4.

Types of EIA
Environmental audit
Environmental property
assessment
Strategic environmental
assessment
 Environmental audit
Is an assessment to determine compliance with
regulatory requirements.
It may be carried out by:
regulatory personnel
in-plant personnel
a consultant
The audit may relate to a single purpose facility, such
as an incinerator, wastewater treatment plant,
hazardous waste operation, or water system, or to all
operations and procedures at a plant or site.
Environmental property assessment

It is an assessment that is concerned

with a property or its acquisition
It includes investigation for:
possible above-ground and subsurface
contaminants and hazards,
violations associated with structures on the
property (including health and safety), etc.
Environmental property assessment
It can be carried out using:
At an existing operating site or facility, effluent, emission,
water, waste, and soil samples may be collected, if
indicated, for physical, chemical, and microbiological
examinations and evaluation.
Volume or weight measurements can be made
Materials balances of input versus output can be compared
where possible
local residents, employees, and retirees may be interviewed
regarding present and past products stored or
manufactured, operations, practices, wastes produced,
waste disposal methods, and previous land uses.
Plant records, reports, and other documents can be
consulted.
Environmental property assessment cont’d

The assessment may forward

solutions such as:
Deficiencies can be identified and a
correction and prevention program can
be developed
Raw material and process changes may
be considered to reduce and eliminate
toxic or polluting discharges of product or
wastes.
Strategic environmental assessment
Development actions may be for:
a project (e.g. a nuclear power station),
a program (e.g. a number of pressurized water reactor, nuclear
power stations),
a plan (e.g. in town and country planning system, for local plans
and structure plans),
a policy (e.g. the development of renewable energy)
SEA is EIA for programs, plans and policies
SEA informs a higher, earlier, more strategic tier of
decision-making.
In theory, EIA should be carried out first for policies,
then for plans, programs, and finally for projects.