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Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Unit – I
Basic Concepts of EIA
Environment: Environment means anything around us or surroundings around us.
Components of Environment:
Consists of Two Components
• Biotic Components or Living Components
Ex: Man, Plants, Animals, Microbes etc.
• Abiotic Components or Non-living Components
Ex: Air, Water, Land, Food etc
Introduction: It is a systematic approach involves in assessment of impacts of development
projects on Environmental components.
Ex: Dams, Road and Railway Lines, Industries, Mining, highways, bridges etc.
Development Projects:
• A project or an activity which provides lot of economy or generates huge income to
the govt people, called as ‘Development Project or activity’.
Ex: Dams, Road and Railway Lines, Industries, Mining, Highways, Bridges etc.
Impact
Impact is any change in the physical, chemical, biological, cultural or socio-economic
environmental system, could be adverse or beneficial.
Objectives of EIA
• To identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to
taking a decision on its implementation.
• Mitigation (reducing the severity) of harmful impacts and maximising the beneficial
effects. Once the assessment is complete, the EIA findings are communicated to stake
holders i,.e, developers, investors, regulators, planners, politicians, affected
communities etc. Based on the conclusion of the EIA process, the govt can decide if a
project should be given environment clearance or not.
• The developers and investors can shape the project so as to mitigate its harms and
maximise its benefits.
CONCEPTS OF EIA
EIA is a procedure to plan some developmental activity with well-defined
environmental goals so that damage due to the activity both during developmental
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stage and production stage have minimum impact on the natural system and the
population in the area.
EIA Guidelines:
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) USA in 1969 first provided the
guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment through Council for Environmental
Quality (CEQ).
Gazette Notification for EIA;
In India the Gazette Notification of EIA was issued in 1994 in which the Ministry of
Environment and Forest (MoEF) provided guidelines for project proponents to have
EIA and prepare Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prior to the clearance of the
project.
GOALS OF EIA
- To fulfil the responsibilities towards the coming generations as trustees of the
environment.
- To assure safe, healthy, productive as well as culturally pleasing surroundings.
- To provide widest range of beneficial uses of environment without degradation or risk
to health.
- To preserve historical, cultural and natural heritage.
- To achieve a balance between population and resource use for a good standard of
living.
- To ensure sustainable development with minimal environmental degradation.
Factors affecting EIA/ Land Clearing Activities (LCA).
The major impacts of LCA project on environment are
1) Physical Resources
2) Ecological Imbalance
3) Human Use Values
4) Quality of Life Values
1) Physical Resources: Physical resources are
a) Soil quality
b) Water
c) Plants
d) Animals etc.
a) Soil Quality: due to deforestation, construction of dams, roads and railway lines, soil
quality would be affected. As
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1) Soil erosion occurs.

2) Soil fertility is lost due to physical stresses involved in cleaning and levelling.
3) Loss of rain water infiltration (infiltration is the process by which water on the ground
surface enters the soil).
4) Micro effects on increasing temperatures (with temperature increase from 0 to 10
degrees, the algal community changes).
2) Ecological Imbalance
-Forest resources (wild life habitat) are lost.
- Hazards may encroach to nearby forests due to agricultural development.
- Hazards from pesticides and other agricultural toxins.
3) Human Use Values
- Impairment(damage) of downstream water quality
- community water supply
beneficial water is lost as run off (run off is the part of the water cycle that flows over
land as surface water instead of being absorbed into ground or evaporating) Sedimentation
and flooding hazards.
4) Quality of Life Hazards
-Loss of forest tourism
- Impairment of aesthetic values
- Disruption of local forest population
- Disease hazards (due to insects etc.) to farmer population.
- Sanitation disease hazards due to increases population.
Salient Features of EIA
- EIA identifies the positive and negative impacts of a proposed project on the
environment.
- These impacts can be short term or long term.
- EIA a plan which when implemented reduces the negative impacts so that there is a
minimal level of degradation.
- The plan also utilises the positive impacts which offset the negative impacts.
- EIA provides a monitoring program to measure the level of plan implementation and
the degree of effectiveness.
EIA Procedure:
The entire EIA procedure can be divided into 2 tasks or sub reports.
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1) The Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)

and
2) The Full scale Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

1. Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)

