Pipelines

[BAJR Host]

To help those (like me) that need help with acronymns

here is an explanation about Strategic Enviromental Assesments (SEAs) and EIAs (Enviromental Impact Assesments - - and how they fit together...

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/abo...5/?lang=_e

as they say a good SEA will help with the preparation of an EIA but will not remove the need for it.

Perhaps those that ned to know could download and read
A Practical Guide to the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive", September 2005

available on the above site. (though I am sure you already have)





"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[1man1desk]

Posted by Unit of 1:

quote:Engineering consultant firms are all over this EU money EIA world like a rash with their interesting collection of “archaeologists”.

Unit of 1,

I am one of the 'interesting collection of archaeologists' based in an engineering consultancy firm that you refer to, and I am also a specialist in EIA as a whole. Most of my work nowadays consists of managing the overall EIA process, including coordination of all the different specialist disciplines involved, of which archaeology is only one.

The EIA process as it is organised in Britain (and, in fact, everywhere else) is certainly flawed, and I will quite happily engage in a debate about the problems of EIA and why it is not always as effective as it could be in relation to archaeology or any other aspect of the environment.

However, I think that we could have a much more useful debate if we keep it on the issues, and avoid making pointlessly offensive insinuations about the motivations, competence or honesty of whole groups of highly-trained professionals, especially if in the same post you admit to not knowing much about the subject.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[BAJR Host]

That is a point I would like to reinforce by a public warning. I have already talked via PM about this issue of not needing to use offensive terms where the post can be quite acceptable without. The competence, honesty and ability of individuals and/or companies is not one for off the cuff remarks or smart comments. the AUP is clear in this respect that allegations should first be cleared with the Board Host before posting.

1man makes the point that debating the value and effectiveness is important but not the comments that suggest or infer that those carrying them out are somehow either incompetent or back scratching money grabbers.. which is the inference.. If that is not what is meant… then best just leave out anything that can be misconstrued.


"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[Unitof1]

I can only apologise for my cavalier use of the inverted comma around “archaeologist” which has lead to insinuations about the motivations, competence or honesty of whole groups of highly-trained professionals.

If I may refer back to the Drs comment about EIA public access through LPA web sites could I refer him to the Gazette site (on the scary contracts thread) for the energy industry that the EIAs there would appear to be only accessible through a local library or two and a council office. It has been my good misfortune to have hunted down EIAs as well from the Environment agency and Highways and have always had to deal with somebody at a counter (in a directive 1 setting) saying “I wondered what that was” yet you suggest that there are some out there on the web. Could you point one out?

1desk Do you put your EIAs on the web?

[eggbasket]

Boy am I glad that I am a "cultural heritage specialist" and not an "archaeologist". That way I do not need to feel slighted ...

Cheers,
Eggbasket
Gentleman Adventurer and Antique

"A great victory for rangers and hamsters everywhere. Right, Boo?" - Minsc

[Cautionary Tale]

Eggbasket: I hold you responsible for the damage done to my keyboard via sprayed tea



È venuto dal deposito

[1man1desk]

Posted by Unit of 1:

quote:1desk Do you put your EIAs on the web?

Bear in mind that EIA is a process that may take 1-3 years; the final report on its results (after several interim stages) is called the Environmental Statement, or ES.

How the ES is publicised is a client decision, not in the power of an EIA consultant. The regulations only require the ES to be made available through the planning authority and in local libraries, and it is the planning authority that is legally responsible for consulting the public, not the developer. However, most clients are willing to go beyond the legal requirements in this respect.

However, I do advise it, although you have to be careful - a full Environmental Statement can be a very weighty document, and may be impracticable to place on the web. An alternative is to place the Non-Technical summary on the web, together with instructions on how to find copies of the full thing if you want to.

There is an obligation on any client to provide copies of the full ES on request, but they can charge the cost of production. Typically (genuine costs) this might be around £200-£400. However, there is an increasing move towards publishing the ES in PDF form, which should make it a lot cheaper (copy and distribute a DVD instead of hundreds of pages of text and colour illustrations). I plan to do that for the jobs I am currently working on.

The last environmental report I produced was made available on the client's website (a County Council) immediately. It was not an ES, because the project has not yet reached that stage. I believe the the two I am currently working on (for the Highways Agency) will also end up on the web.

Many projects also go to Public Consultation, at a much earlier stage. On one recent job I was involved in preparing two separate rounds of Public Consultation, a year apart. Each one involved a series of exhibitions at several venues over a period of a week, with a large team of senior specialists (including me) in attendance. The exhibitions involved display boards, an aerial flyover, virtual reality simulations and a large physical model.

I am currently preparing for another such consultation, for a different project, early next year.


1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[Unitof1]

Ok 1desk so the situation is that previously and currently the majority of ESs are not put on the web yet although we would like them to be and if they are not to be put on the web the costs could be massively reduced by using CDs/DVDs and of which there has been the occasional example if you ask the right question to the right person (often someone in opposition). Sounds so reasonable. Some of the distribution problems have to do with copyright of ordnance survey maps but I suggest that there has been from the outset of EIAs an instinct to not make ES easily accessible. I find nothing wrong with that instinct, I think that the adversarial nature of our law far superior to frog law, it is just that I would prefer that it should be stated loudly that all is propaganda in ESs so those in opposition to a scheme should approach ESs in a much more combative manner than they do

Here is an example of the very latest amendment to an EIA regulation, an attempt by our cuddly civilo serviceo to enjoin the public. I would suggest that it quite clearly has no intention of imaging that the web exists and is no different for all the other EIA regs. If any of the developers distribute web data they do it from a position of ascendancy.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2006/20060618.htm

one less newspaper and a sign on a stick with the sea somewhere in the background-not a mention of any easier access to the actual ES!

This “massive” concession came about after UN conventions and the EU Arrhus convention for.... wait for it: Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters!!!!Had they spotted how the civilo serviceos had shot ahead and left the public without something on a stick?

You might imagine that these notices are for a bit of ditch digging somewhere but in fact they are the main regulation for a 2 billion coastal defence fiasco heavily intent on a disgraceful marine dredging(unEIAed crown agent world) environmental disaster. What you thought that they should have come under SI1999/293

[Unitof1]

Bit quiet in here

Old question -has anybody come across an EIA consent document? like the one for your village Dr

[1man1desk]

I don't think there is such a thing as an 'EIA consent document'.

Most EIAs are written to go with a planning application, but less than 3% of planning applications require an EIA.

If the application is successful, the council will issue a Notice of Determination, which says that permission is granted and lists a number of Planning Conditions (including one on archaeology, if relevant). I have seen lots of those.

Non-planning schemes (e.g. trunk roads, strategic pipelines) are authorised by central government. I am not quite sure what format they issue the authorisation in. However, it will be consent to the scheme - not to the EIA.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished