Title: DECISION MAKING AND IMPLEMENTENTATION
1DECISION MAKING AND IMPLEMENTENTATION
- it all comes down to significance
2DECISION MAKING
- Process by which a defensible decision is made
based upon a quantitative or qualitative analysis
among alternatives - In terms of environmental assessment are the
residual environmental effects of a proposed
project insignificant or significant? - Alternatives
- Decision factors
- Comparisons
- Documentation
3DECISION MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
- Environmental assessment is a means of
integrating environmental considerations into the
decision-making process much the same way as
engineering, feasibility, cost and other factors
are taken into account - Environmental assessment is not the deciding
factor for a project (however, it can be if a
licence is not issued based on the environmental
assessment report)
4DECISION MAKERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND
- Concepts and aims of environmental assessment
- How environmental assessment is used in other
organizations - benchmarking - Environmental assessment standards
- How environmental assessment is implemented in
the organization implications - Decision alternatives prescribed by legislation
- Requirements for and implications of public
review and other aspects related matters
5DECISION MAKING TECHNIQUES
- Ranking process
- Nominal-group process
- Rating process
- Predetermined importance scale
- Multi-attribute measurement
- Unranked pairwise comparison
- Ranked pairwise comparison
- Delphi method
- Also polling, voting, consensus building
6DECISION MAKING CONSIDERATIONS
- Background to the proposal or project
- Policy context
- Alternatives to the project
- Public involvement
- Impact analysis
- Significance of impact
- Mitigation and follow-up
- Precedence
- Cost
7DECISION MAKING PROCESS
- Define problem
- Define objectives
- Determine evaluation factors and criteria
- Generate alternatives (feasible)
- Analyze alternatives
- Evaluate alternatives
- Select preferred alternative
- Verify preferred alternative
Note - environmental assessment should state
conclusions on significance and let the decision
maker decide
8DECISION ALTERNATIVES
- There can be a number of different outcomes
possible from decision-making - proposal can be approved
- proposal can be approved with conditions
- proposal can be approved subject to on-going
investigations - further investigations of particular issues can
be requested - supplementary document or new environmental
assessment report can be requested - proposal as formulated may be rejected
9DECISION-MAKING FACTORS
- Meets needs and objectives
- Economic efficiency
- benefits, costs, excess benefits
- rate of return, cost-benefit analysis
- Environmental effects
- air, water, soil quality
- ecosystem, habitat quality, health
- socio-economics, cultural
- Technical considerations
- Public preference
10CHECKS AND BALANCES
- Environmental assessment is the main document
- Decision made by independent authority
- Public input to factors used in decision-making
- Summary made available to the public before the
decision is made - Decision and rationale are published
- Consultation and participation prior to making a
decision - Right of appeal against decisions
11CEAA - SCREENING
- Likely insignificant adverse environmental
effects with mitigation (GO) - Likely significant adverse effects, with
mitigation, that cannot be justified (STOP) - Uncertain significant environmental effects,
likely significant adverse effects, or
significant public concern (REFER)
12CEAA - COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
- Likely insignificant adverse environmental
effects with mitigation (GO) - Likely significant adverse effects, with
mitigation, that cannot be justified (STOP) - Uncertain significant environmental effects,
likely significant adverse effects, or
significant public concern (REFER)
13CEAA - PANEL REVIEW
- Likely insignificant adverse environmental
effects with mitigation (GO) - Likely significant adverse environmental effects
with mitigation that can be justified (GO) - Likely significant adverse effects, with
mitigation, that cannot be justified (STOP)
14MANITOBA - CLASS 1
- Director may
- Require additional information, plans for
environmental protection , issue guidelines and
instructions - Request public meeting or hearing
- Elevate proposal to Class 2
- Director decides to
- Issue licence with terms and conditions
- Refuse to issue licence
15MANITOBA - CLASS 2
- Director may
- Require additional information
- Require public consultation
- Require assessment report
- Request public hearing
- Director decides to
- Issue licence with terms and conditions
- Refuse to issue licence
16MANITOBA - CLASS 3
- Minister may
- Require additional information
- Require public consultation
- Require assessment report
- Request public hearing
- Minister decides to
- Issue licence with terms and conditions
- Refuse to issue licence
17IMPLEMENTATION
- CEAA
- Project approval
- Funding approval
- Land granted
- Permit, licence issued (e.g. Fisheries Act
authorization, dredging permit, NWPA permit) - - conditional approval
- MEA
- Licence issued with terms and conditions
18ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKPOST DECISION
ACTIVITY
Proposal
Scoping
Analysis of effects
Identification of mitigation
Evaluation of significance
Licence, permit, approval
Monitor, inspect, surveillance, audit
Post decision activity
19MITIGATION MEASURES
- Measures identified in the environmental
assessment report to prevent, reduce or control
adverse effects are implemented - Proponent responsible for implementing mitigation
- Regulatory authorities responsible for ensuring
that mitigation is implemented - Mitigation measures may become licence terms and
conditions
20FOLLOW-UP
- Actions identified in the environmental
assessment report to ensure that the assessment
is effective in identifying environmental
effects, and mitigation is implemented and is
effective - Proponent is primarily responsible for
implementing follow-up - Regulatory authorities are responsible for
ensuring that follow-up is carried out - Follow-up actions may become licence terms and
conditions
21LICENCE/PERMIT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- Mitigation measures and follow-up identified in
environmental assessment report - Regulatory requirements
- Air, water and soil quality criteria
- Technical specifications
- Reporting requirements
- Public concerns
22REGULATORY MONITORING AND INSPECTIONS
- Conducted by regulatory authority
- Inspect implementation of mitigation measures and
follow-up - Inspect effectiveness of mitigation
- Monitoring air, water, soil quality
- Verification sampling
- Verify information submitted in reports
- Follow-up public concerns
23PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
- Follow-up plans placed in public registry
- Results from follow-up placed in public registry
- Public often involved in follow-up activities
- Public concerns acted on during implementation
24ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN
- Consolidates mitigation measures, follow-up and
other requirements into one document - Includes licence terms and conditions
- Implemented by environmental inspector or monitor
- Responsibilities assigned
- Reporting carried out
- Deficiencies acted on
25Next class
- Read about reporting on environmental assessments
- Ask questions about reporting on lab project
assignment - Come to class prepared to discuss decision making
and implementation