效性行为。其工作内容主要包括环境监测、检验与评估、环境管理及其他环境研究。它既是对原环境影响评价过程中所使用的预测模型和结果正确性的验证,又是对原工作内容进行重要的补充和修正,并提出更为合理和实用的环境保护措施及对策     

Towards a Sustainable Urban Environmental Management Approach (SUEMA): Incorporating environmental management with Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

An Environmental Management System (EMS) has been widely in use by many companies to manage the environmental effects of their operations. The process has recently gained ground in being adopted at city and municipal levels as well as in institutions such as universities. However, an EMS that is conducted at corporate level has some deficiencies when it is applied at city level. These deficiencies are in evaluating environmental goals and policies carried out to mainly ensure that the policies meet ISO 14001 standard and corporate requirements and neglect of public participation. Urban areas differ from companies due to their size, complexity and environmental challenges, high rate of growth and the dynamic nature of urban systems. Therefore, they need an urban environmental management approach that will assess the formulated urban environment policies and goals in a strategic method before implementation, including social dimensions such as public participation. Therefore, this paper proposes a modified approach to incorporate an EMS, called the Sustainable Urban Environmental Management Approach (SUEMA). The approach recognizes the above-mentioned deficiencies and benefits from the advantages of sustainability and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the formulation and evaluation of policies, plans and programs. SUEMA is developed to ensure more sustainable urban environmental planning and development.     

A Critical Review of Environmental Impact Statements in Sri Lanka with Particular Reference to Ecological Impact Assessment

This article critically reviews environmental assessment (EA) practices in Sri Lanka, with a particular focus on ecology. An overview is provided of the domestic and international influences which have shaped the administrative process which is currently a two-tiered scheme. An Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) provides a preliminary screening tool, prior to the requirement for a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). A comprehensive survey of Sri Lankan national archives showed that 463 EAs were completed in the period 1981–2005, with the bulk of these in the more populated Western and North Western Provinces. Two-thirds were IEE surveys, while the remaining third advanced to full EIA. A representative sample of 130 EAs (both IEEs and full EIAs) spanning a broad range of project types, scales, and environmental settings was selected to evaluate the quality of the ecological investigations within the published environmental impact statements (EISs). These were assigned into five classes of “explanatory power”, on the basis of their scientific content in relation to survey, analysis, and reporting of ecological interests. Within most EISs, the ecological impact assessment (EcIA) was restricted to the lowest two categories of ecological assessment, i.e., tokenistic presentation of reconnaissance-level species lists without further analysis of the development implications for individual organisms or communities. None of the assessments reviewed provided statistically rigorous analysis, which would be required if ecological impact studies are to include quantitative and testable predictions of impact, which could then be followed up by appropriate post-impact monitoring programs. Attention to key local issues such as biodiversity or ecosystem services, which also have strong social dimensions in the developing world, was also notably underrepresented. It was thus concluded that despite the existence of a sound legislative framework in Sri Lanka, the analysis contained within EISs generally fails to convey meaningful information to the relevant stakeholders and decision makers involved in protecting ecological interests and promoting sustainable development. The introduction of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is considered an important tool to strengthen the institutional capacity of Sri Lankan government to implement current regulations and, in particular, to combat the cumulative effects of incremental development.     

Project approval,environmental assessment and public participation

Summary Assessing the desirability of large scale resource development is an extremely complicated process. In the past, the presumption has been that economic criteria were decisive. Lately, however, we have accepted the idea that social and environmental factors will affect the design and procedures of development, and, in extreme cases, may even indicate the abandonment of a project. Public input and formal environmental and social impact assessment have been accepted in principle, and the challenge is to incorporate them within an orderly and expeditious governmental decision process. This is a case study of such a process for Esso Resources Canada Limited's proposed heavy oil project at Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. P. S. Elder was Gold Medallist and Law Review Editor upon graduating from the Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia (1965). Following his call to the Bar and graduate work at the University of London (London School of Economics), he was an aide to various Canadian federal cabinet ministers (1967–70) and taught law at the University of Western Ontario (1970–73). In 1973 Professor Elder joined the Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he teaches legally related subjects. He has written widely in environmental law and policy, and public participation. In his free time Elder engages in municipal and provincial politics     

化工园区规划环评中应重点关注的问题分析——以新疆吐鲁番市沈宏化工园区为例

化工园区开发建设项目具有建设内容复杂、建设范围大、建设周期长等特点,且不确定性强,产生污染物种类多、数量大,对周边区域的环境影响复杂,其规划环境影响评价应主要依据《开发区区域环境影响评价技术导则》编制。根据化工园区开发项目的环境影响特点,选址、功能区布局、产业规划及可持续发展能力分析作为化工园区规划环评中重点关注的问题,并给予重点评价。     

Public involvement in the EIS process

In the United States public involvement in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process is required by Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Guidelines, Executive mandates, and agency guidelines. Public participation after the initial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and throughout the preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is desirable for it permits contributions from:

1. those who are directly affected by a proposed project.
2. individuals with expertise in environmental fields that may be affected by government action.

