ChapterIII(a) - Pollution Control Board, Assam

EIA Report Proposed INDAdept G Project – Guwahati Refinery Chapter 3PROPOSAL OF DEVELOPMENTENVIRONMENTALIMPACT ASSESSMENTECONOMICASSESSMENTSOCIALASSESSMENTAre the impactsacceptable?Does it make economic sense?Are the consequencessocially acceptable?DECISION ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTFig. 3.1: The role of EIA in the decision-making processThe analytical aspects involve the methods and the techniques that are required to collectthe relevant data, to identify the environmental impacts, to assess the significance of suchimpacts, to propose impact mitigation measures, etc. Such methods and techniques have beenproposed by academics, experts and practitioners and are described in the scientific literature,and usually collected in guidelines, handbooks, etc.The procedural aspects define the position of EIA within the overall decision makingprocess concerning the authorization of a project. They specify, for instance, the role assignedto the project developer and the public authorities, the time constraints to be respected, etc.The procedure of EIA is regulated by legislation, and consequently it is generally different fordifferent countries, or even between regions of the same country. EIA first appeared in anational legislation in the USA in 1969 (National Environmental Policy Act). Ever since, ithas found its way in the legislation of many countries, within both the industrial and thedeveloping regions of the world. In the European Union, EIA was introduced by the Directive85/337 (CEC 1985) and it is currently regulated by the amending Directive 97/11 (CEC1997).Despite the different legal prescriptions around the world, EIA consists of a ratherstandard set of logically organized stages (Fig. 3.2) that lead to the generation of a formaldocument, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India,the EIA is defined as the following:22