Environmental Impact Assessment - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 75

TABLE 2.1
Management Tasks of EIA Owner in the Environmental Impact Assessment Process

Task Description

General Formulate selection criteria for design consultant and EIA team.

Determine roles and responsibilities of involved stakeholders relating to management and administration of the EIA.
Ensure agreement on procedures for sharing information and data.
Maximize the institutional and technical capacity of the host country to manage the environmental assessment, and maximize local
participation.
Manage time and cost.

Communication Establish and communicate the time period for EIA preparation.

Ensure that stakeholders, in particular government authorities, are asked to cooperate as early as possible in the planning process.
Encourage and manage community consultation and participation. Pre-empt, to the extent feasible, campaigns by anti-mining activists.
Establish and maintain communication with key stakeholders, including involved fi nancial institutions.
Maintain and circulate a current list of stakeholders including contact details
Establish mechanisms whereby mine personnel, the EIA team, and EIA approval authorities can discuss and jointly plan assessment
matters in a timely and effective manner.
Establish protocols to document all activities related to environmental assessment, in particular activities related to government
liaison and public consultation and participation.

Policy Check Assess the legal requirements (national and local) and the company's internal policy objectives and operational priorities for the

proposed mining project.
Assess the proposed mining project against the provisions of international agreements to which the host country is a signatory.
Assess compliance requirements with the Equator Principles.
In consultation with government offi cials, consider the proposed mining project within the context of regional land use planning and
conservation strategies.

Screening Ensure that all project activities are screened for potential environmental impacts in a manner that meets the procedural require-

ments of the host country.
Should uncertainties in environmental impact assessment requirements occur as a result of environmental screening, resolve in a
manner acceptable to all relevant parties.
Ensure that, if screening determines that further assessment is required, the government authorities of the host country agree on
the need for and scope of such assessment.

Alternatives Ensure early consideration of alternatives at both project and strategic levels, including consideration of the 'no go' option.

Incorporate environmental considerations into selection of preferred option(s).
Include approval authorities in the evaluation of controversial or problematic design alternatives.

Terms of Reference Ensure the development of a single terms of reference acceptable to all parties that defi nes technical, administrative, and procedural

requirements for impact assessment. This should incorporate the results of scoping studies including input from stakeholders.

Project Design Ensure that environmental measures are integrated into the project design, as far as is practical and feasible.

Evaluate and document reasonable alternative project designs and their environmental advantages and disadvantages.
Ensure that recommended environmental mitigation and monitoring plans and compensation schemes are included in the project
approval documents.

Mitigation Measures Design management systems and provide budgets to ensure that the Environmental Action Plan (e.g. recommended mitigation,

monitoring, relocation and compensation plans) can be adequately implemented.

Review/Quality
Control

Ensure adequate review of progress made and contents of the environmental assessment
Arrange for publishing and distribution of fi nal assessment reports.

A skilled EIA project manager on the owner's side is the greatest asset during the environmental permitting stage. Good people
skills are necessary, especially during the approval period, but other management skills are equally important