What is in Aarhus

1
What is in Aarhus backyard

• Dr. Sándor Fülöp, Csaba Sándor
• Environmental Management and Law Association
• Comissioned by UNEP/GRID Arendal

2
The task or question

• How existing backyard projects and the backyard
  concept as a whole helps to fulfil the Aarhus
  Convention and the PRTR Protocol?

3
Backyard projects?

• One way to disseminate relevant, understandable
  information to the public
• Features
• Internet access
• Location based search
• Integrated approach (environmental elements,
  horizontal issues)
• Target group is the affected general public
• Pollution information as core
• Extensive metadata and supporting information

4
The paper

• 14 topics (quasi indicators) developed, based on
  the Aarhus Convention and the PRTR Protocol (and
  guidance manuals)
• 6 case studies compared evaluated by topics
• Conclusions and recommendations

5
The paper

• Goal The objective of this study is to compare
  the features of information systems to the goals
  and provisions of the Aarhus Convention and its
  PRTR Protocol and see which of them can be
  fulfilled by such systems in place.
• Focus on dissemination not on collection or
  processing.
• Translating legal texts to potential backyard
  features

6
14 topics

• Assistance in asserting right to healthy
  environment
• Communication forms and channels
• Data quality issues, metadata
• Explanatory, supporting material (legislation,
  policies, plans, programmes, procedures, use of
  system)

7
14 topics

• Information on pollution releases and transfers
  (as a special case of pressures)
• Information on other pressures (physical,
  administrative)
• Information on state of the environment
• Integrated approach

8
14 topics

• International relations (links, capacity
  building, cooperation)
• Product information
• Public Participation opportunities in the system
  including procedure, information on the subject,
  opportunity to comment, final decision.
• System design issues.

9
14 topics

• User access procedures
• Uses of the system awareness, education,
  emergencies

10
The TABLE

• Reference (Art. Para. Subpara)
• Text
• Potential feature fulfilling the provision

11
Cases

• US Scorecard (http//www.scorecard.org/)
• EPER website (http//www.eper.cec.eu.int/)
• UK Backyard site (http//www.environment-agency.g
  ov.uk/maps/)
• Netherlands PER website (http//www.emissieregistr
  atie.nl/)
• Hungary, official EPER website (http//www.kvvm.hu
  /szakmai/eper/)
• Hungary, EMLA EPER website (http//www.emla.hu/epe
  r/)

12
Cases

• Description of features
• Evaluation of topics

13
Conclusions on cases

• Systems focusing on PRTR data, real WIYBY
• Extensive guidance, help, supporting information,
  cross-links
• No health information, except
• Great possibilities in improving PP features.
  Interactivity.

14
Ideal wiyby project (info content - pressures)

• Pollutant releases and transfers at minimum on a
  level required by the PRTR protocol (emissions,
  transfers, all media, yearly reporting, diffuse
  sources, amount identifiable, facilities
  identifiable, pollutant or waste specific) (2.5)
  (2.8)
• Physical pressures other than pollution resource
  use energy-water-land, disturbance, landscape
  degradation, GMO, product information, radiation
  (2.6) (2.8) (2.10)
• Information on administrative pressures and
  responses plans, policies, programmes,
  legislation, agreements in force. (2.4) (2.6)
  (2.11)
• Evaluation of the above performance, compliance,
  trends, progress, priorities (2.1) (2.4) (2.11)

15
Ideal wiyby project (info content - state of the
environment)

• State of the environment air, atmosphere, water,
  soil, land, landscape, natural sites,
  biodiversity, GMOs (2.7) (2.8)
• Evaluation of the above performance, compliance,
  trends, progress, priorities (2.1)

16
Ideal wiyby project (info content - background
information)

• Authorities holding the information, public
  functions, services, contacts (2.1)(2.3)(2.4)
• Data quality and metadata (completeness,
  consistence, timeliness, updating, accuracy,
  gathering methods) (2.3) (2.4)
• Terms and conditions of use of the information
  obtained (2.3) (2.4)
• Terms and conditions of dealing with submitted
  personal information (2.1)
• Glossary of frequently used terms (2.1) (2.4)

17
Ideal wiyby project (info content - background
information)

• Help on using the system (2.1) (2.4) (2.12)
• Charges might be applicable (2.1) (2.4)
• Health, hazard, risk information on pressures
  (2.1) (2.4)(2.8)
• Demographic, economic, product etc. information
  or links to such (2.8) (2.10)
• Other (offline) communication channels (2.1)
  (2.2) (2.4) (2.8)
• Links to other national and international WIYBY
  sites (2.9)
• Procedures of public participation (2.11)

18
Ideal wiyby project (services - Finding and
analysing information)

• Free text search (2.1)
• Overlay, aggregate and rearrange information
  (2.1) (2.8) (2.13)
• Preset and custom queries to the database (2.1)
• Transform and analyse raw information
  environmental modelling, calculations like
  hazard, exposure, risk (2.1)

19
Ideal wiyby project (services - Support for
public participation)

• Submit general comments, notifications (2.11)
• Contact key officials (2.11)
• Comment on draft plans, policies, programmes,
  legislation (2.11)
• Comment in individual permitting processes (2.11)
• Virtual community discussion fora on the above
  (2.11)
• Active invitation of potentially interested
  stakeholders to the processes (2.11)
• Information on the outcome of PP, reasoning and
  the decision (2.11)

20
Ideal wiyby project (System design, horizontal
issues)

• Electronic information systems available on the
  Internet and offline (2.2) (2.12)
• Present information related to a certain
  geographical object (point, line, area) (2.12)
• Use of push technologies for active
  dissemination newsletters, alert, notifications,
  newsfeeds (2.2) (2.12)
• Toolkits for effectively using the information
  for various purposes awareness raising,
  education, community monitoring, research,
  emergency preparedness etc. (2.12) (2.14)
• Information available on different geographical
  scales where applicable neighbourhood,
  municipality, county, region, national level.
  (2.12)
• Use of GIS and mapping tools in visualization and
  analysis (2.12)

21
Ideal wiyby project (System design, horizontal
issues)

• User interface design adjusted to information
  content and target groups (2.12)
• Diverse form of information to help better
  understanding documents, videos, audio
  recordings, files, tables etc. (2.1) (2.13)
• Promotion of the system necessary to different
  audiences (2.4) (2.12)
• Share expertise and experience, provide capacity
  building and training for the less developed
  (2.9) (2.12)
• Take future expansions into account (2.12)
• Plan user access categories and levels of service
  based on target groups (2.13) (2.14)
• Require personal information where absolutely
  necessary (2.1) (2.13)

22
Further analysis

• Analyse impact of WIYBY projects
• Webstat
• User profiles
• Survey