 Involves project screening to determine which projects require a full scale EIA.
 -IEE ensures project oriented environmental management and also minimises the
effort, expense and delay in carrying out such planning.
 Based on the information and judgement given by an expert, IEE assesses the
potential environmental effects of a proposed project.
 If the IEE results indicate that a full scale EIA is not required, then any environmental
management parameters such as environmental protection measures or a monitoring
program can be adapted.
 If on the other hand, full scale EIA is required, IEE gives a mechanism to determine
and identify the key issues and also those issues which require only a cursory
discussion.
 IEE provides very efficiently provides the environmental management plans with or
without the requirement of a full scale EIA.
 Therefore for most industrial developmental projects, IEE is desirable from the
economic point of view

Important steps in Full Scale Environmental Impact Assessment

EIA is a multidisciplinary approach which- identifies, assesses and analysis the impacts
of developmental projects on natural resources such as air quality , water quality, soil quality,
noise, plants, animals etc.
Impact Assessment Methods are
1) Scope
2) Identification
3) Prediction
4) Evaluation
1) Scope of EIA
Scope identifies – important issues and concerns
- Area of less concerns
-other legislative or regulatory requirements.
Scoping is used to
-define the proposed action
-enlist (enrol) the cooperation of agencies.
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-Identify what is important and what is not important.

- Set the time limit on studies.
- Collect the background information.
- Identify the required permits.
- Identify other regulatory requirements.
- Determine the range of alternatives.

2. Identification:

- Description of the existing environmental system

- Determination of the components of the project.
- Definition of the environment modified by the project.
3) Prediction
-Identifying the significant environmental modifications.
-Forecasting the quality and spatial dimensions of change in environment
-estimating the probability of the impact occurrence.
4. Evaluation and Analysis
-Evaluating the least environmentally damaging alternatives.
-Critical assessment of impacts.
- Preparation of draft and final impact statements.
EIA Process Flow Chart:
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1. Screening:-

- Screening is the first and simplest process in project evaluation. It is done to see whether
the project needs an EIA for clearance or not.
Further there are some prohibited areas where generally development projects are not
allowed.
Ex:- Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ)
Dahanu Taluka in Maharashtra
Aravalli Range, Reserve Forests
Sensitive Zones etc.
Type of Projects:
The government rules, categorize projects into two categories, A and B based on the spatial
extent of the impacts, effects on human health and the effects on the environment.
1. Category -A projects are looked into by the central govt.
2. Category -B projects go to the state govt.
Category B projects are further sub divided in to category B1 and category B2.
A.B1 Projects require a public hearing for EIA.
B.B2 don’t require.
2. Scoping:-

Scoping is another stage before the main EIA process begins. It would study and
address all issues of importance and the concerns raised by various groups.
- It involves determination of the extent of EIA required for the project. Depending upon
the project, basically two types of EIA may be carried out.
• When EIA report is based on a single season data, it is called “Rapid EIA”.
• When the EIA report is based on detailed seasonal data, it is called “Comprehensive
EIA”.
3. Public hearing:-

The SPCB conducts a public hearing at the site (or) in its close proximity. It includes
obtaining responses in writing or oral from the affected persons and other persons by posting
on website within 7days of receiving application.
Public hearing is not required for
• Small scale industrial undertaking located in notified or designated industrial
areas/industrial estates.
• Areas marked for industries under the jurisdiction of industrial development
authorities.
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• Widening and strengthening of high ways.

• Minor projects with lease areas up to 25 hectares
• SEZ s and
• Modernization of existing irrigation projects.

