EIA EU I

Under the EU directive, EIA have to provide certain information to comply. There are 7 key areas that EIA are required to focus on. EIA must include:

1. Description of the project

Description of actual project, site etc
Break the project down into its key components, ie construction, operations, decommissioning
For each component list all of the sources of environmental disturbance
For each component all the inputs and outputs must be listed, eg, waste etc

2. Alternatives that have been considered

Examine alternatives that have been considered
Eg - In a biomass power station, will the fuel be sourced locally or nationally?

3. Description of the environment

List of all aspects of the environment that may be effected by the development
eg populations, fauna, flora, air, soil, water, humans, landscape, cultural heritage
This section is best carried out with the help of local experts, eg the RSPB in the UK

4. Description of the significant effects on the environment

The word significant is crucial here as the definition can vary
'Significant' needs to be defined
The most frequent method used here is use of the Leopold matrix
The maxtrix is a tool used in the systematic examination of potential interactions
Eg In a windfarm development a significant impact may be collisions with birds