General information about Environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a tool to aid environmental decision making. It is a process that allows for public involvement when positive and negative impacts (opportunities and constraints) that are associated with a proposed course of action are assessed.
The aim of this is to determine the best practicable course of action. EIAs were adopted as a public policy tool in the United States of America (USA) in the 1970s. This decision was influenced by, firstly, the growth of the modern environmental movement, and secondly, the drive for a more rational, scientific and objective approach to environmental decision making.
These were further strengthened by the concern that project appraisal and review procedures in use at that time, such as cost-benefit analysis, did not take into account the environmental and social impacts of major projects or industrial accidents during that period. One of these, the Santa Barbara oil spill, proved to be a catalyst for the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the USA at the end of 1969.
The enactment of the NEPA is recognized worldwide as the formal inception of EIA. It was intended to apply not only to projects but to all “Federal actions”, which included policy, plans, programmes and projects.
Legal provisions for EIA in South Africa were first incorporated in the Environment Conservation Act, 1989 (Act No. 73 of 1989) (ECA), and Regulations for EIA (Environmental impact assessment) were promulgated in terms of Sections 21 and 26 of ECA on 5 September 1997.
These initial EIA Regulations applied to only nine scheduled activities that were identified as having the potential to have a “substantial detrimental effect” on the environment.
They were subsequently replaced by new EIA Regulations promulgated on 21 April 2006, 18 June 2010 and 4 December 2014, in terms of Section 24 of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), which is the framework legislation for environmental management in South Africa.
What Is an EIA ( Environmental impact assessment)
An EIA evaluates the potential impact of human actions, for example, development proposals, on the receiving environment, and how the opportunities and constraints in this environment influence the intended human actions.
EIA is a systematic and consultative process that gathers detailed information on the social, economic and ecological consequences of a development proposal.
The competent environmental authority uses the information gathered during this EIA process to inform a decision on the development proposal. The aim of this decision-making process is to maximize socio-economic outcomes while ensuring ecological integrity by avoiding and/or mitigating potential negative biophysical impacts.
In South Africa, the environment is characterized by very high socio-economic needs, limited resources and a degrading biophysical environment.
EIA in South Africa is, therefore, a means for giving effect to the ”environmental right” enshrined in Section 24 of the Constitution, which calls for the securing of ecologically sustainable development and the promotion of justifiable economic and social development. It is, however, important to remember that while one strives for the best environmental option, there are limitations to what is in fact feasible and practical in terms of time, cost and technology.
The aim of EIA in South Africa, therefore, is to follow a process that will determine the best practicable environmental option, that is, to promote sustainable development through the effective management of social, environmental and economic impacts, so that:
• Valuable environmental resources are safeguarded by avoiding unacceptable negative irreversible changes through implementing acceptable mitigation measures;
• Human health and safety is protected; and
• The social and economic dimensions of the proposed development are enhanced.
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