CHAPTER FOUR

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

REPORTS (EIS)
Objectives: At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
 Understand the basic concept of EIA report;
 Describe the main objectives of EIA report;
 Identify the concerned bodies whom EIA report targets;
 Explain the main points that EIS should focus to help decision-
making body;
 Identify the responsible organs for the preparation of EIS;
 List contents of EIA report;

The Concept of EIA Report (EIS)
Definition:- EIA Report/EIS refers to the report that is prepared based
on the findings of the EIA process.
Or it is a document in which the results of an EIA are presented to
decision-makers and, usually, to the public.
It organizes all relevant information obtained through out the EIA
process.
 Usually the proponent is responsible for the preparation of EIA
report.
 The information included in the report should meet TOR established
at the scoping stage of EIA process.
 The purpose of EIS is to provide a coherent/articulated statement of
potential impacts of a proposal and measures that are can be taken
to reduce the adverse impacts of a project.
The report should incorporate relevant information for:-
The Proponent:- to implement the project in
environmentally sound way.
The decision maker:- to pass rational and informed
decision.
The public:- to be informed about the proposal and its
potential impacts.
A successful EIA report should be:-
 Actionable:- a document that can be applied by a
proponent to achieve environmentally sound planning and
design.
 Decision-relevant:- a document that organize and present
the information necessary for project
authorization/approval.
 User-friendly:- a document that communicate the
technical issues to all parties in a clear and comprehensive
way. i.e the document that can be easily understood by all
 Objectives of EIA Report.
Through EIA report the major outcomes/findings
of EIA process should be presented to the
stakeholders (public, IAPs and decision
makers).
Therefore, EIS should :-
Identify, predict and interpret the potential
impacts.
Provide information to enable respective body to
make informed decision.
Include a plan for impact mitigation and
management
 The ultimate goal of EIA report is to achieve a better and
informed decision.
The decision may be either of the following.
Implementation of the whole project.
Modification of project design
Cancelation of the project.
In order to make effective decision on a proposal, the EIA
report should incorporate the following essential
considerations.
 focus on the issues most relevant to decision-making;
 minimize the use of technical jargon/unnecessary
terminology
 use tabular presentation or figures for presentations as
opposed to long narrative sections;
 include clear maps and photographs;
 include a non-technical summary of the EIS;
 ensure the statement is clearly structured, well-written
and clearly presented;
 ensure the statement is balanced, honest and unbiased;
Executive summary:- it gives a concise
description of the main findings and
recommendations that enable us to understand
the nature of the whole report.
Usually executive summary is the only part of EIA
report that decision makers and most people will
read.
Therefore, executive summary should describe
the following basic issues.
The proposal and its settings/background
TOR for the EIA.
The result of public consultations.
The alternatives considered.
Major impacts and their significance.
Proposed mitigation measures.
 Who should prepare EIS?
Mostly consultants working for the proponents are
responsible for the preparation of EIS.
As EIA is a team work, there are two options on
preparing EIA.
A. Each team member prepare section which is relevant
to their area of expertize/specialization.
Then the team leader compile/organize with executive
summary in to one as a final report. Finally it should be
commented by each team members.
B. Each team member prepares a section (of their
specialization) and the team leader writes the EIS. This
may not incorporate comments from individual
members.
The responsibility preparing the EIA report resides on
the team leader. Therefore, the report can reflect the
personal interests of a team leader or the proponent.
 Contents of EIA report.
In many countries the information to be incorporated in EIA
report is specified by the legislations, procedures or
guidelines.
The content of EIA report will be prepared according to the
specific TOR established during scoping stage.
EIA report include many or all of the following issues.
 Executive summary- prepared on non-technical terms. It
can be used as a public communication document. i.e it can
be distributed to the public as an information brochures.
 Objective and purpose of the project.
 Reference to relevant legislative, regulatory and policy
frameworks that acts as a basis for foundation of EIA.
 Description of the proposal and ways of implementations in
all its phases.
 Comparison of the proposal and its alternatives
including no action/cancelation of the project.
Description of the baseline conditions and its
trends.
Consideration of major impacts and their
characteristics, proposed mitigation options residual
effects.
Evaluation of the significance of impacts.
Environmental management plan. i.e outlines
how proposed mitigation measures will be translated
into action.
Appendices- containing
 Supportive technical information (relevant formula,
statistical information)
 Description of methods used to collect and analyze
data.
 Lists of references.
 CHAPTER FIVE
EIA REVIEW, DECISION-MAKING AND AUDITING

Objective: At the end of this unit, students will be able

to:
 Explain the objectives of EIA review;

 Describe factors that determine decision making processes in

EIA;
 Analyse the rationale of environmental auditing.

