Question

State the steps involved in Environmental Impact Assessment process.

Answer 1

EIA process

1. Screening – It is the first key decision of EIA process. The purpose of screening is to determine whether a proposal require an EIA or not.

2. Initial environmental examination – It is intended as a low-cost environmental evaluation that makes use of information already available.

3. Scoping – It refers to early coordination with interested and affected agencies and the public. Scoping identifies important issues and concerns, area of no concern for a particular project or action and other legislative or regulatory requirements.

4. Full scale EIA – It may also identify other environmental review and consultation requirements so that necessary analyses or studies can be made concurrently with EIA.

5. EIA Report – a report is formed based on EIA process. It provides a coherent statement of the potential impact of a proposal and the measures that can be taken to reduce and remedy them.

6. EIA Review – the purpose of the review is to assure the completeness and quality of the information gathered in an EIA when undertaken as a formal step and acts as a final check on the quality of EIA report.

7. Decision Making – EIA is part of a larger process of decision making to approve a major proposal.

8. Monitoring – it helps in implementation of EIA results and establishing baseline trends and conditions.

9. Environmental Auditing – it is a review process similar to that carried out in financial accounting. Both result in a statement of facts, which certifies that practice is in accordance with standard procedure.