Page 167 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Ch004-P373623.qxd 3/26/07 4:46 PM Page 146
Sustainable Industrial Design and Waste Management
146
section (Bregman, 1999). At the beginning of the process, the EIA is reviewed
by the responsible agency that determines whether:
• No further action is required in case of categorical exclusion: Many
federal actions are of a routine nature and generate no significant
impacts on the environment. For example, routine procurement of
goods and services. These actions have minimal or no cumulative
effect on environmental quality. That is why the responsible agency
decides that no further action is required for those types of activities.
• Finding no significant impact: This is for the activities that have
minimal environmental impacts. Mitigating measures are suggested
to lessen the negative environmental impacts. No further EIS is
required for those activities.
• An environmental impact statement (EIS) is required: EIS is the docu-
ment that examines the consequences of a project or an establishment.
It is done for every major federal action that may have significant
impact on the environment.

The EIS process
The EIS process, as described by Bregman (1999) in his book Environmental
Impact Statements, is as follows:

Task 1 Scoping meeting: The purpose of the scoping meeting is to determine
the scope of the draft EIS and to identify the major project issues to be
addressed in it. Individuals and firms that may have an interest in the proj-
ect impact are invited to participate in that meeting. Also the public, repre-
sented in groups or individuals, can participate.
Task 2 First draft: The product of the scoping meeting is an EIS first draft
report. It describes the existing environmental conditions and evaluates the
project alternatives. A brief discussion of the scoping process and the com-
ment received from the public are also included in the report. The potential
impact of each alternative is assessed as well as the “do nothing” alternative.
The report includes the potential short-term impacts such as those associ-
ated with the construction phase like noise and dust. Long-term includes air,
water pollution, wildlife displacement, and overloading of infrastructure.
Mitigating measures are included with their costs and benefits quantified if
possible.
Task 3 Public review of draft: Public participation in the EIA process is very
important because it has a potential to lead to a better project. The public
often have good suggestions for items to be incorporated or given more
emphasis in the EIS report. The public are usually concerned for social and
environmental aspects of the project and how it affects the natural resources,
wildlife, and historical monuments if any. The contribution of the public in