Introduction

● Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of

evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed
project or development, taking into account inter-related
socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both
beneficial and adverse.

Salient Features of 2006 Amendments to EIA Notification

● Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006 has

decentralized the environmental clearance projects by
categorizing the developmental projects in two categories, i.e.,
Category A (national level appraisal) and Category B (state
level appraisal).

○ Category A projects are appraised at national level by

Impact Assessment Agency (IAA) and the Expert
Appraisal Committee (EAC) and Category B projects
are apprised at state level.
○ State Level Environment Impact Assessment
Authority (SEIAA) and State Level Expert Appraisal
 Committee (SEAC) are constituted to provide
clearance to Category B process.
● After 2006 Amendment the EIA cycle comprises of four
stages:

○ Screening
○ Scoping
○ Public hearing
○ Appraisal
● Category A projects require mandatory environmental
clearance and thus they do not undergo the screening process.
● Category B projects undergoes screening process and they are
classified into two types.

○ Category B1 projects (Mandatorily requires EIA).

○ Category B2 projects (Do not require EIA).
● Thus, Category A projects and Category B, projects undergo
the complete EIA process whereas Category B2 projects are
excluded from complete EIA process.

The EIA Process

EIA involves the steps mentioned below. However, the EIA process is cyclical
with interaction between the various steps.
● Screening: The project plan is screened for scale of
investment, location and type of development and if the project
needs statutory clearance.
● Scoping: The project’s potential impacts, zone of impacts,
mitigation possibilities and need for monitoring.
● Collection of baseline data: Baseline data is the environmental
status of study area.
● Impact prediction: Positive and negative, reversible and
irreversible and temporary and permanent impacts need to be
predicted which presupposes a good understanding of the
project by the assessment agency.
● Mitigation measures and EIA report: The EIA report should
include the actions and steps for preventing, minimizing or by
passing the impacts or else the level of compensation for
probable environmental damage or loss.
● Public hearing: On completion of the EIA report, public and
environmental groups living close to project site may be
informed and consulted.
● Decision making: Impact Assessment Authority along with the
experts consult the project-in-charge along with consultant to
take the final decision, keeping in mind EIA and EMP
(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 Mitigation
Measures and Environmental Impact Assessment Report: For
every project, possible alternatives should be identified, and
environmental attributes compared. Alternatives should cover
both project location and process technologies.

○ Once alternatives have been reviewed, a mitigation

plan should be drawn up for the selected option and
is supplemented with an Environmental Management
Plan (EMP) to guide the proponent towards
environmental improvements.
● Risk assessment: Inventory analysis and hazard probability
and index also form part of EIA procedures.
Main elements of EIA report

EIA Report should clearly set out the methodological considerations and the
reasoning behind the identification and assessment of significant effects so that
others can see the weight attached to different factors and can understand the
rationale of the assessment. The following format captures the main elements of
a typical report:

1. Table of Contents
● Chapters and Titles
● List of Maps, Illustrations, and Figures
● List of Tables
● List of Acronyms
● EIA Preparers

2.Executive Summary

3. Executive Summary

4. Acknowledgment

5.(Chap.1) Introduction-

○ Background Information
○ Objectives of the EIA
○ Scope of the EIA
○ Administrative and Legal Framework
○ Federal Regulations / Guidelines, State Regulations, and
International Conventions and Guidelines
○ The EIA Premises/ Process
○ Terms of Reference (TOR)
○ Structure of the Report
○ Declaration
 6. (Chap.2) Project justification
○ Need for the project
○ Value for the project
○ Envisaged sustainability

7. (Chap.3) Project and/or process description

○ Type (e.g. petroleum tank farm)

○ Input and output of raw materials and products
○ Location
○ Technological Layout
○ Production process
○ Project operation and maintenance
○ Project schedule

8. (Chap.4) Description of the Environment including data

acquisition

● Study approach
● Baseline data acquisition methods
● Geographical location
● Field data
● Climatic conditions
● Air quality assessments
● Noise level assessment
● Vegetation cover characteristics
● Potential land use and landscape patterns
● Groundwater resources
● Socio-economic studies
● Infrastructural services
9. (Chap.5)Associated and Potential Environmental Impacts

○ Impact prediction methodology

○ Significant positive impacts
○ Significant negative impacts
○ Site preparation and construction impacts
○ Transportation impacts
○ Raw materials impacts
○ Process impacts
○ Project-specific environmental changes (if any)
○ Project-specific cumulative effects
○ Project-specific long/short term effects
○ Project-specific reversible/irreversible effects
○ Project-specific direct/indirect effects
○ Project-specific adverse/beneficial effects
○ Project-specific risk and hazard assessments

