Objective
- To identify the (key) concerns and issues which warrant attention
- To provide an opportunity for public involvement
- To provide a detailed brief for the investigation of specific issues associated with the scheme
- To facilitate the efficient preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) formerly referred to as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- To save time and resources
Ensure a better focued and streamlined EIR
Issues in scoping
Resposibilty???
(Competend Authority)
Process of open dialoque and consultation
Public involvemelnt
How should the public be involved?
Area.based action groups
Special interest groups/NGO
The general public
Themes in Shoping
- Public’s primary concern with respect to environmental matters is human health and safety
(everything else will be subordinate when man’s health is at risk) - Public will be concerned at the loss of commercially important species/ potential for production and likewise at the increase of undesirable species.
- Society will place a high priority on species or places of major recreational or aesthetic importance
(even where they are ‘un commercial’). - Special Interest Groups can be certain of public support for rare or endangered species (man’s ‘custodial
- The public will usually be concerned over permanent loss of habitat/access to resources.
Mothods - start
intitial description of the project
- nature, location, character, scale, etc.,
- characteristics of all phases of the project construction/ commission/ operation/
decommissioning/ rehabilitation, - principle aspects of the environment effected and the timescale for each phase
- legislation/regulatory requirements
Methods - next
assess the site
- Land use, human activities, etc.,
- Natural habitats, protected areas and species, etc., … extent of the zone of influence
- Quality of air, water, etc.,
- Existing development/production resources, and
- Existing cultural/amenity resources.
Scoping…?
The potential impact areas between project and environment, meriting study in the EIA, andrated according to likelihood and ecological importance , can then be shown in a checklist or matrix
Ecological (or Scientific) Scoping may also serve to provide the background information which will allow for informed Social Scoping (public/agency involvement) and vice versa
The results of Social Scoping may also conveniently be represented in the form of a matrix
Benefits of scoping
- early stakeholder engagement (and increased trust in the process)
- early identification of any necessary changes (to the location or design) to avoid major issues
- clear focus on key/significant issues
- identification of data gaps
- identification of expertise required on the EIA team
- setting of Terms of Reference for EIA team
- justification for the exclusion of irrelevant issues
- establishment of a time frame and budget for the study
- simplification of the task of producing the EIAR
Essential
Continue to refine the Scope as the project and the EIA goes on
