Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Based on these results and given the conservative nature of the calcula-
tions the USCG felt that no additional environmental impact analysis was
required. However, they misread the concern expressed by some critical
stakeholders when they discounted the temporary impact of restricting the
target area to recreational boating during the short and infrequent live fire
training activities. These stakeholders put pressure on the USCG through
the Great Lakes' Congressional delegation, and the Coast Guard acknowl-
edged the oversight and agreed that a full and comprehensive environmen-
tal impact analysis was warranted. Ultimately they abandoned the program
in large part due to the concerns, impacts, and opposition uncovered through
public input. Thus although the planning and execution of the preliminary
assessment were flawed, it did serve a purpose in that the USCG identified
the issues and could make a decision incorporating environmental concerns
(although the process was neither painless or efficient).
4.3 Scoping
Scoping is the procedure used to determine what should be included in an
environmental impact analysis and the resulting documentation of the analysis
process. It is the road map and directions for the process, but unlike a literal
road map, the environmental practitioner has to develop the map before the
analysis trip can begin. With a well-planned and executed scoping process,
the practitioners and the stakeholders alike will not only know where they are
going, but how to get there, and even when and if they have arrived. As dis-
cussed above, a primary objective of environmental analysis is to identify and
understand the environmental consequence of human activities before they
occur. The intent of scoping is to support this objective by pointing out early in
the analysis process the areas where the consequences could occur and how to
understand them. Properly executed scoping can minimize the pitfalls associ-
ated with discovering late in the environmental impact analysis process, when
the time is gone and the budget has been spent, what the issues are, where
there are possible impacts, and where it is clear there are no adverse impacts or
other concerns. In a more abstract sense, scoping can be considered a process of
defining and constraining the area of impact as shown in Figure 4.1 (the inter-
section of existing conditions and alternatives).
The environment is a big place and the possible methods of investigating
the environment can approach infinity, so the potential content of an envi-
ronmental impact analysis is virtually unlimited. Scoping has evolved into a
process, which when used appropriately, can not only streamline the analy-
sis but also ensure that critical factors are included and emphasized. These
are sometimes competing objectives because the project proponent wants to
make the environmental analysis process as efficient as possible and thus
not address, particularly in great detail, the nonissues. But on the other hand
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