The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a technical and administrative procedure aimed at identifying, predicting and mitigating the environmental effects that could be generated as a result of a project, work or activity before its execution.[1] Its objective is to ensure that negative impacts on the environment are considered before making decisions, thus promoting sustainable development. This procedure includes the identification of viable alternatives, the assessment of environmental impacts on factors such as air, water, soil, flora and fauna, and the implementation of necessary preventive and corrective measures.[2].
This procedure is regulated by specific environmental laws in each country or region, which establish the criteria and methodologies for its application. Generally, the process begins with the presentation of the project to the competent authorities, who oversee prior consultation with interested and affected parties. Subsequently, the project promoter prepares the environmental impact study, which is reviewed by government agencies and subjected to public participation processes. Finally, a resolution is issued that can culminate in the approval of the project through an Environmental License that authorizes the implementation of the project, in some countries it is known as an Environmental Impact Statement (DIA), and is issued by the relevant environmental body.
The concept of EIA emerged in United States legislation in 1969 with the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and was subsequently adopted by other countries and regions, such as the European Union in 1985. It is currently a requirement in many legislations, where the consequences of a negative evaluation can range from the modification of the project to its cancellation.
The EIA is applied exclusively to specific projects, evaluating factors such as materials, technologies, construction and operational processes involved, in order to guarantee sustainable development and the protection of natural resources.
History
In 1969, a step forward was taken in the United States with the approval of the “National Environmental Policy Act” (N.E.P.A.). This regulation provides for the introduction of the EIA, the reinforcement of the “Environmental Protection Agency” (with an administrative control role), and provides for the creation of the “Council on Environmental Quality” (with an advisory role for the presidency).
Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (EIA)
Introduction
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a technical and administrative procedure aimed at identifying, predicting and mitigating the environmental effects that could be generated as a result of a project, work or activity before its execution.[1] Its objective is to ensure that negative impacts on the environment are considered before making decisions, thus promoting sustainable development. This procedure includes the identification of viable alternatives, the assessment of environmental impacts on factors such as air, water, soil, flora and fauna, and the implementation of necessary preventive and corrective measures.[2].
This procedure is regulated by specific environmental laws in each country or region, which establish the criteria and methodologies for its application. Generally, the process begins with the presentation of the project to the competent authorities, who oversee prior consultation with interested and affected parties. Subsequently, the project promoter prepares the environmental impact study, which is reviewed by government agencies and subjected to public participation processes. Finally, a resolution is issued that can culminate in the approval of the project through an Environmental License that authorizes the implementation of the project, in some countries it is known as an Environmental Impact Statement (DIA), and is issued by the relevant environmental body.
The concept of EIA emerged in United States legislation in 1969 with the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and was subsequently adopted by other countries and regions, such as the European Union in 1985. It is currently a requirement in many legislations, where the consequences of a negative evaluation can range from the modification of the project to its cancellation.
The EIA is applied exclusively to specific projects, evaluating factors such as materials, technologies, construction and operational processes involved, in order to guarantee sustainable development and the protection of natural resources.
History
In 1979, the “Regulations for implementing the Procedural Previsions of N.E.P.A.” were approved, a regulation that makes the EIA mandatory for all public projects, or those that are financed by public funds. The environmental impact study is carried out directly by the competent authority in granting the respective final license; the emanation of two separate acts is planned: one related to the evaluation of environmental impacts and the other related to the authorization to execute the work.
In 1992, the “Environmental Assessment Review Process” standard emerged in Canada, a specific standard referring to the evaluation of environmental impact, broadly following the regulations of the United States. In 1977, changes were introduced to the regulations without altering its substance. The standard applies to public projects or projects financed with public resources.
In 1976 in France, law no. 76-629 (July 10, 1976), relating to the protection of nature. This law introduces three different levels of evaluation: Environmental studies; impact news; and, impact studies. The bases for the study of environmental impacts at the European level begin. In fact, in 1985 the European Community issued Directive 337/85/EEC referring to the evaluation of the environmental impact of certain public and private projects. The first application of this new regulation occurred in Holland, in 1986, approving an expanded standard, with particular emphasis on the evaluations to be carried out in the design phase. The central element of the Dutch standard is the comparative analysis of alternatives and evaluation of their respective impacts, with the aim of determining the best solution in environmental terms.
