Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the process of identifying and evaluating the effects on the environment of impact factors arising from a proposed change in environmental quality. The purpose of an EIA is to determine the potential environmental, social and health effects of a proposed development. During the process of EIA, various project alternatives are studied and potential adverse and beneficial environmental impacts of the project activities are singled out. Based on this, the project alternative is selected and mitigation measures are identified for the adverse impacts arising out of the activities of the project in order to mitigate the adverse impacts on air, water, soil, flora and fauna. Thus, through Environment Impact Assessment studies, environmental issues can be identified in advance. 

As per the EIA Notification dated 14th September 2006 as amended from time to time, it is mandatory to have the Environment Clearance for any new industry or the expansion of the industry from the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, New Delhi. For this, EIA has to be prepared as per the guidelines given by MoEFCC. 

The purpose of this Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is to provide information on the surroundings and the extent of environmental impacts likely to arise due to this industry or mining project and also to define an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to minimize and mitigate the likely adverse environmental impacts.

The EIA report provides a coherent statement of the potential impacts of a proposal and the measures that will be taken to reduce and remedy them. It contains essential information for:  

• The proponent to implement the proposal in an environmentally and socially responsible way;  
• The responsible authority to make a decision on the proposal, including the terms and conditions that must be attached to an approval or authorization; and  
• The public to understand the proposal and its likely impacts on people and the environment and nearby areas.

The EIA regulations define two schedules of developments. For Schedule 1 projects an EIA must always be carried out. For Schedule 2 projects an EIA must be carried out if the development is likely to have a significant impact on the environment by virtue of its nature, size, or location.

Schedule I projects

Schedule I projects always require an EIA. These comprise large-scale projects with obvious environmental effects, such as:

• Crude oil refineries
• Nuclear-generating stations and other nuclear reactors
• Larger scale quarries and open-cast mines

Schedule II projects

Schedule II projects will only require EIA if it's decided that the project is likely to have 'significant' environmental effects. There will usually be a threshold to determine if a case-by-case screening decision is required.

Examples of Schedule II projects include:

• Industrial estate development projects (threshold - the area of the development exceeds 0.5 hectares)
• An electric line installed above ground (threshold - with a voltage of 132 kilovolts or more)

The projects or activities shall require prior environmental clearance from the concerned regulatory authority, which shall hereinafter be referred to as the Central Government in the Ministry of Environment and Forests for matters falling under Category ‘A’ in the Schedule and at the State level the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for matters falling under Category ‘B’ in the said Schedule.

All projects and activities are broadly categorized into two categories - Category A and

Category B. Category A projects require mandatory environmental clearance and thus they do not undergo the screening process. Category B projects undergo a screening process and they are classified into two types. Category B1 projects (Mandatorily requires EIA). Category B2 projects (Do not require EIA) Category 'A' Projects have significant environmental or social impacts and require a more formalized process of assessment than other projects. 

EIA Process Involves the Following Steps:-

• Screening: The project plan is scrutinized to determine the amount of investment, the location and type of development, and whether statutory approval is required.
• Scoping: the project's possible effects, impact zone, an opportunity for mitigation, and requirement for monitoring
• Collection of baseline data: The environmental condition of the research area is the baseline data.
• Impact prediction: Predicting both positive and negative, reversible and irreversible, temporary and permanent outcomes necessitates that the assessment agency has a thorough grasp of the project.
• Mitigation measures: The activities and steps for preventing, limiting, or bypassing the impacts, or else the level of compensation for likely environmental harm or loss, should be included in the EIA report.
• Public hearing: Public and environmental organizations located close to the project site may be notified and consulted when the EIA report is finished.
• Decision making: To make the final decision, the project manager and consultant are consulted by the Impact Assessment Authority and specialists while keeping EIA and EMP in mind (Environment Management Plan).
• Monitoring and implementation of environmental management plan: The various phases of implementation of the project are monitored.
• Assessment of Alternatives: Delineation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and the Mitigation Measures. Environmental attributes for each project's potential alternatives should be compared. Both project site and process technologies should be considered as alternatives.
• Environment Management Plan: After the alternatives have been examined, the chosen option should have a mitigation plan created for it, along with an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to direct the proponent toward environmental enhancements.
• Risk assessment: EIA methods include hazard probability and index calculations and inventory analyses.

MoEF has categorized 40 sectors that require Environmental Clearance before commencing any of the project activities and for which EIA is to be done. These are categorized on the basis of activities and the area of the project.

Preparation of environmental management plan is required for the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of environmental protection measures during and after the commissioning of projects. The plans should indicate the details as to how various measures have been or are proposed to be taken including cost components as may be required. The cost of measures for environmental safeguards should be treated as an integral component of the project cost and environmental aspects should be taken into account at various stages of the project:

• Conceptualization: preliminary environmental assessment
• Planning: detailed studies of environmental impacts and design of safeguards
• Execution: implementation of environmental safety measures
• Operation: monitoring the effectiveness of built-in safeguards

The management plans should be necessarily based on considerations of resource conservation and pollution abatement, some of which are:

• Liquid Effluents
• Air Pollution
• Noise and Vibration
• Solid Wastes
• House-Keeping
• Occupational Safety and Health
• Prevention, operation, and maintenance of Environment Control Systems
• Vegetal Cover
• Human Settlements
• Transport Systems
• Recovery - reuse of waste products
• Environment Management Cell
• Disaster Planning

Environmental Impact Notification Released on September 2006

• The Environment (Protection) Act of 1986's Environmental Impact Notification S.O.1533 (E), published in September 2006, made it clear that all planned development projects must get environmental clearance. 
• The aforementioned notification divided projects into two main categories, "A" and "B." The MoEF must approve category A projects (including the modernization and expansion of ongoing projects), and the GOI-established SEIAA, the Environmental Impact Assessment Authority, must approve category B projects.