10. (Chap.6) Mitigation measures/alternatives

○ Best available control technology/best practicable technology

○ Liability compensation/resettlement
○ Site alternative, location/routes
○ No project option
○ Insert a table listing impacts with mitigation measures
○ Compliance with health, safety and hazard requirements

11.(Chap.7) Environmental Management Plan (EMP)

○ Scope of monitoring
○ Parameters to be monitored
○ Methodology
 ○ Monitoring schedule

12. (Chap.8) Remediation plans after decommissioning/closure

13. (Chap.9) Conclusion and Recommendations

14. Bibliography

15. Appendices

Major Methodologies for EIA The methodologies can be broadly divided into five
types on the basis of impact identification strength. 1. Adhoc methods 2.
Matrices methods 3. Network methods 4. Overlays methods 5. Environmental
index using factor analysis 6. Cost/benefit analysis

Adhoc Method Ad hoc methods indicate broad areas of possible impacts by

listing composite environmental parameters (Ex: flora and fauna) likely to be
affected by the proposed activity. These methods involve assembling a team of
specialists who identify impacts in their area of expertise. Here, each parameter
is considered separately and the natures of impacts (long term or short term,
reversible or irreversible) are considered. These methods give a rough
assessment of total impact while giving the broad areas and the general nature
of possible impacts. In this method, the assessor relies on an intuitive approach
and makes a broad-based qualitative assessment. This method serves as a
preliminary assessment and helps in identification of important areas like: 1.
Wildlife 2. Endangered species 3. Natural vegetation 4. Exotic vegetation 5.
Grazing 6. Social characteristics 7. Natural drainage 8. Groundwater 9. Noise
10. Air quality 11. Visual description and services 12. Open space 13.
Recreation 14. Health and safety 15. Economic values and 16. Public facilities
Types of Ad hoc method are: a) Opinion poll b) Expert opinion and c) Delphi
methods This method is very simple and can be performed without any training.
It does not involve any relative weighting or any cause-effect relationship. It
provides minimal guidance for impact analysis while suggesting broad areas for
possible impacts. Moreover, it does not even state the actual impacts on specific
parameters that will be affected. The drawbacks of this method are listed below:
1. It gives no assurance that a comprehensive set of all relevant impacts have
been studied. 2. Analysis using this method lacks consistency as it different
criteria are selectively evaluated by different groups. 3. It is blatantly inefficient
as it requires a considerable effort to identify and assemble a panel for each
assessment.

Methods of EIA

Methods of EIA

Listed below are the important methodologies for assessing the impacts of any
developmental activity on the environment:
 1. Adhoc method
2. Checklist method
3. Matrix method
4. Network method
5. Overlay method
6. Environmental index using factor analysis
7. Cost/Benefit analysis
8. Predictive or Simulation methods

These methods might vary from:

Simple to Complex

Static piece-meal approach to Dynamic nature of the environment

The change in EIA is moving away from a simple listing of potential impacts to complex
modes involving identification of feedback paths leading to higher order impacts as
compared to the easily visible first order impacts involving uncertainities. This approach can
be considered as an overall management technique requiring different

kinds of data in different formats along with varying levels of expertise and technological
inputs to accurately forecast the results of any planned development.
 1. Ad hoc methods

Ad hoc methods indicate broad areas of possible impacts by listing composite environmental
parameters (Ex: flora and fauna) likely to be affected by the proposed activity.

These methods involve assembling a team of specialists who identify impacts in their area of
expertise. Here, each parameter is considered separately and the nature of impacts (long
term or short term, reversible or irreversible) are considered.

These methods give a rough assessment of total impact while giving the broad areas and
the general nature of possible impacts. In this method, the assessor relies on an intuitive
approach and makes a broad-based qualitative assessment. This method serves as a
preliminary assessment and helps in identification of important areas like:

● Wildlife
● Endangered species
● Natural vegetation
● Exotic vegetation
● Grazing
● Social characteristics
● Natural drainage
 ● Groundwater
● Noise
● Air quality
● Visual description and services
● Open space
● Recreation
● Health and safety
● Economic values and
● Public facilities

Types of Ad hoc method are:

● Opinion poll
● Expert opinion and
● Delphi methods

This method is very simple and can be performed without any training. It does not involve
any relative weighting or any cause-effect relationship.

