1. Environmental Impact Assessment
Frank van Gemert
NRG, Radiation & Environment
The Netherlands

2. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

3. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Contents
Introduction
Why ?
How ?
Who ?
When ?
€, £, $ ?
Conclusions
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

4. Introduction EIA Environmental Impact Assessment =
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

5. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Why ?
Regulatory requirements
Public Involvement
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

6. Regulatory requirements
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending DIRECTIVE 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. …
See Chapter 5
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

7. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Public involvement
Takes a lot of time
Creates additional burdens
Environmental issues are for experts
But:
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

8. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Public involvement
Brings additional expertise in the decision making process
Results in better implemented and respected decisions
Makes environmental legislation more effective
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

9. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
How ?
A phased process
Screening
Scoping
Impact Evaluation
Impact Statement
Review and decision
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

10. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
How ?
A phased process
Screening
Scoping
Impact Evaluation
Impact Statement
Review and decision
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

11. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Screening
Determine if an EIA is required
EU guidance to facilitate the screening process
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

12. Steps in screening EIA X X EIA X EIA Annex I or II ? Mandatory list ?
Exclusion list ?
Case-by-case; sign. effect ?
yes no no no
yes
yes no
yes
Natura 2000; sign. effect ?
EIA X X
EIA no
yes
Record the decision X
EIA
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

13. Selection criteria case by case screening
Characteristics of projects
Location of Projects
Characteristics of the potential impact
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

14. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Screening tools
Screening checklist
Checklist of criteria for evaluating the significance of environmental effects
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

15. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Screening checklist
Characteristics of projects
Location of Projects
Characteristics of the potential impact
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

16. Characteristics of projects
Size of the project
Cumulation with other projects
Use of natural resources
Production of waste
Pollution and nuisances
Risk of accidents
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

17. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Location of projects
Existing land use
Relative abundance, quality and regenerative capacity if natural resources in the area
Absorption capacity of the natural environment
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

18. Characteristics of the potential impact
Extent of the impact (area, size of population)
Transfrontier nature of the impact
Magnitude and complexity of the impact
Probability of the impact
Duration, frequency and reversibility of the impact
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

19. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
How ?
A phased process
Screening
Scoping
Impact Evaluation
Impact Statement
Review and decision
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

20. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Scoping
Must ensure that the environmental studies provide all the relevant information on:
The (most important) impacts
The alternatives to the project
Any other matter to be included
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

21. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Scoping
On request of the developer or
Mandatory (in some member states)
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

22. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Requested scoping
Only when requested by the EIA developer
Is undertaken by the Competent Authority
Requires consulting of environmental authorities
May involve consultation of other interested parties and the general public
Results in a “Scoping Opinion” which forms the terms of reference for the EIA
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

23. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Mandatory scoping
Is undertaken by:
(a) the Competent Authority or
(b) the EIA developer
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

24. Mandatory scoping by developer
A draft “Scoping Report” is prepared
Requires consulting of environmental authorities
May involve consultation of other interested parties and the general public
Results in a “Scoping Report” which forms the terms of reference for the EIA
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

25. Mandatory scoping by CA
Undertaken by the Competent authority or by an independent body on behalf of the CA
Requires consulting of environmental authorities by the CA
May involve consultation of other interested parties and the general public
Results in a “Scoping Opinion” which forms the terms of reference for the EIA
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

26. Scoping Reports and Opinions
Identify the types of environmental impacts to be investigated and reported
and may also cover:
Alternatives to consider
Baseline surveys & investigations to carry out
Methods & criteria to be used for prediction & evaluation of effects
Mitigation measures to consider
Organisations to consult
Structure, content and length of the Environmental Information (EIS)
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

27. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
but:
The provision of a Scoping Opinion does not preclude the competent authority from subsequently requiring the developer to submit further information if the CA considers that it is necessary.
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

28. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Good scoping:
Will involve the CA and the developer in a dialogue about the project and the issues it raises.
Does not end with the delivery of the Scoping Report or Opinion.
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

29. Information for scoping
Preliminary data collection and field work;
Checklists;
Scoping checklist part 1 & 2;
Criteria for evaluation the significance of impacts;
Potential alternatives and mitigation measures.
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

30. Scoping checklist part 1 – project characteristics
Physical changes in the locality;
Use of natural resources;
Harmful materials or substances;
Produce of wastes;
Emissions to air;
Noise, light, electromagnetic radiation etc.;
Contamination of land or ground or surface water;
Risk of accidents;
Social changes;
Other factors.
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

31. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Scoping checklist
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

32. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Include:
Secondary or higher order effects
Indirect effects
Cumulative effects
Temporary or intermittent effects
Effects resulting from abnormal events
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

33. Scoping checklist part 2 – characteristics of the environment
Protected or sensitive species or fauna;
Routes or facilities used by the public;
Location to extreme climatic conditions;
Employment;
Community cohesion;
Plans for future land use around the location; ….
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

34. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

35. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

36. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Consultation
Environmental authorities
Regional, local
Pollution control
Health & safety……..
Interested parties
Environmental & social interest groups
Employees’ organisations (e.g. unions)
Research institutes…
General public
Residents
Local community groups….
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

37. Effective consultation
Provide enough information;
Make clear scoping is not about selling a project, but about hearing and understanding views;
Provide sufficient time;
The scoping stage does not preclude from making comments in a later stage;
Ensure that views expressed are taken into account.
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

38. Scoping - key questions
What effects could this project have on the environment?
Which effects need particular attention in the environmental studies?
Which alternatives and mitigating measures ought to be considered?
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

39. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
How ?
A phased process
Screening
Scoping
Impact Evaluation
Impact Statement
Review and decision
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

40. Environmental impact evaluation
Description of the environmental baseline
Impact identification
Assessment of significance of impacts
Mitigation measures
Monitoring plan
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

41. Environmental baseline
Describes the environment prior to decommissioning:
Natural environment (e.g. air and water quality, flora and fauna)
Socio-economic factors (e.g. land use, infrastructure, economy)
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

42. Impact identification
Actions in the decommissioning project (with potential to cause impact)
Environmental factors (potentially affected by these impacts)
Identification matrix
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

43. Impact identification matrix (example)
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

44. Assessment of significance of impacts
Impact weighting schemes
Take account of opinions of stakeholder groups
Risk perception
Professionals: probabilistic approach
Other stakeholders: consequences of potential effects (even with very low probability
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

45. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Mitigation measures
Determine potential effectiveness for each scenario
Demonstrate that further improvements are not justified
Re-assess the environmental impact of the project
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

46. Development of a monitoring plan
Objective : Measure the impact of the decommissioning project
Real impact vs. estimated impact
Effectiveness of mitigating measures
Parameters
Methods
Frequency
Expected values
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

47. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
How ?
A phased process
Screening
Scoping
Impact Evaluation
Impact Statement
Review and decision
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

48. Environmental impact statement (EIS)
Provide information to:
Decision makers
People potentially effected by the project
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

49. EIS = tool to communicate
Clear structure
Description of procedure
Concise, comprehensive and objective
Consistent terminology, glossary
References to information sources
Description of methods used for studies
Clear discussion of alternatives
Non-technical summary
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

50. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
How ?
A phased process
Screening
Scoping
Impact Evaluation
Impact Statement
Review and decision
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

51. Review before decision making
Mandatory or ‘only’ good practice
By competent authority or by independent organisation
Aims:
Information adequate for decision making?
Complies with requirements of legislation?
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

52. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Review checklist
Description of the project
Objectives and physical characteristics of the project
Size of the project
Production processes and resources used
Residues and emissions
Risks of accidents and hazards
Other questions
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

53. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Review checklist
Consideration of alternatives
Description of the environment likely to be affected
Aspects of the environment
Data collection and survey methods
Other questions
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

54. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Review checklist
Description of the likely effects
Scoping of effects
Prediction of direct effects
Prediction of other effects
Evaluation of significance of effects
Impact assessment methods
Other questions
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

55. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Review checklist
Description of mitigation
Non technical summary
Quality of presentation
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

56. Use of review checklist
Briefly overview the EIS
Decide which questions are relevant for the project
Indicate special features not identified in the checklist
Review the EIS for the relevant questions
Specify missing information
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

57. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
EIS decision
Competent authority:
Are the environmental implications of the planned decommissioning project acceptable?
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

58. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Who ?
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

59. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
When ?
Typical duration of EIA preparation for NPP decommissioning:
Detailed assessment and preparation of EIS: 9-15 months
Full EIA: 1-3 years
To reduce the overall level of resources:
Involvement of competent authorities as soon as possible
Initial feasibility studies as soon as possible
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

60. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
€, £, $ ?
Depends on e.g.:
Size and complexness of the installation
Approach to scoping
Number of options in detailed assessment
Identification of key impacts
Approach to public involvement
Availability of existing data
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

61. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
€, £, $ ?
EIA costs are typically 1 % of the total project costs
Range: 0.01 – 5 %
Typical cost of an EIA for NPP decommissioning:
M€ 1 – 1.5
Up to M€ 5 if existing information is inadequate or significant environmental monitoring is required
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

62. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Conclusions
Why ?
Regulatory requirements
Public involvement
How ?
Phased process
Screening
Scoping
Impact evaluation and EI Statement
Review (and decision)
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

63. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Conclusions
Who ?
Competent authorities
Project developer
Independent organisation
Stakeholders
General public
Dialogue to reach consensus
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

64. Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment
Conclusions
When ?
Start dialogue early
Typical duration for NPP 1-3 years
Costs ?
Depends on project scale, available information, dialogue
1 % (0.01 – 5 %) of project costs
Typical costs for NPP M€ 1 – 1.5
Eundetraf II - Environmental Impact Assessment

65. Frank van Gemert NRG Radiation & Environment