Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
(Hyder Consulting 1999). Piper (2000, 2001a,b) provides valuable evidence on the state
of UK practice in CEA drawing on research on a number of case studies (see Chapter 9,
Section 9.7).
Between them, these guides and assessments of practice highlight some of the key
process and organizational issues in considering cumulative impacts/effects. Process
issues include, for example: establishing the geographic scope of the analysis (how wide
should the impacts region be), establishing the time frame for the analysis (including not
only present projects, but also those in the non-immediate time frame—past and
reasonably foreseeable future) and determining the magnitude and significance of the
effects. A key organizational issue in the UK (see Piper 2001b) is “Which organization
has the responsibility to require or commission the CEA work?” This is complicated
when, as is often the case in CEA, there is more than one competent
Figure 11.1 Cumulative impacts—
perturbation impact model. ( Source:
Lane and associates 1988.)
authority involved. Piper's case studies show a range of initiators, including developers,
statutory consultees and local planning authorities.
11.3.3 Public participation
The lack of effective public participation in EIA is a major weakness in the UK, in most
of Europe and in many other countries. It tends to occur late, if at all, and is often
tokenistic and limited to minimum requirements and to the lowest rungs on Amstein's
ladder (see Section 6.2). There is an unequal balance of participants between the
“impactors” and the “impactees”. We hear much of “expert speak” but often very little of
“people speak”. Yet the public have much to contribute: they may offer a superior
knowledge of local conditions; they bring their own values as stakeholders and they
contribute a non-scientific discourse to a process which is often too scientific. Lack of
effective public participation is not only inequitable and inefficient; it may also be very
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