Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Proposals may be referred to the EPA by any decision-making authority, the
proponent, the Minister for the Environment, the EPA or any member of the public. The
EPA determines the level of assessment, normally adopting one of the five levels
illustrated in Table 10.2a. This sets the general form, content, timing and procedure for
the EIA process, the most comprehensive being the Public Environmental Review (PER)
and the Environmental Review and Management Programme (ERMP). Guidance is
provided on scoping and on the content of the assessment (the environmental review)
(Table 10.2b,c). The environmental review document is produced by the proponent, and
it is subject to public review. The guidance on scoping for a PER or ERMP contains
interesting features, especially in relation to peer review and public consultation. The
assessment (environmental review) pays particular attention to the regional setting, and
seeks to highlight potential “fatal flaws”. Waldeck et al. (2003) found that such EIA
guidance influenced the practice of consultants and was perceived as effective in
enhancing the outcomes of the EIA process—including
Table 10.2 Some features of the Western
Australian EIA system
(a) Five levels of assessment
Assessment of Referral Information (ARI): where proposal raises one or a small number of
significant environmental factors which can be readily managed, but where environmental
conditions are required to ensure the proposal is implemented and managed in an
environmentally acceptable manner.
Proposal unlikely to be Environmentally Acceptable (PUEA): where proposal clearly cannot
meet EPA's environmental objectives, and which cannot be reasonably modified, or is
proposed in special environmental area. In such cases, the Chair of EPA may have
discussions with the proponent to try to achieve a better location and/or design, prior to
deciding on level of assessment.
Environmental Protection Statement (EPS): this level of assessment typically applies to
proposals of local interest that raise a number of significant environmental factors which
can be readily managed, and where formal public review may be unnecessary because the
proponent has adequately consulted with stakeholders.
Public Environmental Review (PER): applies to proposals of local or regional significance
that raise a number of significant environmental factors, some of which are considered
complex and require detailed assessments to determine whether, and if so, how they can be
managed. PERs are subject to a formal public review period of between four and eight
weeks.
Environmental Review and Management Programme (ERMP): applies to proposals of
statewide interest that raise a number of significant environmental issues—many of which
are considered to be complex or of a strategic nature, and require substantial assessment to
determine whether, and if so how, they can be managed in an acceptable way. Such
proposals are subject to extensive public review.
(b) A formal Environmental Scoping stage for PER and ERMP
An Environmental Scoping document shall include:
(i)
a summary description of the project;
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