Environmental Impact Assessment A Guide to Best Professional Practices

About this book

Written to help decision makers form assessments on the environmental impacts a project would produce, this book provides readers with an in depth, yet understandable description of the ecological and socioeconomic areas of the environment that may be affected. The author provides a theoretical introduction to the subject as well as practical guidance and the book includes problems at the end of each chapter.

Contents

Cumulative impact assessment Definition of cumulative impact Types of cumulative impacts The scale problem: defining spatial and temporal boundaries Determining the scoping of actions to evaluate A five-step procedure for accessing cumulative impacts Managing and performing a cumulative impact analysis Resolving Eccleston's cumulative impact paradox Preparing NEPA programmatic analyses and tiering Litigation and judicial review Endnotes Preparing greenhouse emission assessments: A synopsis of guidance and best professional practices Brief summary of the science behind greenhouse warming Summary of key NEPA court decisions involving climate change Regulatory direction on considering greenhouse emissions NEPA and GHG impacts considerations Criteria useful in determining the need to evaluate Best professional practices for performing GHG assessments Method for evaluating climate change impacts Considering cumulative GHG impacts The cumulative impact paradox Comparative summary of the SDP process Summary Endnotes Preparing risk assessments and accident analyses Definitions of risk Risk assessment Risk in decision making Risk communications Accident analyses Endnotes Social impact assessment and environmental justice Defining SIA Problems, authority, and conflicts in SIA Preparing the SIA Environmental justice Summary Endnotes The international environmental impact assessment process Comparison of NEPA with other EIA processes Programmatic and strategic Guidance for preparing programmatic NEPA assessments Problems and limitations Endnotes Environmental management systems The ISO 14000 standards The environmental management system The complementary benefits of integrating sustainability with a consolidated EIA/EMS Constructing an integrated EIA/EMS/sustainable development process Summary Endnotes Acronym List Index

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Biography

Charles H. Eccleston is associated with the Nuclear Regulatory Agency and National Association of Environmental Professionals.