EIA Review:- is a final check/examination on the quality

and completeness of the EIA report.
 The purpose of review is to ensure the completeness,
credibility and quality of all the information gathered in EIA
report.
 Some times this process leads to the requirement for
additional information on potential impacts, mitigation
measures and other relevant issues.
 Objectives of reviewing
The review of EIA is an essential "quality control" mechanism in the EIA
process. It ensures that the information made available to decision-
makers is complete, balanced and appropriate to the needs of decision-
making.

Key objectives of EIA review

The objectives of EIS review can be explained in terms of three aspects.

1. Quality of the EIA report

 to determine whether the EIA report provides an adequate assessment
of the potential environmental and social implications of a proposed
project;
 to ensure EIS addresses all key issues, including the consideration of
alternative projects and designs; and,
 to ensure that the EIS complies with the Terms of Reference (TOR).
2. Adequacy of the report for decision-making
 to ensure that the EIS presents key findings clearly, logically/based on
facts and explicitly/with out doubt; and,
 to identify gaps and further information needs required for decision-
making.
3. Opportunity for stakeholder involvement
 to ensure that stakeholders have not only been consulted, but also
participated in the EIA process; and,
 to allow stakeholders and public to comment and voice opinions on
EIS.

Types of EIA Review

Review in the EIA process can be divided into three “types”:
a) Formal Review (external review).
the review is undertaken by:-
 Government
 Independent authority
 Experts
 Review panel or a combination of these groups.