Early public participation can be useful in identifying environmental problems and potential sources of controversy. A systematic approach should be applied by government agencies to solicit public opinion throughout the preparation of the DEIS. Early, active, and meaningful participation particularly by those government and public segments most affected by the proposed project is a positive step towards effectively using the EIS as a management tool for mitigating impacts to the human environment. Here we discuss the role of public participation in the EIS process and develop an approach for initiating early and expressive public participation.     

Towards a more effective EIA in transport planning: a literature review to derive interventions and mechanisms to improve knowledge integration

A set of process-related barriers negatively determines the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in transport planning. Recent research highlights the unstructured stakeholder involvement and inefficient public participation in earlier phases of EIA as key bottlenecks. While the academic literature has produced promising theories for addressing these barriers, they have rarely been translated into solutions applicable and testable in practice. In order to bridge this theory–practice gap, we present a systematic literature review of interventions and mechanisms aimed at facilitating the integration of different sources and types of knowledge during the scoping phase of EIA. This review explores if and how interventions and mechanisms have been conducted in practice; if and why they worked or did not work and how relevant they are for EIA in transport planning. Based on this review, we distil a set of three specific interventions and trigger mechanisms applicable in the context of EIA in transport planning.     

Policy and Practice

Saudi Arabia has recently begun to implement its General Environmental Regulations. The main purpose is to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account at all levels of planning with an emphasis on incorporating EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) into development activities. However, there is a need to develop a broad framework of SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) for the proper integration of sustainability into decision‐making processes. This paper reviews and discusses a framework for ensuring sustainability in Saudi Arabia, particularly at the local level. The paper develops guidelines and a framework for implementing the principles of sustainability in Saudi municipalities through SEA.     

A process for quantifiable evaluation of environment improvement

Summary The assessment of adverse effects of development projects is well established, as, for example, in the case of quarrying or a new urban road scheme. Environmental Improvement, on the other hand, is generally seen as a by-product of economic or development schemes. In the UK it is recognised as an important factor in attracting private sector investment, yet in project evaluation environmental improvements are often described in general terms but not quantified.Survey methods for establishing people's preferences are well established. Enhancement of the environment can be measured as a ratio by assessing the environment before and after improvement. This method has been applied in an evaluation of four case studies assessing the impact of Urban Development Grants in South Wales (Alden et al., 1987).Dr S M Romaya is an architect who possesses a planning qualification. His environmental interests relate particularly to urban centres and these form the focus of his research and many publications. In addition to conducting an architectural practice and being involved in consultancy, much of his working life has been spent in academic institutions; as an Associate Professor at the College of Engineering Technology, Baghdad; at Nottingham University; and now as a lecturer in Urban Design in the Department of Town Planning, UWIST, Cardiff. This paper was initially delivered at an Environmental Impact Assessment Conference conducted by the Institution of Environmental Sciences during October 1986.     

Problems and Prospects in Local Environmental Assessment: Lessons from the United States

Local environmental assessment (EA), mandated by five US states, has introduced complex management issues for practitioners and policy makers. Based on a review of statutes, case law, and prior EA evaluations,this paper outlines three key issue areas for local EA: linking comprehensive planning and EA; making the threshold determination process more certain; and balancing mitigation with public participation. The paper argues that all the issues reflect a central tension in environmentalassessment between procedural consistency and the need for contingent responses to conditions that differ among the projects to be reviewed.     

基层环境影响评价工作存在的问题与对策

目前环境影响评价普遍存在滞后现象和水平低及周期长等问题,提出广泛开展环评法宣传教育;加强环评队伍建设,提高环评人员的素质;把环评纳入总量控制轨道,突出浓度与总量同时评价;大众参与以及进一步规范和完善环境影响报告书的审批等对策与措施.