Stressors and Soil Contamination - Sustainable Practices in Geoenvironmental Engineering - page 37

2.3 Contamination and Geoenvironmental Impacts
Included in Title 1 of the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 given
in Chapter 1 are the three speciic environmental requirements that we can consider as
essential in management and control of the contamination-impacts to the geoenviron-
ment. These include:

1. Environmental Inventory: This is essentially an environmental audit, i.e., a com-
plete description of the environment as it exists in the area where a particular
proposed (or ongoing) action is being considered. The physical, biological, and
cultural environments are considered to be integral to the environment under
consideration.

2. Environmental Assessment: The various components included in the assessment
package are:

a. Prediction of anticipated change.

b. Determination of magnitude of change.

c. Application of importance or signiicant factor to the change.

3. Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): This is a very crucial document that needs
to be written in a format speciied by the speciic regulatory agency responsible
for oversight of the project or event. In respect to the geoenvironment, this docu-
ment must contain the proper determination of the various impacts to the geoen-
vironment (i.e., geoenvironmental impacts) arising from implementation of the
project under question or the event being investigated. In respect to the NEPA-
type response, this document contains a summary of environmental inventory
and indings of environmental assessment (referred to as 102 statements, i.e., a
section of NEPA relating to requirements for preparation of EIS in NEPA).

To determine the nature of impacts to the geoenvironmental, it is necessary to:

• Develop a frame of reference. This is essentially a series of targets or receptors that
are the recipients of the impacts. The reference frame will permit one to examine
the effects of the geoenvironmental impacts in relation to the members constitut-
ing the reference frame. The following members constitute the essential elements
of the reference frame:
• The separate compartments (terra irma and aquatic) of the land environment.
By and large, one determines the impacts of projects and events on the integ-
rity of the landscape (including receiving waters and their boundaries).
• Health of the human population and other biotic receptors in the geoenviron-
mental compartment (land and receiving waters). This requires examination
of the impacts as threats to human health and the biotic receptors. Generally,
this includes a study of waste and waste-contaminant streams and other cata-
strophic phenomena arising from man's activities.
• Overall health of the environment. Terrestrial and aquatic habitat and commu-
nity preservation are central to the health of the environment.