Members of such review group should not be among

stakeholders in a proposed development project.
If there are issues that are inadequate, or require attention and
modification, the report may be returned back to the proponent
for correction.
External review is characterized by:-
 High level of quality assurance.
 Transparent and rigorous/restrict process.
 Use guideline and review criteria and
methodology.
 Independent from any stakeholders.
b). Stakeholder Review.
Stakeholders involved in EIA review include:-
 Respective Government Agents.
 Local people
 NGOs.
 Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs).
In this review process stakeholders can get an
opportunity to reflect their last opinion/concern.
c). Proponent Review (Internal Review).
 Review can be taken by the proponent
themselves (as part of quality assurance)
 Proponents can ensure that their work is
appropriate before it is subjected to external
review. It can save cost and time.
Internal review is characterized by:-
Relatively low operating cost.
Lack of transparency on process and factors
considered.
Absence of documentation on outcomes
and results of the review process.
 Timing of EIA Review.
When EIA review is undertaken?
 It takes place after the completion and submission of
EIA report to the respective agency. i.e. it is undertaken
before decision on the fate of the project has been
made.
 But the proponent can undertake “self-assessment” at
early stages.
 It is preferable to review before the submission of the
final EIA report for decision making.
 Making EIA review at early stage can be taken as a
quality control mechanism.
a. During screening stage. To decide on the level of
environmental assessment.
b. During scoping stage. To define the main problems,
likely impacts, data requirement, to involve stakeholders
C. During undertaking EIA study:-
 To ensure that appropriate methods and
techniques are used.
 All the relevant stakeholders are involved.
 Interactions takes place between EIA team and
project designer.
d. During Monitoring
 To assess compliance/agreement with project
design and implementation.
 To check adherence to environmental standards.
 Steps and tools of EIA Review.
The following steps have been identified as EIA
review.
1. Set the scale/depth of the review.
Depending on the nature of the proposal, the
scale of the review can range from a quick review
by one person to in depth review by a team
experts.
In setting the scale/depth of EIA review, two
questions should be addressed at the start of the
review.
 How much time is available to carry out the
review?
2. Select Reviewer (s)
The number people engaged in in review may
range from one (for a small project) to a team of
experts (for a large and adequately funded
project).
 Environmental issues and technical aspects of
the proposal determine the expertise required for
EIA review.
Example:- the review of EIA report on a proposal
for solid waste disposal site or landfill may include,
at least, the following experts.
 Landfill engineer.
 Hydrologist-to protect pollution of underground
water.
3. Use of inputs from public comments.
As experience from EIA process shows, public
comment is a critical ingredient of good EIA
process. Public comment is important for checking
and evaluating the quality of EIA.
For instance, the public can provide important
information on:-
 Description of the affected environment and
community.
 Effectiveness of mitigation measures.
 Selection of alternatives.
Such relevant inputs may come from public
hearings or from written comments.
4. Identify Review Criteria.
It is critical especially when the project is large
enough and require in depth review by experts.
A systematic review will be based on specified
criteria. These criteria can be identified from:-
 TOR or other guidelines.
 By EIA reports and review of comparable
proposals.
 From generic review criteria, like
 legal EIA requirement.
 Relevant environmental standards and
guidelines.
 Principles of EIA good practice. Etc.
5. Carry out the Review.
The review can be carried out by focusing on the
following issues.
 Identifying the deficiencies/limitations in EIA
report.
This can be done by using TOR, environmental
standards and guidelines or information from any
comparable EIA report and their review.
 Focus on any shortcomings in EIA report and
emphasis on critical deficiencies, which may
directly affect decision making.
 Recommend how and when serious shortcomings
of the report are to be improved to facilitate
informed decision making.
5.2 DECISION MAKING
 Decision making can takes place through out the EIA
process. Many decisions can be passed by the proponent,
like for instance choice between various alternatives and
project design and so on.
 Other decisions may be made jointly by the proponent and
the respective environmental authority (e.g. screening and
scoping decisions).
 However, the main decision in EIA process (whether the
project to proceed or not) is give by a government agency.
The decision taken at this stage (after the completion of the
EIA process) could be either of the following three choices.
A. Authorization (giving permission)
B. Authorization with conditions. i.e giving permission
with prerequisites).
C. Refusal (rejection of the proposal)
 This final decision will usually involve
consideration of a range of factors like
environmental, political, economic and socio-
cultural issues.
 Whether or not the proposal is approved,
decisions and environmental considerations are
recorded and communicated to all stakeholders
including the proponent.
 The decision maker must provide an opportunity
for appeal to a higher body including court of law
if mal-practice is suspected.

 EIA guideline of EPA states that approval of an EIA

report is only marks a simple agreement to the
proposal. The final procedure will be the issuance
 5.3 ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING.
Definition:- an audit is an independent and objective
examination of whether practices, associated to the project,
comply with expected standards.
Or it is impartial and unbiased inspection/investigation of
whether the practices are in accordance with agreed
standards.
 It is similar with financial auditing (in accounting) since
both verify that whether or not practices and activities are
in accordance with standard procedures.
Techniques used in conducting environmental auditing:-
 Examination of records and documentations relating to
impacts, mitigation measures and aspects of performance.
 Interview with management and line staff to obtain factual
information and identify areas of concern.
 Site inspection to check what environmental measures
and controls are operating as described and intended.
 Types of Audit
There are three types environmental audit.
1. Implementation/enforcement audit.
It undertaken by a regulatory agency/governing
agency to verify that mitigation measures are
implemented well and emissions are within limit.
or to verify that the project met the conditions of
approval/authorization.
2. Performance/regulatory audit.
It is checking whether a particular operation,
process site and the whole project comply with
relevant with legislative guidelines. i.e. to verify
that project impacts comply with environmental
standards and regulatory/policy requirements.
3. Impact prediction audit.
Examines the accuracy and effectiveness of impact
prediction in EIA report.
i.e. testing how accurate the impact predition in EIS are
by comparing them with the actual impacts.
EIA audits are used to:-
 Identify the impacts of project implementation
 Verify/confirm whether or not the conditions of
approval have been implemented.
 Test the accuracy of impact predictions.
 Check the effectiveness of mitigation measures.
 Improve compliance and performance of EIA practice.

……….the END………..