In 1979, the environmental impacts of large reservoirs in Brazil began to be considered, aimed mainly at developing mitigation plans in the reservoir filling phase.
In 1998, the National Environmental Authority was created in Panama, according to Law 41 of July 1, 1998, an entity that establishes the basic principles and standards for the protection, conservation and recovery of the environment, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, in addition to ordering environmental management and integrating it with social and economic objectives, in order to achieve sustainable human development in the country.
Instruments of environmental impact assessment
Contenido
El estudio de impacto ambiental es un instrumento importante para la evaluación del impacto ambiental de un proyecto. Es un estudio técnico, objetivo, de carácter pluri e interdisciplinario, que se realiza para predecir y gestionar los impactos ambientales que pueden derivarse de la ejecución de un proyecto, actividad o decisión política permitiendo la toma de decisiones sobre la viabilidad ambiental del mismo. Constituye el documento básico para el proceso de Evaluación del Impacto Ambiental.
La redacción y firma del estudio de impacto ambiental es tarea de un equipo multidisciplinario compuesto por especialistas en la interpretación del proyecto y en los factores ambientales más relevantes para ese proyecto concreto (por ejemplo atmósfera, agua, suelos, vegetación, fauna, recursos culturales"), etc.) que normalmente se integran en una empresa de Consultoría Ambiental.
El estudio del impacto ambiental se hace en varias etapas, paralelo a las etapas de la intervención que se pretende evaluar.
Para estos efectos debe entenderse como intervención no solo una obra, como un puente o una carretera, sino que también, es una intervención que puede tener impacto en el ambiente, la creación de una normativa o una modificación de una normativa existente. Por ejemplo, el incremento del impuesto a la importación de materia prima para fabricación de plásticos puede inducir al uso de recipientes reciclables.
Cada intervención propuesta es analizada en función de los posibles impactos ambientales. Asimismo se analizan, en función de la etapa en que se encuentra en el ciclo del proyecto, las posibles alternativas a la alternativa planteada. Siempre entre las alternativas analizadas se considera la alternativa de Proyecto cero").
Preliminary environmental impact study
Environmental impact studies are developed with available bibliographic information that replaces the EIA in those cases in which the activities do not involve intensive or extensive use of the land, such as aerial photography, aeromagnetometry, surface geology, or are activities with recognized little impact to be developed in non-fragile ecosystems.
They are studies that the proponent prepares to contrast the action with the environmental protection criteria and that help him decide the scope of the environmental analysis in more detail.
Partial environmental impact study
Analysis that includes those projects (works or activities) whose execution may have environmental impacts that would very partially affect the environment and where their negative effects can be eliminated or minimized through the adoption of known and easily applicable measures.
Baseline study or socio-environmental diagnosis
It consists of a situational diagnosis that is carried out to determine the environmental conditions of a geographic area before executing the project, it includes all the biotic, abiotic and sociocultural aspects of the ecosystem. It involves carrying out a detailed inventory of the biotic component and defining or characterizing the abiotic component. In the Spanish procedure, this stage is usually called "Characterization of the Environment" or "Inventory of the Environment".
Detailed environmental impact study
Analysis that includes those projects (works or activities) whose execution may produce negative environmental impacts of quantitative or qualitative significance, which merit a more in-depth analysis to review the impacts and to propose the corresponding environmental management strategy.
In the Latin American context, as an important part of this stage of the studies it may be necessary to develop population resettlement plans, impact mitigation plan, training plan and monitoring plan.
Characteristics of this study are the project analysis, which highlights the environmental aspects of the project, the analysis of alternatives that must be considered in the situation without a project, the identification and assessment of impacts that is usually carried out through impact matrices, the proposal of preventive, corrective and compensatory measures, a surveillance and monitoring program, and finally a restoration plan for the end of the useful life of the projected facility. The resulting report is accompanied by a summary document written in a way that is understandable to the public and exposed over a period of time to the allegations that individuals and institutions wish to present.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Analysis of the synergistic or cumulative environmental impacts of policies, plans and programs that allows setting advance conditions that must be incorporated into specific actions.