4. Baseline Data Acquisition:

It gives a holistic picture of the overall environmental setting of the project
location showing any significant environmental items prior to initiation of the action,
any potentially critical environmental changes and information about the site to the
decision makers and receivers, who might be unfamiliar with the general location of the
project area.

Environmental Parameters Considered for Preparation of Baseline Data Acquisition:

The following environmental parameters are usually considered while preparing the
baseline data.

1. Site Location and Topography:

a. Regional Demography:-population distribution with in 10 and 50 km radius, land

use and water use pattern.
b. Regional Land Marks:- like historical and cultural heritage in the area. For this
archaeological or state register can be checked.
Geology: - Land forms, soil type, land scape etc are studied.
d. Hydrology: - Ground water and surface water resources are quantified. Water
quality, pollution sources etc., are studies.
e. Meteorological: - temperature extremes, wind speed and direction, dew point,
atmospheric stability, rain fall, storms etc are checked.
f. Ecology; - The flora, fauna, endangered species, successional stage etc., are enlisted.

5. Impact Identification:-

It includes the details of project characters and baseline environmental characteristics to

ensure the identification of full range of environmental impacts. During identification
process, the positive and negative, direct and indirect, significant and insignificant impacts
are considered
6. Impact prediction:-
Here magnitude of changes going to occur due to the project are predicted by using
mathematics models or mass balance models.
7. Impact Analysis:-
This stage of EIA identifies and predicts the likely environmental and social
impact of the proposed project and evaluates the significance. It is done by considering
the costs and benefits of the projects. Long term effects and side effects of the project
are also evaluated. Indirect valuation of environmental parameters are also done.
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Ex:- loss of rare species, degradation of a lake etc.

8. Mitigation:

Once the impacts are predicted and evaluated, mitigation measures are to be suggested
to avoid, reduce or rectify the adverse changes due to the project. Review and a draft
impact statement at this stage .The step in EIA recommends the actions to reduce and
avoid the potential adverse environmental consequences of development activities.
9. Reporting:-
This stage presents the results of EIA in the form of a report to the decision making body
and other interested parties.
10. Review of EIA:-
It examines the adequacy and effectiveness of the EIA report and provides the
information necessary for decision making.
11. Decision Analysis:-
Public participation is involved by arranging group decision about the project and
its evaluation.

12. Decision making:-

It decides whether the project is rejected, approved or needs further change.

13. Post monitoring:-

This stage comes into play once the project is commissioned. It checks to ensure that the
impacts of the project do not exceed the legal standards and implementation of the
mitigation measures are in the manner as described in the EIA report.
14. Environmental Impact Statement(EIS)
Based on the data obtained and review suggestions, a final EIS prepared as per the
format provided by the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) in our country.
In EIS clearly mentions the objectives of the project, its environmental impacts , impacts
that are unavoidable , mitigate measure to minimize the impacts, alternatives to the proposed
action etc.
15. Environmental Audit:-
It compares the impacts predicted in EIS before the project was started and actual impacts
after implementation of the project.
Environmental Sensitive Areas:-
There are many areas/places environmentally sensitive and are not suitable for
development activity.
a) Ecologically sensitive areas such as
• Religious and historic places
• Archaeological monuments
• Hilly areas
• Coastal resorts
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• Health resorts
• Biosphere reserves
• Estuaries
• National parks and Sanctuaries
• Lakes, rivers
• Tribal settlements
• Boarder areas
• Airports etc.
B ) Flood plain riverine system
C ) Major settlements with population more than 3 lakhs
d) Settlements with lesser population
Environmental Impacts
Environmental impacts arising from any development project fall into three categories.
a) Direct impacts
b) Indirect impacts
c) Cumulative impacts
These three groups can be further broken down according to their nature into
• Positive and negative impacts
• Predictable and Unpredictable /random impacts
• Local and Wide spread impacts
• Short and Long term impacts
Environmental Parameters:
The following environmental parameters to be considered for EIA of any developmental
activity.
• Crop Productivity
• Air Quality
• Water Quality and aquatic resources
• Nutrient status of water
• Drinking water quality
• Availability of agricultural land
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Components or Elements of EIA:

-Air Environment
-Noise Environment
-Water Environment
- Biological Environment
- Land Environment
- Socio Economic and Health Environment
- Risk Assessment
- Environmental Management Plan - EMP
Air Environment
- Screening to determine the impact zone
- Developing a monitoring network.
- The ambient (surroundings) air quality up to 7-10 km of the proposed project site is
monitored with respect to the -wind speed, direction, humidity, ambient temperature,
environmental lapse rate (it is the rate at which the air temperature changes with
height in the atmosphere).
- Estimation of air emissions (fugitive emissions and vehicular traffic emissions) by
identifying, quantifying and evaluating within the impact zone and estimating the
impacts.
Fugitive emissions are emissions of gases or vapours from pressurised equipment due to
leaks and also from other industrial activities.
Noise Environment
 Monitoring the present status of noise levels and predicting the future noise levels
resulting from the proposed project.
 Identifying the impacts and recommendation of mitigation measures.
Water Environment
 Studying the existing ground and surface water resources w.r.t quantity and quality.
 Predicting the impacts due to the project ( as a result of pumping for the project
activities etc.)
 Quantification of waste water
 Evaluation- assessment of feasibility of water recycling, reuse and delineation of the
plan.
 Suggestions on modifications.

Biological Environment
 Survey of flora and fauna
 Assessment of damages to aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna due to discharge of
gaseous emissions and air pollution from the project.
 Delineation of mitigation measures to prevent or reduce the damage.
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Land Environment
 Studying the soil characteristics, land topography, landscape and drainage patterns.
 Estimating the impacts
 Identifying the potential utility of treated effluent in land application.
 Delineation of options for minimisation of waste and environmentally compatible
disposal.
Socio Economic and Health Environment
 Collecting demographic and related socio economic data
 Collecting epidemiological data eg. Fluorosis, Malaria, Fileria, Malnutrition etc.
 Morbidity rates among population.
 Assessment of impact on historical, cultural and archaeological sites in the project
site.
 Assessment of economic benefits.
Risk assessment
 Identification of hazards, inventory analysis, dam break probability, natural hazard
probability.
 Maximum credible accident (MCA) analysis accidents resulting in fire, explosion etc.
 Hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies.
 Assessment of risk of the above
 Preparation of onsite and offsite disaster management plan.
Environment Management Plan (EMP):
Delineation of mitigation measures including prevention and control for each
environmental component, rehabilitation and resettlement plan.
Environmental Base Map:
 A base map is a context map. Information can be added to a base map by
overlaying other information on top of it.
 Base map contains reference information which provides geospatial information
based on what the cartographer is trying to communicate.
 The function of the base map is to provide background detail necessary to orient
the location of the map.
 The term base map is seen often in GIS (Geographic Information System
Mapping) and refers to collection of GIS.
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 Base map was prepared by taking developmental plan 1991 as a reference to

digitise roads, railway lines .It was further corrected by overlaying the map on the
satellite image.
Five steps
 1- Contributing specialists
 2-Land use system
 3- Land degradation
 4- Sustainable land management
 5- Expert recommendation
Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)
 Also called Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA)
 Is a systematic approach to estimate the strengths and weaknesses of the options
to achieve benefits while preserving savings (for eg. In transactions etc.)
 -CBA first compiles a comprehensive list of all the costs and benefits associated
with the project.
 Costs include – cost of risks such as regulatory risk, (risk that a change in laws
and regulations will impact a business or market etc.) environmental impacts etc.
CBA estimates and totals up the equivalent money value of the benefits and costs. These
projects may be dams, highways, training programs, health care systems etc.
- Cost summary is broken down into its constituents and comparison of the costs is
done.
There are 4 types of Cost Analysis
1) Investment Cost Analysis
2) Cost Allocation Analysis
3) Cost Effectiveness Analysis and
4) Cost Benefit Analysis.
CBA in EIA
CBA is undertaken to weigh the costs of a project against the benefits.
 CBA tries to put a monetary value on both costs and benefits so that they are
expressed in same units.
 Environmental cost benefit analysis refers to assessing policies and projects that
might affect the environment
 The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) covers the design, construction,
operation and maintenance of each project component.
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 EMP identifies the environmental issues and provides plans to manage them
effectively.

