Def
measures envisaged in order to avoid, reduce and, if possible, remedy significant adverse effects (of a proposed project) …
Mitigation Measures
Avoid
Reduce
Remedy
Avoidance
Alternative design
Alternative siting
Avoidance example
- Resiting
- BAT/BATNEEC
- Recycling or containing site waste for safe removal and disposal off site
- Limiting/controlling site access (routes) and construction/operation times to avoid
environmental disturbance at sensitive locations/times - Establishment/ maintenance of buffer zones to shield/protect sensitive features of the
environment.
Reduction
Dimisch/minimise the cause
Reduce/minimise the exposure
Reduction example
- Sensitive design and landscaping of structures to minimise visual/disturbance impactsincluding the provision of access corridors for wildlife
- Sensitive construction/operation to minimise likely sources of pollution (BATNEEC)
- Minimisation of social/disturbance impacts through efficient use of existing infrastructure (facilities in towns; use of efficient transport to access site; limited on site
development) - Use of bunds, wind breaks, silt basins, temporary planting to minimise potential for spillage, erosion, pollution, disturbance, etc.
Remedy
Repair
Rehabilitation
Restoration
Reloctaion
Replacement
Remedy example
- Agricultural land used for storage of construction material; subsequently fullyrestored/repaired (cf. Burren car parks)
- Eskers used for gravel extraction; subsequently rehabilitated to agricultural or wetland use
- Stream/River dammed or diverted for road building; subsequently restored to it natural course, bed and bank condition
- Hedgerow/Woodland trees removed for site access; replaced with new native plantings once temporary development completed
Relocation
- Relocation of archaeological artefact/site from path of development
- Relocation/replanting of natural vegetation for similar reasons
- Local provision or alternative plantings of native vegetation to replace natural habitat lost to development (Habitat Creation)
- Rehabilitation of landfill/tailings site (Habitat Creation?)
- Rehabilitation of vegetation destroyed on paths/access
Application of Mitigation
involve consideralbe Costs (BATNECC, Restoration)
or little costs by changing the timing of construction, alterntaive staorage arrangements
Many projects dropped bacuase of the costs (outweight the benefits)
developers will emplay CBA (Cost Benefit Analysis)
Hierachy of Mitigation
- avoidance of impact at source
- reduction of impact at source
(eg. waste reduction) - reduction of impact on site
(eg. waste treatment) - reduction of impact at site of impact
- remedy of impact
- compensation in kind
- other compensation
In practise
Why?
What?
Who?
Where?
When?
Monitoring to ensure the success of the mitigation measures