Carrying out the environmental impact assessment
Carrying out the environmental evaluation itself is the responsibility of the borrower. The project government arranges for the environmental assessment; Consultants or an institution are often chosen to carry out the analyses. When it is necessary to employ international experts to provide skills not available in the country receiving the credit, it is advisable to also encourage the participation of local consultants, in order to take advantage of local knowledge and strengthen their capacity for future environmental assessment work.
The environmental assessment is more effective when the results, although preliminary, are disclosed from the beginning of the preparation process. At that point, environmentally desirable alternatives (sites, technologies, etc.) can be realistically considered, and implementation and operation plans can be designed to respond to critical environmental issues for maximum cost effectiveness. It later becomes very costly to make major design changes, select an alternative proposal, or decide not to continue with a project. Even more costly are delays in the implementation of a project due to environmental problems not contemplated in its design. Consequently, it is essential to integrate environmental assessment into the feasibility study and design.
The environmental assessment implementation plan must enable frequent coordination meetings between the environmental assessment team and the feasibility study team, to exchange information on environmental problems and the responses they require. Preliminary drafts of the most important sections of the environmental assessment and presentations on specific problems are also useful as means of communication between teams, especially when making key decisions as preparation progresses. Most successful environmental assessments typically receive full mid-term reviews.
The engagement manager should agree with the borrower which drafts, if any, the financial institution wants to see, and when. At a minimum, however, the project manager should review a final version, with the assistance of the funder's Regional Environmental Division, to determine whether the issues he considers important have been addressed, and to obtain necessary clarifications and other comments to the borrower, in an effort to have information on all critical environmental issues prior to the assessment. Since in practice some definitive environmental assessments may be ready only shortly before the assessment, it is also highly desirable to make a preliminary review at an appropriate interim stage (for example, when identifying all significant environmental problems and describing mitigation measures). This will ensure correct scope in the environmental assessment; communication between designers and the environmental assessment team; and that in reality, the changes required by the project are being made to address environmental problems. In general, most of the main concerns are known during the first few months; The remainder of the environmental assessment period focuses on mitigation measures.
It is recommended that the interim environmental evaluations and their respective studies be disseminated among interested organizations, affected communities, and NGOs that participate in the preparation of the project. Encourages its member countries to prepare environmental assessments on this basis. However, since the environmental assessment is the property of the borrower, the document can only be publicly disclosed with the consent of the initial borrower.
Environmental Impact Assessment in Spain
Successive directives from the European Union forced Spain to transpose environmental impact legislation into its regulations. At first there was some opposition to the environmental impact assessment because it was considered that complying with said regulations would make companies less competitive, although in the long run it has been seen that it is necessary to take environmental factors into account when studying projects. The transposition has been carried out in the following way:
Environmental Impact Assessment in Bolivia
La evaluación de impacto ambiental en Bolivia, se rige en función a la Ley 1333/95 a sus reglamentos conexos. Y actualmente se fueron modificando debiendo ajustarse al D.S. 3459 y al D.S. 3856.
Según el Reglamento de Prevención y Control Ambiental") (RPCA) de 1995, la Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental comenzaba con la presentación de la Ficha Ambiental que era un documento de sistematización de la información de un determinado proyecto en una etapa inicial de prefactibilidad.
El artículo 7 del RPCA definía a la Ficha Ambiental como el “Documento técnico que marca el inicio del proceso de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental, el mismo que se constituye en instrumento para la determinación de la Categoría de EEIA (…) incluye información sobre el proyecto, obra o actividad, la identificación de impactos clave y la identificación de la posible solución para los impactos negativos”.
La Ficha Ambiental debía incluir entre otros una descripción del proyecto, duración, alternativas y tecnología, inversión total, recursos naturales a ser aprovechados, generación de residuos, identificación de impactos “clave”, formulación de medidas de mitigación y prevención, y una matriz de identificación de impactos ambientales.
