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Environmental Management System
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a multidisciplinary approach to take ecological
and account in the decision-making process. Social considerations into full EIA can be applied to
project planning, product design and to both private and public decision-making. In most
countries and in several sub-national jurisdictions, EIA procedures have been legislated and
regulated, requiring the preparation and review of an environmental impact study or statement
(EIS) prior to project approval and the granting of an environmental license.
Most regulations and indeed international best practice require that such studies be prepared
by a team of professionals covering different disciplines in the fields of social and biophysical
sciences. On the other hand, a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of a project benefits from
the participation of knowledgeable professionals who understand its technical construction and
operational aspects and such professionals are usually engineers.
Coordinating that the preparation of an EIS is not only a technical task, as it also requires the
build-up of a good relationship with the project owner or its representative, but also to conduct
negotiations with government officials and a lot of interaction with the general public, in the
form of public hearings and other consultation processes. On the other hand, the coordinator acts
as a project manager, who, among other tasks, must keep with budgets and schedules and, not an
easier job, to establish a dialogue with specialized professionals and consultants in other to
integrate different information and analysis in a coherent product, the EIS, which is, at one time,
a technical report and a communication piece.
EIA can be taught to different publics and with different objectives. It can be presented to
both public and private decision-makers aiming to show its usefulness as a planning and conflictresolution tool. On the other hand, it can be introduced to professionals and to students who are
or will be its practitioners, be it as members of teams to undertake such studies or as officials in
charge of reviewing the studies. The latter is clearly the focus of teaching EIA to environmental
engineering students.
Teaching EIA is challenging under many points of view. One advantageous departure point is
that most environmental engineering students acknowledge the importance of this subject for
their future professional activity, but EIA is neither technology nor hard science, thus teaching
EIA is different from teaching other engineering subjects, in the sense that ethical concerns
cannot be ruled out. Unlike other practical subjects, a person who graduates in environmental
engineering is not prepared to coordinate the preparation of an environmental impact study or to
advise its planning or review. Such skills can only be developed with professional practice. What
is expected, however, is that the student could develop a deep sense of the complexities of the
task and, more important, develop a solid conceptual understanding to support future practice.
Environmental Critical Areas
Our Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA) Code governs areas of Seattle that provide critical
environmental functions. For example, wetlands can protect water quality and provide fish and
wildlife habitat. Our ECA code also addresses areas that represent particular challenges for
development due to geologic or other natural conditions. The goal of our ECA
regulations, (Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) chapter 25.09) is to effectively protect these areas
and to protect public safety, while allowing reasonable development in our growing city.
Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA) is those areas ranging from national parks to areas
frequently exposed to hazards or areas that are historically interesting. These areas are identified
in Presidential Proclamation 2146. The wide range in the classification might at first seem
overwhelming, however, most data to this dataset will already be found in datasets that have
probably been prepared already.
ECA Classifications:
1. Area declared by law as a national park, watershed, reserve, wildlife preserves or sanctuary.
2. Area set aside as aesthetic, potential tourist spot.
3. Area which constitutes the habitat for any endangered or threatened species of indigenous
Philippine wildlife (flora and fauna).
4. Area of unique historic, archeological, geological or scientific interest.
5. Area which is traditionally occupied by cultural community or tribe.
6. Area frequently visited and/or hard-hit by natural calamities (geologic hazards, floods,
typhoons, volcanic activity, etc.)
7. Area with critical slope.
8. Area classified as prime agricultural land.
9. Recharged area of aquifers
10. Waterbody.
11. Mangrove area.
12. Coral reef.
Environmental Critical Projects
Environmentally Critical Projects (ECP) is projects or industries that have critical
environmental impacts and therefore need to undergo environmental impact assessments and
need to acquire Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECC) prior to implementation. Even
though the LGU may not play a significant role in the environmental impact assessment system
it is important to monitor these projects in order to plan for the appropriate location of these
projects vis--vis residential and other land uses.
To identify the different Environmental Critical Projects, refer to the projects that have been
given an ECC. These can be categorized in the following classes:
1. Heavy industry
2. Extractive resource
3. Infrastructure project
4. Golf course
Environmental Compliance Certificate
Environmental compliance is driven by a variety of federal, state, local, and tribal laws and
regulations (administrative procedures for implementing a law). Projects that pose potential
significant impact to the environment shall be required to secure Environmental Compliance
Certificates (ECCs) while projects that have no significant environment impact shall not be
required to secure ECC.
Environmental compliance is important for two primary reasons:
1. Its the law; and
2. its the right thing to do.
An ECC is a document issued by DENR/EMB after a positive review of the ECC application,
certifying that based on the representations of the proponent, the proposed project or undertaking
will not cause significant negative environmental impact. The ECC contains specific measures
and conditions that the project proponent has to undertake before and during the operation of the
project, and in some cases, during the projects abandonment phase to mitigate identified
environmental impacts. The ECC also certifies that the proponent has complied with all the
requirements of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System and has committed to
implement its approved Environmental Management Plan.
QUESTIONS
True or False
1. An Environmental Compliance Certificate is a document issued by DENR.
2. Both projects with significant or have no significant impact to the environment shall be
required to secure Environmental Compliance Certificate.
3. Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA) is those areas ranging from national parks to areas
frequently exposed to hazards or areas that are historically interesting.
4. Projects that have no significant environment impact shall not be required to secure an
Environmental Compliance Certificate.
5. Under Presidential Proclamation 2156, Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA) is those areas
ranging from national parks to areas frequently exposed to hazards or areas that are historically
interesting.
Identification
1. It is a multidisciplinary approach to take ecological and account in the decision-making
process.
2. A code that governs areas of Seattle that provides critical environmental functions.
3. It contains specific measures and conditions that the project proponent has to undertake before
and during the operation of the project.
4. It is a project or industries that have critical environmental impacts that needs to undergo
environmental impact assessments and need to acquire Environmental Compliance Certificates
(ECC) prior to implementation.
5. It can be taught to different publics and with different objectives. It can also be presented to
both public and private decision-makers aiming to show its usefulness as a planning and conflictresolution tool.
Answers
True or False
1. True
2.False
3.True
4.True
5.False
Identification
6. Environmental Impact Assessment
7. Environmentally Critical Areas Code
8. Environmental Compliance Certificate
9. Environmentally Critical Projects
10. Environmental Impact Assessment
