DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

PURPOSES

• To assess existing environmental quality, as well as environmental impacts of the alternatives being studied, including the no-action or no project alternative

• To identify environmentally significant factors – identifying fatal flaws.– Eg. Presence of stream segment with poor water quality– Geographical area with marginal air quality– Habitat for threatened or endangered plant or animal species

• Provide sufficient information - so those unfamiliar with study area can understand about project location and need

• Describing the setting is to allow development of information for the given geographical area, which can then be used for multiple EIA

Conceptual frame work for preparing DAE

• Methodology involves– Identification of one to several lists of environmental factors– Application of screening – selection– The procurement of relevant data for the selected factors (PII)– Preparation of the description of the setting

List out env. factors

Apply selection process

Selected list of env. factors

Non Selected env. factors

Procure data and conduct baseline study

Prepare description

INITIAL LIST OF FACTORS

• Use pertinent agency guidelines or regulations

• Use professional knowledge • Review other recent EA or EIS • Use of list of factors in EIA methodologies

Agency guidelines or regulation• Nuclear power plant – example

– Site location and topography– Regional demography, land and water use

• Determine population distribution• Identify present and future project land use• Indicate water use and surface and ground water sources

– Regional historical scenic, cultural and natural landmarks– Geology

• Relevant to earthquake potential and coiling ponds.– Hydrology

• Describe about surface and ground water (physical, chemical, biological and hydrological)

– Meteorology– Ecology– Background radiological characteristics

• The above said guidelines can also applicable to similar kinds of projects which include coal-fired power plants and other industries

Professional knowledge

• Utilize professional knowledge related to the anticipated impacts of specific types of projects

• Example: Impoundment and its effect to water quality– BENEFICIAL: Turbidity reduction, hardness

reduction, oxidation of organic material, coli form reduction, flow equalization

– HARMFUL : Lower reaeration, buildup of inorganic, algal blooms, stratified flow, thermal stratification

• SI-THERMAL STRATIFICATION– Decreased dissolved oxygen in hypolimnion– Anaerobic conditions in hypolimnion – Dissolution of iron and manganese from bottom deposits.– Reduction in waste assimilative capacity – self purification

capacity

– Changes mixing patterns• Normal – mixing is uniform• During thermal stratification - Prevent normal mixing

– Overflow – warm water over cool water– interflow – cool water flow between upper warm and lower cooler– underflow – cooler water flowing underneath warmer water

REVIEW OF EISs

• Over the years many EIAs have been prepared. • Documented impacts for dam and reservoir

projects are well prepared– Example – TYPICAL IMPACTS OF DAMS

• 1-Change in quality of impounded water, 2)- Water loss due to evaporation, 3)- Downstream effects, 4)- Changes in local groundwater levels and quality 5)- Reservoir landslides/increased seismic activity 6)- Changes in microclimate area 7)inundation of mineral resources 8)changes in number and type of fishes 8) possible creation of new fisher 9)increase in area of breeding mosquito- vector

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT-ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES

• Methodologies can be helpful in identifying initial list of environmental factors. – Eg. Leopold interaction matrix which listed

about --- Environmental items

SELECTION PROCESS

SELECTING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS FROM THE LIST INVOLVES:

• SITE VISIT• INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCUSSION• SCOPING• THE APPLICATION OF CRITERIA QUESTION

– Only relevant EF to be included, EF require extensive data procurement and interpretation should be excluded

– Evaluating EF needs following three criteria» Will the EF be affected – positive and negative» Will the EF exert an influence on construction scheduling or

subsequent operational phase of any other alternatives» Is the factor of particular public interest or controversy with in the

local community• PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT

DOCUMENTATION OF SLECTION PROCESS

• For potentially controversial project - it is necessary to carefully document the weight age used for inclusion and exclusion

DOCUMENTATION OF FACTOR –SELECTION PROCESSBasis for selection Basics for exclusion

Factor S Q SV IDT PJ Non occurrence in area

No basis for selection

1 X X X

2 X

3 X

4 X

n

S= scoping; Q=criteria questions; SV=site visits; PJ=Professional judgment

DATA SOURCES• Relevant data for describing env. Settings can be obtained from reports

and unpublished data from numerous regulatory at the district, state, central Gov. agencies– District, State – TNPCB, Central – CPCB

• Env. Data system are also available through UNEP and WHO• Emerging information source –EMAP (ecological monitoring and

assessment programme) • six ecological categories (Near coastal waters, inland surface waters,

wetlands, forests, arid lands and agro ecosystem) – and sub classes (estuarine wetlands)

• EMAP will make routine measurement of env. Indicators on resource-sampling units selected from resource classes.

• EMAP will be useful for describing existing conditions and trends and for addressing broader issues such as biological diversity

INDICATORS IN EMAP• RESPONSE INDICATOR – Measured to provide evidence of the

biological condition of a resource • EXPOSURE INDICATOR – measured to provide evidence of the

occurrence or magnitude of a response indicators contact with physical chemical or biological stress

• HABITAT INDICATOR – Physical attributes which characterize conditions necessary to support and organism, population, or community in the absence of pollutants

– Exposure and Habitat indicator – diagnostic indicators measured in conjunction with response indicators

• STRESS INDICATOR – characteristic to quantify a natural process, environmental hazard indicators, or a management activity that effects changes in exposure to habitat.

Stress indicators (S)

Spatial associations

TemporalAssociations

RESPONSE INDICATORS

Ecosystem processRates&storage

Community structure

Population structure

Gross pathology

EXPOSURE HABITAT INDICATORS

Biomarkers

Pathogens

Bioassays

Tissue conc.

Ambient conc. Water, air, Soil, sediments

Exotics, GMO

Landscape patter

HAZARD INDICATORS

Atmospheric deposition/ emissionDemographics

Discharge estimatesFertilizer & pesticide application

Land use, permits, pollutant loading

NATURAL PROCESS INDICATORS

Atmospheric deposition/ emissionClimatic fluctuationsPest disease relations

Predator-prey relationsSuccess ional stage

MANAGEMENT INDICATORS

Atmospheric deposition/ emissionClimatic fluctuationsPest disease relations

Predator-prey relationsSuccess ional stage

ON-FRAME INDICATORS

EMAP –CONCEPTUAL INDICATOR STRATEGY

SPECIAL ISSUES AND CONCERN

• It includes:– Determining project boundaries– Correctness of existing data– Dealing with temporal variability in data– Cost effective alternative information-gathering

approaches to use in the complete absence of data