Environmental Impact

Assessment
Dr. Pabasari A. Koliyabandara
WHY EIA????
 EIA process is mandated only for large scale development projects or
projects which are located in environmental sensitive areas. The types
of projects which require EIA have been prescribed in the Gazette
(Gazette No. 772/22 of 24.06.1993).

EIA process is implemented through designated “Project Approving

Agencies (PAA)” led by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). The
PAAs are EIA administrative agencies that are responsible for guiding the
EIA for projects and for issuing EIA approval or rejection. A single PAA is
appointed as the appropriate PAA for each EIA by the CEA.
 What is EIA

•Environment •Impact •Assessment •Reporting - EIAR

Physical positive and negative
Biological Direct, Indirect, 1ry, 2ry
Social ……..
• Any prescribed project submitted for approval requires to submit either an Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE) report or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. The prescribed projects
which do not have complex environmental issues require an IEE report while the projects which
involve complex environmental issues require an EIA report.

• The EIA reports are required to be open for public inspection and comment for a mandatory period
of 30 days.
Prescribed projects???
• The project proponent needs to submit some preliminary
information about the project to the CEA, in order to
initiate the EIA / IEE process.
• The project proponents are advised to submit preliminary
information to the CEA at a very early stage in the project
cycle. The project proponent could submit the preliminary
information through a Basic Information Questionnaire
which could be obtained from the CEA Head Office or
Provincial / District Offices or downloaded from the CEA
website.
• EIA / IEE process involves 6 major steps;
❖screening
❖scoping
❖ preparation of the EIA / IEE report
❖ review of the report (by the public and the PAA)
❖ approval with terms and conditions or rejection with reasons
❖post approval monitoring.

The step wise process has been defined in the EIA regulations which have been
published in the Gazette No. 772/22 of 24.06.1993
 a) Identify impacts of a project on the environment
b) Predict likely changes on the environment as a result of
the development
c) Evaluate the impacts of the various alternatives on the

EIA is project
d) Propose mitigation measures for the significant negative
conducted in impacts of the project on the environment.

order to e) Generate baseline data for monitoring and

evaluatin impacts, including mitigation measures during the
project cycle.
f) Highlight environment issues with a view to guiding policy
makers, planners, stakeholders and government agencies to
make environmentally and economically sustainable
decisions.
 •Project Proponent – developer

• Beneficiaries

Who is •Affected parties

Involved •Regulators

•Politicians

•NGOs

•Community
 • Land Use and Transformation
Development –Urban; Industrial; Agricultural; Airport
Projects • Resource Extraction
–Drilling; Mining; Blasting; Lumbering;
Producing Commercial fishing and hunting

Environmental • Resource Renewal

–Reforestation; Wildlife management;
Impacts Fertlization; Waste recycling; flood
control
• Agricultural Process
• –Farming; Dairying; Irrigation
Industrial Process

Petrochemical; Pulp & paper industry

Transportation – Railways; Aircraft;

Automobiles; Shipping; Pipelines

• Energy – Dams and Reservoirs; Oil;

Coal-fired & Nuclear power stations
Waste Disposal & Treatment –
Ocean dumping; landfill;
underground storage

Disposal to surface water bodies

Chemical Treatment – Insect

control; Weed control

•Recreation – Parks; Resort

development; hunting areas
• Transport Sector Activities
• Activity Groups
• Earth Works
• Structures
• Production of construction and Maintenance material
• Paving and resurfacing
• Operation and control
• Economic
 • Earth work – Activities • Culverts and Bridges,
Embankments, Compaction of fills and surfaces, provision
of lighting, tunneling and excavation, replacement of rail
tracks and railbed, weed control and landscaping, soil
Transport stabilization, clearing of land including farm land,

Sector reclamation of land, wetlands, alteration of stream flow –

projects • Impacts

• Sedimentation, flooding, erosion; Barriers to fish and

wildlife migration; vibration, noise and dust; visual
segregation; relocation; storm water runoff; changes in air
quality; community severance of access; loss of flora and
fauna; changes in water quality and availability
 • Construction/ establishment/ erection of culverts and bridges;
storm water drains and channels; fences and noise barriers;
pedestrian and bicycle facilities; deep foundation and piles;
constructional and operational waste disposal systems; tunnels
and viaducts; light poles and power line supports –

Structures – Impacts

Activities • Sedimentation, flooding, erosion; changes in water quality;

visual intrusion; safety, visual obstruction, segregation; soil and
ground water contamination; soil contamination, hazardous
waste related health and safety; visual obstruction, access
constraints; visual obstruction, health and safety; soil and
ground water contamination; Access obstructions, safety, visual
obstruction, changes in landuse and property values
Production of construction
and maintenance material
Activities
Mining and quarrying; laying asphalt and concrete
structure; recycling pavement material; clearing of
forest

Impacts
• Erosion, noise, delivery/ pickup trucks; hazardous
waste; air quality, odors; loss of vegetation and of
biodiversity
Paving and
Resurfacing
Activities

• Compacting sub soil and surface structure;

pavement making – Impacts • Noise, vibration
and dust; polluted surface run-off, safety
 • Activities

• Power generation stations; power distributing

centers; overhead transmission lines; traffic signal

Operation systems and traffic signs; high speed/ frequency

trains; increased vehicle/ railcar fleets; increased
and Control maintenance –

Impacts

• Changes in land use/ land development; visual

obstruction safety; pollution, noise, waste material,
economy, foreign exchange
 Activities

Economic • Land development; employment; use of

scarce resources

Considerations Impacts

• Property values; changes in income,

housing needs; transport needs and area
population; shortage for other sectors