Title: The Role of ES Review

Submission Date: November 9, 2013

University ID Number: 9297731

Word Count: 1548

1. Introduction
Environmental Impact Assessment as a tool for decision making has been formally initiated in late sixty‟s at USA through National Environmental Protection Act, 1969 (Glasson et al., 2012,
p.50) which has been now adopted by majority of countries of the world (Sadler, 1996, p.25;
Petts, 2009; NCEA, 2013).
To monitor the quality of Environmental Statements (on which the overall success of the process depends most) review packages or criteria‟s has been first developed in 1987 by Ross for
Canadian ESs (Lee and Colley, 1992). Following several initiatives in this arena, Lee and Colley developed their review package in 1990, which has been amended at 1999 lastly (Lee et al.,
1999), and it is being used widely for assessing ESs. European commission guideline on EIS review is another precise guideline to evaluate (EC, 2001). Both process has been criticized for the inadequacies to address all the issues (Põder and Lukki, 2011) and variability of scrutiny by reviewers depending on their personal skills and competencies (Peterson, 2010).
2. Role of ES Review within EIA Process


Evaluate the approach and findings of the study, in relation to the actual effects of the development, the accuracy of the prediction made and the effectiveness of mitigation measures proposed (Harrop and Nixon, 1998, p.129).



Assess whether findings and results are presented in an understandable manner and provides information that is sufficient and relevant for decision making (Wood, 2003;
Sadler, 1996).



Check whether the ES fulfills the detail requirement of EIA (impact prediction and significance, alternatives consideration and mitigation measures) in other word quality assurance of EIA process as a whole (Fuller, 2009).



Validate the underneath science and methodology (Glasson et al., 2012, p.176).



Measure harmony with the specified ToR or Scoping guidelines (Sadler, 1996, p.122).



Play a vital role in ensuring the effectiveness of EIA (Lee and Colley, 1992; Lee et al.,
1999).



Helps decision maker or respective authority to take decision – whether to ask for further information / refusal (Sadler, 1996, p.122).



Examine whether ES includes the views of all parties and represents them fairly (Sadler,
1996, p.131)

3. Review of Three (3) ES from Bangladesh: Evaluation Criteria – ‘Impact Significance’
3.1 Justification
Bangladesh is a country with a transitional economy (low income to middle income), having on an average 6% economic growth in the last decade (WB, 2013). Since early 90‟s there has been an increasing trend of Foreign Direct Investment (BOI, GoB, 2012), which comes with the investment in industrial and infrastructure sector. Consequently this type of interventions causing
Environmental and Social impact, which as a result brought EIA to measure the degree of intrusion, by the donors first in the early 80‟s (Kabir 2012, p.40). Recent trend of investment is in energy sector because of the country‟s new exploration of gas and oil reserve and increasing high energy demand. Considering the above mentioned conditions, three (3) Environmental
Statements (ES) from power sector has been selected for the analysis in this essay

i.

Environmental Impact Assessment of 2x (500-660) MW Coal Based Thermal Power
Plant to be Constructed at the Location of Khulna (BPDB, GoB and CEGIS 2013).

ii.

Environmental Impact Assessment of 108 MW Natural Gas Fired Power Plant at
Ghorashal, Palash, Narshingdi (AECL et al. 2012).

iii.

Environmental Impact Assessment study of “Siddhirganj Maniknagar 11Km 230KV
Transmission Line Project (SMTL)” (PGCB, GoB and CEGIS 2012).

The aim of this part of the essay is to evaluate the Identification and Evaluation of Key
Impact of those three (3) ES. Justification for selecting this