Environmental Quality Index Method (EQIM)

 An overall estimate of environmental quality is needed to improve our understanding
of the relationship between environmental conditions and human health.
 An Environmental Quality Index (EQI) was developed for all the countries using
indicators from chemical, natural, built and social environment.
Five environmental domains are
 air
 water
 land
 Built and socio demographic.
EQI is used in 2 ways,
 As an indicator of ambient conditions in environmental health modelling,
 As a covariate to adjust for ambient conditions in environmental models.

Air Pollution Index

• Air pollution is a result of the combined effects of different pollutants rather than a
single pollutant.
The magnitude of air pollution in such cases is difficult to be assessed on the basis of the
concentration of individual pollutants alone, but the goal can be achieved by applying
certain indices.
Water Quality Index
For calculating the water quality index,
There are 9 individual variables
- Dissolved Oxygen, Fecal Coliform
- pH, Biological Oxygen Demand
- Nitrates, Phosphates
- Temperature deviation, Turbidity and
- Total Solids
Other uses are expected by different end users such as
-Local People
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-County
-State Govt.
-Non government organisations (NGO)
-Academic institutions
-EQI summarises many variables into a single variable.
-EQI is one approach that improves statistical efficiency and accounts for many
environmental exposures at once.
-EQI identifies areas with different levels of environmental quality.
Types of EIA
EIA is mainly of 2 types
1) Comprehensive EIA
2) Rapid EIA
1) Comprehensive EIA:-
If EIA report incorporates the data of all 3 seasons of a year, it is comprehensive EIA.
2) Rapid EIA:-
If EIA report has only one season data, it is rapid EIA.
• EIA was introduced in India in 1978 w.r.t River Valley Projects. Later EIA legislation
was enhanced to include other developmental sections.
• EIA comes under the notification of developmental projects 1994 under the provision
of Environmental (Pollution) Act 1986.
• Besides EIA, the Govt of India under Environment Protection Act 1986 issued a no of
other notifications, which are related to EIA.
• EIA is now mandatory for more than 30 categories of projects and these projects get
Environment Clearance (EC) only after the EIA requirements are fulfilled.
• EC or go ahead signal is granted by the impact assessment agency in the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Govt. of India.
All the projects that require clearance from Central Govt. can be broadly categorised in to
the fall.
• Individual projects that need clearance from Central Govt.
• Nuclear Power and related projects.
• River Valley Projects including Hydel Power, Major Irrigation and Flood Control.
• Ports, Harbours, Airports.
• Petroleum Refineries including Crude and product Pipelines.
• Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides.
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• Bulk Drugs and Pharmaceuticals.

