What is an environmental impact study

Environmental impacts are defined as the effects or consequences that anthropic activity can generate on ecosystems in particular and on the environment in general. Virtually any activity has some kind of effect, from the large mining or agricultural companies that modify vast areas of territory to the hikers who are walking quietly on a trail.

However, not all environmental impacts are the same, as we will see below.

On the one hand, the impacts on the environment vary in intensity: depending on the degree of activity, its nature or how they are organized, they can generate a greater or lesser impact. It is not the same to compact the ground with your footsteps than to compact the ground to build a football stadium.

On the other hand, we cannot guarantee that the impacts will be negative in all cases. Thus, we distinguish two types of environmental impacts :

• Negative environmental impacts: they are considered to have a detrimental effect on the environment. They are the vast majority.
• Positive environmental impacts: they have a beneficial effect on the environment. For example, some companies committed to the environment are beginning to protect forests as a compensation measure for CO2 generation, which has added value.

This distinction is not always so clear. A paradigmatic example would be the artificial lagoons in the southeast of Madrid (Spain). The extraction of aggregates in this area was very intense during the second half of the last century, so much so that the level of the water table was exceeded, so that some of the ponds they left were flooded. They are now considered areas of high ecological value, since they are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and have become resting areas for migratory birds. What in principle was a clear example of overexploitation, over time has become a highly valued site.

On the contrary, the reforestation of forests in areas such as Galicia, which were made with very fast-growing trees (Eucalyptus) but not indigenous, have led to a loss of ecological value in the area.

More classifications of impacts on the environment are distinguished :

• Temporary and permanent.
• Simple, cumulative or synergistic.
• Recoverable or irrecoverable.
• Reversible or irreversible
• Periodic or irregular.
• Continuous or discontinuous.

Thus, we have environmental impacts, but in some cases assessing them correctly requires a very great effort. To organize this task, we have the studies and environmental impact statements.

In this other AgroCorrn article we will talk more about what is negative and positive environmental impact with examples .

An environmental impact study (in Spain it is known as EIA, or ” Environmental Impact Assessment “) consists of evaluating a project to determine its possible environmental impacts on its surroundings. It is in itself a technical, objective and multidisciplinary study. In many cases, this study prior to the project is a legal requirement to carry it out, and it will be the public administration who, based on it, among other requirements, accept, reject or decide to modify it.

These are the parts of an environmental impact study that we can generally find, although there may be fewer or others may be included, without prejudice to adding others that are considered necessary:

• General description of the project: it includes its location, its objectives, a detailed study of the activities, consumption of materials, occupied land, etc.
• Exposure of alternatives: it is required to study several alternatives in terms of materials, processes, etc. It is also required to consider not carrying out the project.
• Environmental inventory: natural spaces, human health, biodiversity, geodiversity, soil and subsoil, air, water, climatic factors, etc.
• Possible effects and assessment of impacts: assessment, assessment and quantification of the foreseeable direct or indirect effects of the programmed activities.
• Preventive and corrective measures.
• Environmental monitoring and monitoring program.
• Summary of the study and conclusions.

When carrying out an environmental impact study, great complications tend to arise, especially when the projects that usually require these studies include large works. However, we are going to explain a simple example so that it is understood: a bar near a natural setting.

1. General description of the project: establishment of provision and service of drink and food.
2. Exposure of alternatives: the project is justified to publicize the protected area. Alternatives such as the construction of solar panels and the use of compostable containers have been studied.
3. Environmental inventory: nearby natural space, water and electricity consumption, generation of non-hazardous waste, noise emission, land use.
4. Possible effects and impact assessment: once the impacts are mitigated, the most pernicious effects would probably be noise and water consumption.
5. Preventive and corrective measures: closely related to alternatives. For example, to prevent compostable waste from reaching the natural setting, bins can be installed near the site.
6. Environmental surveillance and monitoring program: this will include, for example, the emptying and maintenance of the wastebaskets and the control of noise emissions and water consumption.
7. Summary of the study and conclusions.