Este documento desde el año 2018 ha sido remplazado por el llenado de un “Formulario de Nivel de Categorización Ambiental” que contiene menos información y requerimientos que la original Ficha Ambiental, y que no se aplica a obras, actividades y proyectos comprendidos en la categoría 4 del listado del DS 3856 del 2019.
It includes detailed analysis of all factors of the environmental system.
at a physical, biological, socioeconomic, cultural, and legal-institutional level and contains a Prevention and Mitigation Program and an Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan.
For example, open pit exploitation of minerals, mega hydroelectric plants…
It includes the analysis of some factors of the environmental system, and contains a Prevention and Mitigation Program and an Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan.
Extraction of brines from salt flats, construction of a plant for a nuclear energy research reactor.
They only need to present the Forecast and Mitigation Program (PPM) and the Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan (PASA).
Eg. Construction of drinking water and sewage systems.
It does not require Environmental Impact Assessment Studies or Mitigation Measures and Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan.
Ex. Most activities in the agricultural sector.
Environmental Project Book, Volume I, II and III. Policies, Procedures and Intersectoral Problems. Environment Department of the World Bank.
References
[1] ↑ Garmendia Salvador, Alfonso (2005). Evaluación de impacto ambiental. Pearson/Prentice Hall. ISBN 84-205-4398-5. OCLC 503420263. Consultado el 26 de abril de 2021.: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/503420263
In 1969, a step forward was taken in the United States with the approval of the “National Environmental Policy Act” (N.E.P.A.). This regulation provides for the introduction of the EIA, the reinforcement of the “Environmental Protection Agency” (with an administrative control role), and provides for the creation of the “Council on Environmental Quality” (with an advisory role for the presidency).
In 1979, the “Regulations for implementing the Procedural Previsions of N.E.P.A.” were approved, a regulation that makes the EIA mandatory for all public projects, or those that are financed by public funds. The environmental impact study is carried out directly by the competent authority in granting the respective final license; the emanation of two separate acts is planned: one related to the evaluation of environmental impacts and the other related to the authorization to execute the work.
In 1992, the “Environmental Assessment Review Process” standard emerged in Canada, a specific standard referring to the evaluation of environmental impact, broadly following the regulations of the United States. In 1977, changes were introduced to the regulations without altering its substance. The standard applies to public projects or projects financed with public resources.
In 1976 in France, law no. 76-629 (July 10, 1976), relating to the protection of nature. This law introduces three different levels of evaluation: Environmental studies; impact news; and, impact studies. The bases for the study of environmental impacts at the European level begin. In fact, in 1985 the European Community issued Directive 337/85/EEC referring to the evaluation of the environmental impact of certain public and private projects. The first application of this new regulation occurred in Holland, in 1986, approving an expanded standard, with particular emphasis on the evaluations to be carried out in the design phase. The central element of the Dutch standard is the comparative analysis of alternatives and evaluation of their respective impacts, with the aim of determining the best solution in environmental terms.
In 1979, the environmental impacts of large reservoirs in Brazil began to be considered, aimed mainly at developing mitigation plans in the reservoir filling phase.
In 1998, the National Environmental Authority was created in Panama, according to Law 41 of July 1, 1998, an entity that establishes the basic principles and standards for the protection, conservation and recovery of the environment, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, in addition to ordering environmental management and integrating it with social and economic objectives, in order to achieve sustainable human development in the country.
Instruments of environmental impact assessment
Contenido
El estudio de impacto ambiental es un instrumento importante para la evaluación del impacto ambiental de un proyecto. Es un estudio técnico, objetivo, de carácter pluri e interdisciplinario, que se realiza para predecir y gestionar los impactos ambientales que pueden derivarse de la ejecución de un proyecto, actividad o decisión política permitiendo la toma de decisiones sobre la viabilidad ambiental del mismo. Constituye el documento básico para el proceso de Evaluación del Impacto Ambiental.
La redacción y firma del estudio de impacto ambiental es tarea de un equipo multidisciplinario compuesto por especialistas en la interpretación del proyecto y en los factores ambientales más relevantes para ese proyecto concreto (por ejemplo atmósfera, agua, suelos, vegetación, fauna, recursos culturales"), etc.) que normalmente se integran en una empresa de Consultoría Ambiental.