• Thermal Power Plants
• Distilleries
• Pulp, Paper and News Print, Dyes.
• Cement
• Electroplating
• Mining Projects.
Environmental Appraisal:-
An Appraisal Committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
(MoEF) will first scrutinize a project based on the data presented by the project authorities.
Single Window Clearance:-
- Environmental Clearance + Forestry Clearance
- When a project requires both EC and approval under the forest conservation Act of
1980, the proposals should be given simultaneously to the concerned divisions of the
ministry.
Main Participants of EIA:-
EIA applies to public and private sections.
The Six Main Participants are
- Those who propose the project/ Project Proponent.
- The Environmental Consultant who prepares EIA on behalf of project proponent.
- Pollution Control Board (State or National)
- Public who has the right to express their opinion.
- The Impact Assessment Agency.
- Regional Centre of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).
Composition of the Expert Committees for EIA
- The committees will consists of experts in the following disciplines.
- Ecosystem Management
- Air/Water Pollution Control
- Water Resource Management
- Flora/Fauna Conservation and Management
- Land Use Planning
- Social Sciences/Rehabilitation
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- Environmental Health
Amendment of EIA Notification:-
EIA notification of 2006 has decentralised (meaning transfer from central to local).
The environmental clearance projects by categorising the developmental projects as
Category A and Category B.
After 2006 amendment the EIA cycle comprises of 4 stages
- Screening
- Scoping
- Public hearing
- Appraisal
Benefits of EIA:-
- EIA links environment with development for environmentally safe and sustainable
development.
- EIA provides a cost effective method to eliminate or minimise the adverse impacts of
the developmental projects.
- EIA enables the decision makers to analyse the effects of developmental activities on
the environment well before the project is implemented.
- EIA encourages the mitigation practices.
- EIA makes sure that the developmental plan is environmentally sound and within the
limits of the capacity of assimilation and regeneration of the ecosystem.
EI A Methodologies:
There is no universal methodology of EIA, so far which can be applied to all project types
in all environmental settings. (Bisset, 1980)
- A number of methodologies are available for EIA.
- Warner (1973) has divided all available methods into 5 main categories.
(a) Adhoc Method
(b) Overlay Method
(c) Checklists Method
(d) Matrices Method
(e) Networks Method
- Apart from these, there are some specific approaches of economics like CBA, Input –
output technique available for EIA.
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(b) Overlay Method:

-is a Geographical Approach developed by MC Harg (1968, 69).
-this method relies on maps of project areas, environmental characteristics covering
Physical,
Social, Ecological and Aesthetic aspects.
- Comprehensive description of the areas is given.
- Computer programs are used to overlay the maps and thus arrive at a conclusion, reg.
the impacts of the project.
(c) Checklist Method:
- Is different from adhoc methods.
- They are quite elaborate.
- Systematic assessment of environmental impacts of projects is done.
- Checklist means listing of Potential Environmental Impacts.
Types of Checklist: It is of 4 types
1) Simple Checklist- no information is given
2) Descriptive Checklist –gives data, measurement and impact prediction details
-by using the checklist method, EIA now assesses the nature of the impact i.e., adverse
and beneficial, short term and long term, reversible and irreversible etc.
3) Scaling Checklist– is similar to descriptive checklist, and has additional information on
subjective scaling of the parameters.
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4) Scaling Weighing Checklist– is similar to scaling checklist with additional information

on subjective evaluation of each parameter w.r.t all other parameters.

Types of Impacts of a Development Activity or Project on Environmental

Components:
Short Term Impacts- loss of flora and fauna, soil erosion
Long Term Impacts- deforestation, desertification, increase in temperature, decrease in
rainfall, climate changes
Direct Impacts–loss of flora and fauna, soil erosion, health hazards
Indirect Impacts- deforestation, desertification, increase in temperature, decrease in
rainfall, climate changes, global warming, air pollution
Predictable Impacts: air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, deforestation, loss of
flora and fauna.
Unpredictable Impacts: global warming, depletion of ozone layer, acid rains etc.
Positive Impacts job opportunities, development of science and technology, increase in
country’s economy, increase in goods, increase in consumerism, increase in standard of
living.
Negative Impacts all the above except positive impacts.
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Criteria for the Selection of EIA Methodology:

EIA methodologies should have the following qualities
- Should be systematic in approach
- Should be able to organize the large mass of heterogeneous data.
- Should be able to quantify the impacts.
- Should be capable of summarizing the data.
- Should have a good prediction capability.
- Should extract the salient features.
- Should finally be able to display the raw data and derived information in a meaningful
fashion.