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Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (Eia) in the Arctic

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Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (Eia) in the Arctic GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) IN THE ARCTIC ARCTIC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION STRATEGY Responsible Institution : Finnish Ministry of the Environment Paula Kankaanpää Producer: Finnish Environment Institute Eeva Furman, Mikael Hildén Drafting Group: Tord Céwe, Sweden John McEwen, Canada Mikael Hildén/Eeva Furman/Seija Korhonen, Finland Joe Nazareth, Denmark/Greenland Marianna Novikova, Russia Richard Wildermann, USA Kjell Moe, Gunnar Futsæter, Norway Holmfridur Sigurdardottir, Iceland Violet Ford, ICC/AEPS Indigenous Peoples Secretariat The Sami Council Drawings: Mantsi Rapeli Layout: Heikki Laurila/lIlusia English language editing: Terry Forster Printed at: Kirjapaino Auranen, Forssa 1997 Publisher: Finnish Ministry of the Environment P.O.Box 399 FIN-00251 Helsinki tel: +358 9 19911 fax: +358 9 9545 Citation: Arctic Environment Protection Strategy 1997: Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Arctic. Sustainable Development and Utilization. Finnish Ministry of the Environment, Finland, 50 p. ISBN: 951-731-039-0 Copies available from: Finnish Ministry of the Environment P.O.Box 399 FIN-00251 Helsinki tel: +358 9 19911 fax: +358 9 9545 & http://www.vyh.fi/fei/intercoo/arctic/index.htm, where additionally can be found information on EIA procedures in the eight arctic countries 2 Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 5 2 Application of EIA ........................................................................................ 11 3 Scope of the assessment ................................................................................ 13 4 Baseline information ..................................................................................... 16 5 Impact prediction and evaluation ................................................................. 18 6 Mitigation ..................................................................................................... 24 7 Monitoring .................................................................................................... 27 8 The environmental impact assessment document ........................................ 30 9 Public participation ....................................................................................... 32 10 Traditional knowledge .................................................................................. 37 11 Transboundary impacts ................................................................................. 39 Contributors ............................................................................................................ 42 Appendices I Common arctic features ................................................................................ 45 II Areas demanding particular attention in the Arctic ...................................... 46 III Definitions .................................................................................................... 47 IV Sources of information .................................................................................. 49 Information on the EIA procedures in the eight arctic countries available on the www at http://www.vyh.fi/fei/intercoo/arctic/index.htm 3 Preamble In 1991 at Rovaniemi, Finland, ministers use of traditional knowledge. Finland from all arctic countries approved the was asked to act as a lead country for Arctic Environment Protection Strategy the writing of the guidelines. (AEPS), which seeks to protect the Arctic environment. The Arctic Council EIA provides opportunities for local was established in September 1996 and people to participate and communicate the programs of AEPS continue under with developers and administrators, and its umbrella. One of the key objectives to have a say in matters that affect their of the Arctic Council is to promote sus- environment. These guidelines aim at tainable development. Sustainable reaching a wide audience of private per- development is defined as development sons, support groups, local adminis- that meets the needs of the present trators and developers, federal adminis- generation without compromising the trators and ministers of arctic countries, ability of future generations to meet and at giving practical advice for pract- their needs. Sustainable development itioners in carrying out environmental requires a planning approach where impact assessment in arctic areas. environmental integrity is maintained at permissible levels of development. Environmental impact assessment may ■ The Arctic Environmental Protection assist this planning approach, and, Strategy (AEPS) was adopted by Canada, therefore, is one of the important means Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Iceland, for achieving this objective. Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States through a Ministerial Declaration At their meeting in Inuvik in March at Rovaniemi, Finland, in 1991. The programs under the AEPS are: Sustain- 1996, the Arctic Environmental able Development and Utilization (SDU), Ministers asked that guidelines for en- Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna vironmental impact assessment (EIA) be (CAFF), Arctic Monitoring and Assess- prepared. The Ministers recommended ment Program (AMAP), Emergency that the guidelines should focus on Prevention, Preparedness and Response circumstances and issues of special (EPPR) and Protection of the Arctic importance in the Arctic, and explore Marine Environment (PAME). In future, ways of dealing with cumulative the AEPS programs will continue under impacts, transboundary issues, the parti- the auspices of the Arctic Council. cipation of indigenous people, and the Acknowledgments These guidelines are the result of a truly persons and organizations that took part international effort. After an initiative in producing these guidelines can be by the Finnish Minister of the found on page 42. The support of the Environment, Sirpa Pietikäinen (1994), Task Force on Sustainable Development international workshops and active cor- and Utilization and the encouragement respondence among the Arctic countries of the Senior Arctic Affairs Officials concerning texts and ideas have carried have also been crucial to the preparation 4 the process to this point. A list of all of these guidelines. 1 Introduction Environmental impact assessment, These guidelines are not intended to hereafter called EIA, aims at avoiding replace existing procedures adopted by deleterious effects on the arctic environ- international, national or provincial ment, including all its fauna and flora, laws, land claim agreements, regulations abiotic components, natural resources, or guidelines. As they do not recom- and human health, security and well- mend any particular procedure for EIA, being. these guidelines are applicable across jurisdictional boundaries and in different EIA processes. They aim at providing What is the aim of suggestions and examples of good these guidelines? practice to enhance the quality of EIAs and the harmonization of EIA in diffe- These guidelines aim at giving practical rent parts of the Arctic. guidance for environmental assessments to all parties involved in development activities in the northern circumpolar What are the key tasks of areas, but especially to local authorities, an EIA? developers and local people. The guide- lines raise issues that are unique to arctic EIA is a process of identifying, commu- assessments – such as permafrost – but nicating, predicting and interpreting they also emphasize universal issues that information on the potential impacts of are particularly important in the Arctic – a proposed action or development on such as public participation and the use the environment, including humans, and of traditional knowledge. to propose measures to address and miti- 5 Table 1. Tasks in an arctic EIA process Application of EIA The decision to conduct an EIA for a project should take into account the special conditions in the Arctic; arctic-specific thresholds and sensitivity criteria are strongly recommended. Scope of the assessment The scope of an assessment should include all potential environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts, especially impacts on the traditional uses of resources and livelihoods of indigenous people and also the consideration of alternatives. Baseline information The following key issues should be considered: combining traditional and scientific knowledge, using methods compatible to existing data collection programs in the Arctic, including socio-economic matters, using both qualitative and quantitative information and allowing sufficient time for collecting and compiling baseline information. Impact prediction Issues identified through scoping are analyzed and and evaluation expected impacts defined by identifying the type of impacts, by predicting the magnitude, the probability of occurrence and the extent of the impacts and by determining the significance of the impacts. In the Arctic, cumulative impacts are of special concern. Mitigation Mitigation aims at avoiding or lessening impacts. In considering mitigation measures, special arctic features should be taken into account and the public should also be involved. Monitoring Monitoring should include follow up of impacts, verification of predictions and feedback on mitigation and project operations. The environmental conditions in the Arctic make monitoring a demanding task requiring careful planning. The environmental impact An environmental impact assessment document should be assessment document prepared
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