Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
since mid-1988, as well as where the resulting EISs can be found. Section 8.3 discusses
the stages of EIA before the submission of the EIS and application for authorization.
Section 8.4 addresses what has, to date, been the most heavily studied aspect of EIA
practice, the quality of EISs. Section 8.5 considers the postsubmission stages of EIA, and
how environmental information is used in decision-making by LPAs and inspectors.
Finally, Section 8.6 discusses the costs and benefits of EIA as seen from various
perspectives. Sadler's third point is partially addressed by government-published good-
practice guides on EIA preparation and review (DETR 1997a and DoE 1994, 1995,
1996), which reflect a first cycle of limited policy changes by the UK government in
response to early research findings regarding EIS and EIA effectiveness.
The information in this chapter was correct at the time of writing in 2004; it will
obviously change as more EISs are carried out.
8.2 Number, type and location of EISs and projects
In the absence of a central government lead in maintaining a comprehensive database of
EISs, several organizations have begun to establish such databases (e.g. IEA 1993, Wood
& Bellanger 1998). This section considers how many EISs have been produced, for
which projects and developers, and where. It concludes with a brief review of where
collections of EISs are kept.
This analysis is complicated by several problems. First, some projects fall under more
than one schedule classification, for example mineral extraction schemes (Schedule 2.2)
that are later filled in with waste (Schedule 2.11), or industrial/residential developments
(Schedule 2.10) that also have a leisure component (Schedule 2.12). Second, the mere
description of a project is often not enough to identify the regulations under which its
EIA was carried out. For instance, power stations may fall under Schedule 1.2 or 2.3a
depending on size. Roads may come under highways or planning regulations depending
on whether they are trunk roads or local highways. Third, many EISs do not mention
when, by whom or for whom they were prepared. Fourth, locational analysis after 1995 is
complicated by local government reorganization and many changes in the nature and
boundaries of authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. All these factors affect the
analysis. This chapter is based primarily on information from Wood & Bellanger (1998),
but their findings are very similar to others (e.g. Wood 1996, 2003).
8.2.1 Number of EISs
Between the mid-1970s and the mid-1980s, approximately 20 EISs were prepared
annually in the UK (Petts &. Hills 1982). After the implementation of Directive 85/337,
this number rose dramatically and, despite the recession, about 350 EISs per year were
produced in the early 1990s; but, as can be seen from Figure 8.1, this number began to
drop in the mid- 1990s partly as a result of a fall in major development activity under the
planning regulations. However, the numbers quickly recovered in the late 1990s and, as
noted in Chapter 3, there has been over 600p.a. since the implementation of the amended
Directive. This probably reflects many factors—more projects
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