El estudio del impacto ambiental se hace en varias etapas, paralelo a las etapas de la intervención que se pretende evaluar.
Para estos efectos debe entenderse como intervención no solo una obra, como un puente o una carretera, sino que también, es una intervención que puede tener impacto en el ambiente, la creación de una normativa o una modificación de una normativa existente. Por ejemplo, el incremento del impuesto a la importación de materia prima para fabricación de plásticos puede inducir al uso de recipientes reciclables.
Cada intervención propuesta es analizada en función de los posibles impactos ambientales. Asimismo se analizan, en función de la etapa en que se encuentra en el ciclo del proyecto, las posibles alternativas a la alternativa planteada. Siempre entre las alternativas analizadas se considera la alternativa de Proyecto cero").
Preliminary environmental impact study
Environmental impact studies are developed with available bibliographic information that replaces the EIA in those cases in which the activities do not involve intensive or extensive use of the land, such as aerial photography, aeromagnetometry, surface geology, or are activities with recognized little impact to be developed in non-fragile ecosystems.
They are studies that the proponent prepares to contrast the action with the environmental protection criteria and that help him decide the scope of the environmental analysis in more detail.
Partial environmental impact study
Analysis that includes those projects (works or activities) whose execution may have environmental impacts that would very partially affect the environment and where their negative effects can be eliminated or minimized through the adoption of known and easily applicable measures.
Baseline study or socio-environmental diagnosis
It consists of a situational diagnosis that is carried out to determine the environmental conditions of a geographic area before executing the project, it includes all the biotic, abiotic and sociocultural aspects of the ecosystem. It involves carrying out a detailed inventory of the biotic component and defining or characterizing the abiotic component. In the Spanish procedure, this stage is usually called "Characterization of the Environment" or "Inventory of the Environment".
Detailed environmental impact study
Analysis that includes those projects (works or activities) whose execution may produce negative environmental impacts of quantitative or qualitative significance, which merit a more in-depth analysis to review the impacts and to propose the corresponding environmental management strategy.
In the Latin American context, as an important part of this stage of the studies it may be necessary to develop population resettlement plans, impact mitigation plan, training plan and monitoring plan.
Characteristics of this study are the project analysis, which highlights the environmental aspects of the project, the analysis of alternatives that must be considered in the situation without a project, the identification and assessment of impacts that is usually carried out through impact matrices, the proposal of preventive, corrective and compensatory measures, a surveillance and monitoring program, and finally a restoration plan for the end of the useful life of the projected facility. The resulting report is accompanied by a summary document written in a way that is understandable to the public and exposed over a period of time to the allegations that individuals and institutions wish to present.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Analysis of the synergistic or cumulative environmental impacts of policies, plans and programs that allows setting advance conditions that must be incorporated into specific actions.
Carrying out the environmental impact assessment
Carrying out the environmental evaluation itself is the responsibility of the borrower. The project government arranges for the environmental assessment; Consultants or an institution are often chosen to carry out the analyses. When it is necessary to employ international experts to provide skills not available in the country receiving the credit, it is advisable to also encourage the participation of local consultants, in order to take advantage of local knowledge and strengthen their capacity for future environmental assessment work.
The environmental assessment is more effective when the results, although preliminary, are disclosed from the beginning of the preparation process. At that point, environmentally desirable alternatives (sites, technologies, etc.) can be realistically considered, and implementation and operation plans can be designed to respond to critical environmental issues for maximum cost effectiveness. It later becomes very costly to make major design changes, select an alternative proposal, or decide not to continue with a project. Even more costly are delays in the implementation of a project due to environmental problems not contemplated in its design. Consequently, it is essential to integrate environmental assessment into the feasibility study and design.
The environmental assessment implementation plan must enable frequent coordination meetings between the environmental assessment team and the feasibility study team, to exchange information on environmental problems and the responses they require. Preliminary drafts of the most important sections of the environmental assessment and presentations on specific problems are also useful as means of communication between teams, especially when making key decisions as preparation progresses. Most successful environmental assessments typically receive full mid-term reviews.
