Environmental Impact Study

When you want to carry out any type of project, it is necessary for the promoter of such project to prepare a report that determines its environmental impact. That is when environmental impact study comes into play. 

Tandem HSE takes care to conduct the environmental impact study for any type of activity developed in the national territory. In addition, we have the qualified and specialized personnel in the sector that can help you to meet the current environmental regulations.

What Is an Environmental Impact Study and Where Is it Regulated?

The environmental impact study is a technical report, normally written by the promoter, that has the objective to determine the impact that will have any project, or any activity within that project, on the environment, with the objective to prevent damages.

It is Law 21/2013 on environmental assessment which determines that it is the State that has exclusive competence to enact basic environmental protection legislation. Thus, the environmental impact study must comply with the requirements established in the environmental assessment law.

Contents of the Environmental Impact Study

To be completed and fulfill its function, the environmental impact study must contain the following elements:

1. The object of the project.
2. The localization of the project.
3. The examination of the actions that will be involved in the project.
4. The description of the materials to be used.
5. The land that will be used to locate the project and the natural resources that will be affected or that should be removed.
6. The description of waste, emissions and discharges, as well as any emissions derived from the project such as odors, noise or vibrations.
7. The main alternatives, including the option of not doing the project.
8. The realization of an environmental inventory. This will include the study of the place and its environmental conditions, of the population and its health, of the flora and fauna, of the soil and subsoil, of the air, of the biodiversity and of the geodiversity, of the water, of the landscapes, among many other elements.
9. The evaluation and quantification of the effects of the project on the environment. You must specify the positive and negative, temporary and permanent, simple and cumulative, reversible and irreversible, continuous and non-continuous and recoverable and unrecoverable.
10. The measures to prevent, reduce or avoid environmental effects, defining these measures thoroughly.
11. The establishment of an environmental monitoring and follow-up system to ensure compliance with measures, to avoid and reduce the environmental impact of the project.
12. The determination whether the project affects the Natura 2000 Network areas.
13. Finally, some form of summary with conclusions of the study conducted.

 

Mandatory environmental impact study

According to Law 21/2013 on environmental assessment, the promoter may request the corresponding environmental organism to prepare this study, submitting an application that must be accompanied by the initial project document. Afterwards, the environmental organism, after consulting the affected public administrations and other interested parties, will send the report to the promoter. However, despite this, the promoter is obligated to carry out the environmental impact study.

It must be taken into account that an environmental impact study loses its validity after one year from its completion if it is not submitted to the competent authorities.

The realization of an environmental impact study is essential to assess the changes that a project can produce on the environment, both positive and negative, and to be able to study its viability based on the consequences of its implementation.