ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
What is an EIA and why should every project need one?
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John Rodgman – managing director of Borehole Solutions – has shared his insight into the five-step process of conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), commenting on the role it plays in environmental conservation, the numerous testing services available across the build industry, and more
ith both climate
change and sustainability continuing to take centre
stage across the build industry and beyond, the impact of both humans and businesses are gradually becoming more and more scrutinised – and with good reason. The build industry, like construction, infrastructure, and many others, have all long been criticised for their significant contribution to environmental degradation, global carbon emissions, and industry waste within recent years. It’s unsurprising, therefore, to see growing pressure from communities, activists, and local regulatory bodies alike call for greater scrutiny of building projects’ planning stages, with Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) now seen to be a critical component in the development process. Whilst developers legally only have to conduct these assessments for specific larger developments, or ones deemed particularly susceptible to negative environmental externalities arising from their construction, more and more businesses are seeing them become a staple throughout the industry as a whole, regardless of the project’s size or stature. To help break down the reasons as to why,
What are Environmental Impact Assessments?
As you might expect, an environmental impact assessment is employed throughout a project’s planning stage to determine whether any environmental issues may arise throughout and beyond the construction of the proposed project. This will typically include, but is not limited to the quality of surrounding groundwater, damage to the native ecosystem, soil contamination, and emitted noise, water, and air pollution as a by- product of development.
Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations 2017, developments which fall within ‘Schedule 1’ will always require an EIA to be conducted throughout the planning process. Treatment plants, chemical installations, power stations, and the like are all classed under Schedule 1. Projects classed under ‘Schedule 2,’ however, are more discretionary, and may only require an EIA should the likelihood of negative environmental impacts occurring be relatively high. The scope of these assessments is broad to say the least, mind; chances are you’ll have to carry out an EIA of some sort for the majority of projects.
What processes are involved with conducting an EIA?
As set out by the UK Government, an environmental impact assessment consists of five main stages. Initially, a general inspection of the proposed development will be made to discover whether it is likely to impose any significant environmental impacts, and whether a full assessment looks to be required. The second process – scoping – will then look to determine the extent of the issues which may need to be considered within an EIA. Should further clarification be necessary at any point, it can be obtained through a ‘scoping opinion,’ where the local planning authority will provide its own opinion on what potential issues they can see developing. Should it be decided that an EIA is required, at this point, an Environmental Statement (ES) will then be prepared and submitted. This statement will lay out any probable environmental impacts that could arise throughout and beyond the construction process in as much detail as possible, as well as a further insight into the planned use of the proposed development, and how it is expected to comply with planning policy. The environmental statement must be published in such a way that the general public has full access to
view, and share their views about the development.
The final stage comes down to the decision-making process. In most cases, the local authority will determine whether or not to proceed with the proposed development upon consideration of both its prospective benefits, and environmental drawbacks. For particularly large public projects such as power plants, however, the secretary of state will often have a say in the outcome of the decision. Regardless of whether the development is approved or declined, the general public will be informed of the decision, as well as the main reasons behind the outcome.
The role EIAs play in environmental conservation.
The primary objective of an environmental impact assessment is by no means to halt the activities of these developers and their proposed products, but instead to bring about the necessary changes to minimise any immediate and future environmental impacts before development can begin. By identifying and addressing these issues at an early stage, EIAs help to identify new and innovative ways to achieve environmental objectives through sustainable development which aren’t just simply remedying the issue and suffering its consequences once it has already occurred.
Beyond their initial immediate 24 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APRIL 2023
effects, EIAs also make valuable contributions to future developments by helping guide decision-making towards greater long-term sustainability. Whether that’s implementing environmentally-conscious features and infrastructure alongside these developments, designing future projects with ways of avoiding negative impacts in mind, or something else entirely, environmental impact assessments are, and will continue to be, a significant prerequisite in project development from now on.
What environmental testing services are there?
Prior to the submission of both an environmental impact assessment and environmental statement, it is relatively common for developers to undertake a variety of testing procedures. This is done to not only establish the state of the area prior to development, but also identify solutions to support its remediation alongside the ecological impact of the project. More often than not, this will include sample testing to collect and examine high quality soil samples; contamination testing to sample the site for the presence of any hazardous substances such as asbestos, PCB and heavy metals, or Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) testing, to determine whether or not organic material is suitable to be disposed, and how its disposal will minimise any potential environmental impacts.
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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