The engagement manager should agree with the borrower which drafts, if any, the financial institution wants to see, and when. At a minimum, however, the project manager should review a final version, with the assistance of the funder's Regional Environmental Division, to determine whether the issues he considers important have been addressed, and to obtain necessary clarifications and other comments to the borrower, in an effort to have information on all critical environmental issues prior to the assessment. Since in practice some definitive environmental assessments may be ready only shortly before the assessment, it is also highly desirable to make a preliminary review at an appropriate interim stage (for example, when identifying all significant environmental problems and describing mitigation measures). This will ensure correct scope in the environmental assessment; communication between designers and the environmental assessment team; and that in reality, the changes required by the project are being made to address environmental problems. In general, most of the main concerns are known during the first few months; The remainder of the environmental assessment period focuses on mitigation measures.
It is recommended that the interim environmental evaluations and their respective studies be disseminated among interested organizations, affected communities, and NGOs that participate in the preparation of the project. Encourages its member countries to prepare environmental assessments on this basis. However, since the environmental assessment is the property of the borrower, the document can only be publicly disclosed with the consent of the initial borrower.
Environmental Impact Assessment in Spain
Successive directives from the European Union forced Spain to transpose environmental impact legislation into its regulations. At first there was some opposition to the environmental impact assessment because it was considered that complying with said regulations would make companies less competitive, although in the long run it has been seen that it is necessary to take environmental factors into account when studying projects. The transposition has been carried out in the following way:
Environmental Impact Assessment in Bolivia
La evaluación de impacto ambiental en Bolivia, se rige en función a la Ley 1333/95 a sus reglamentos conexos. Y actualmente se fueron modificando debiendo ajustarse al D.S. 3459 y al D.S. 3856.
Según el Reglamento de Prevención y Control Ambiental") (RPCA) de 1995, la Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental comenzaba con la presentación de la Ficha Ambiental que era un documento de sistematización de la información de un determinado proyecto en una etapa inicial de prefactibilidad.
El artículo 7 del RPCA definía a la Ficha Ambiental como el “Documento técnico que marca el inicio del proceso de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental, el mismo que se constituye en instrumento para la determinación de la Categoría de EEIA (…) incluye información sobre el proyecto, obra o actividad, la identificación de impactos clave y la identificación de la posible solución para los impactos negativos”.
La Ficha Ambiental debía incluir entre otros una descripción del proyecto, duración, alternativas y tecnología, inversión total, recursos naturales a ser aprovechados, generación de residuos, identificación de impactos “clave”, formulación de medidas de mitigación y prevención, y una matriz de identificación de impactos ambientales.
Este documento desde el año 2018 ha sido remplazado por el llenado de un “Formulario de Nivel de Categorización Ambiental” que contiene menos información y requerimientos que la original Ficha Ambiental, y que no se aplica a obras, actividades y proyectos comprendidos en la categoría 4 del listado del DS 3856 del 2019.
It includes detailed analysis of all factors of the environmental system.
at a physical, biological, socioeconomic, cultural, and legal-institutional level and contains a Prevention and Mitigation Program and an Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan.
For example, open pit exploitation of minerals, mega hydroelectric plants…
It includes the analysis of some factors of the environmental system, and contains a Prevention and Mitigation Program and an Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan.
Extraction of brines from salt flats, construction of a plant for a nuclear energy research reactor.
They only need to present the Forecast and Mitigation Program (PPM) and the Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan (PASA).
Eg. Construction of drinking water and sewage systems.
It does not require Environmental Impact Assessment Studies or Mitigation Measures and Environmental Application and Monitoring Plan.
Ex. Most activities in the agricultural sector.
Environmental Project Book, Volume I, II and III. Policies, Procedures and Intersectoral Problems. Environment Department of the World Bank.
References
[1] ↑ Garmendia Salvador, Alfonso (2005). Evaluación de impacto ambiental. Pearson/Prentice Hall. ISBN 84-205-4398-5. OCLC 503420263. Consultado el 26 de abril de 2021.: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/503420263