It provides minimal guidance for impact analysis while suggesting broad areas for possible
impacts. Moreover, it does not even state the actual impacts on specific parameters that will
be affected.
The drawbacks of this method are listed below:

1. It gives no assurance that a comprehensive set of all relevant impacts have been
studied
2. Analysis using this method lacks consistency as it different criteria are selectively
evaluated by different groups
3. It is blatantly inefficient as it requires a considerable effort to identify and assemble a
panel for each assessment.

2. Checklist method

In this method, environmental factors are listed in a structured format by giving importance
weightings for factors and application of scaling techniques for impacts of each alternative.

Checklists are strong indicators of impact identification. They effectively garner the attention
and awareness of their audience. Impact identification is a fundamental function of an EIA.
Checklists may be:

1. Simple
2. Descriptive
3. Scaling or
4. weighting type

Simple checklists are a list of parameters without guidelines regarding either interpretation
or measurement of environmental parameters or specific data needs or impact prediction
and assessment.
Descriptive checklists include list of environmental factors along with information on
measurement, impact prediction and assessment.

Scaling and weighting checklists facilitate decision making. Such checklists are strong in
impact identification. While including the function of impact identification, they include a
certain degree of interpretation and evaluation. The aforementined factors make these
methods attractive to decision-making analysis.

However, the scaling and weighting methods are subjective and hence pose the danger of
imparting equal importance to every impact. Another defect observed by critics is that
numerical values assigned to impacts can be derived on the basis of expert knowledge and
judgement alone.

Scaling and weighting checklist techniques quantify impacts reasonably well although they
use subjective extimates. However, they make no provision for assessing dynamic
probabilistic trends or mitigation, enhancement and monitoring programmes. These
methods cannot identify higher order effects, impacts and interactions.

Simple and descriptive checklists simply identify the possible potential impacts without any
rating regarding their relative magnitudes.
Scaling and weighting checklists remove decision making from the hands of decision makers
while they impart a single number to various inherently different impacts and this aspect
prevents the decision maker to consider the possibility of trade-offs.

In checklist method, the impacts are tabulated in the form of cells with information either in
the descriptive form that gives information regarding possibility or potential existence of an
impact whereas in the scaling or weighing methods the magnitude or importance of impact
is given. Sample checklists or weighing methods used in EIA are shown below:
The advantages of this method are:

1. It is simple to understand and use

2. It is good for site selection and priority setting

Disadvantages of this method are:

1. It does not distinguish between direct and indirect impacts

2. It does not link action and impact
3. It is cumbersome at times
3. Matrix Method

This methodology provides a framework of interaction of different activities of a project with

potential environmental impacts caused by them. A simple interaction matrix is formed
when project actions are listed on one axis (usually vertical) and environmental impacts are
listed along the other axis. This technique was pioneered by Leopold et al in 1971. It lists
about 100 project actions and about 88 environmental charateristics and conditions. An
example of this matrix is shown below:

Similarly, a sectoral matrix is shown below:

 ● The advantage of the matrix method is that it links action to impact
● This is a very good method for displaying EIA results

The disadvantages of this method are listed below:

 ● It is difficult to distinguish between direct and indirect impacts using this method
● There is potential for double-counting of impacts
● It is qualitative in nature and does not refer to quantity of impact

4. Network method:

● This method uses the matrix approach and extends it to include both the primary as
well as the secondary impacts
● It is shown in the form of a tree called impact tree. This diagram is also called as
reference or sequence diagram
● Identification of direct, indirect along with short, long term impact is a crucial and
basic step of making an impact tree
● The impact tree is used to identify cause-effect linkages
● The impact tree is a visual description of linkages
● The diagram below shows the example of a network analysis:
The advantages of the network method are:

● It links action to impact

● It is useful to check second order impacts in a simplified form
● It handles direct and indirect impacts
The disadvantages of this method are:

● It becomes overly complex if used beyond simplified version

● It is completely qualitative in nature

5. Overlays

● This method depends on a set of maps of a project area's environmental

characteristics covering physical, social, ecological and aesthetic aspects
● It enables separate mapping of critical environmental features at the same scale as
project's site plan (Ex: wetlands, steep slopes, soils, floodplains, bedrock outcrops,
wildlife habitats, vegetative communities, cultural resources, etc)
● In the old technique, environmental features were mappped on transparent plastic in
different colours
● Modern technique of the same activity is done using computer software, hardware,
data and skilled people. It is called GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

The advantages of this method are:

● It is easy to understand and use

● It has a good display and
● It is good for setting site selection

The disadvantages of this method are:

● It addresses only direct impacts

● It does not address impact duration or probability