Integrating EIA with EMS
for Proposed Projects
Graduation Project
by Alpay BEYLA 010050448
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ilhan TALINLI
Contents
Part 1. Introduction
 Part 2. Environmental Impact Assessment
 Part 3. Environmental Management
Systems
 Part 4. Integrating EIA with EMS
 Part 5. Results and Discussions
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PART 1. Introduction
Introduction
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is
one of the major tools relied upon by
governments and societies worldwide to
achieve environmental management.
 It is primarily used to assist them in the
identification, prediction and mitigation of
the environmental impacts of their
activities.

Introduction
The aim of environmental impact
assessment (EIA) is to ensure effective
environmental management outcomes for
development projects.
 Some argue that it has failed to achieve
this, because environmental management
activities are not properly planned in the
EIA process.

A representation of a project's
interaction with its
environment.
Part 2.
Environmental Impact
Assessment
Development of EIA
Pre-1970
 Project review based on the technical/engineering and economic analysis.
 Limited consideration given to environmental consequences.
Early/Mid-1970s
 EIA introduced by NEPA in 1970 in US.
 Basic principle: Guidelines, procedures including public participation requirement instituted.
 Standard methodologies for impact analysis developed (e.g. matrix, checklist and network).
 Canada, Australia and New Zealand became first countries to follow NEPA in 1973-1974. Unlike
Australia, which legislated EIA, Canada and New Zealand established administrative procedures.
 Major public inquires help to shape the process development.
Late 1970 and
Early 1980s
 More formalized guidance.
 Other industrial and developing countries introduced formal EIA requirements (France, 1976; Philippines,
1977) began to use the process informally or experimentally ( Netherlands, 1978) or adopted elements,
such as impact statements or reports, as part of development applications for planning permission
(German states, Ireland).
 Use of EA by developing countries (Brazil, Philippines, China, Indonesia).
 Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA), risk analysis included in EA processes.
 Greater emphasis on ecological modeling, prediction and evaluation methods.
 Provision for public involvement.
 Coordination of EA with land use planning processes.
Mid 1980s to end
of decade
 In Europe, EC Directive on EIA establishes basic principle and procedural requirements for all member
states.
 Increasing efforts to address cumulative effects.
 World Bank and other leading international aid agencies establish EA requirements.
 Spread of EIA process in Asia.
1990s
 Requirement to consider trans-boundary effects under Espoo convention.
 Increase use of GIS and other information technologies.
 Sustainability principal and global issues receive increased attention.
 India also adopted the EIA formally.
 Formulation of EA legislation by many developing countries.
 Rapid growth in EA training.
Structure of the EIA Document
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Descriptive information: For instance,
descriptions of the site and its locality, the
proposal, scoping and public consultation, thenon technical summary
Analytical information: The approach to, and
results of, studies, significance, conclusions and
so on
Commitments or recommendations: For
instance, mitigation and enhancement, and
environmental management plans
The Necessity of the EIA Methods
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The EIA practitioner is faced with a huge quantity of raw
and usually unorganized information that must be
collected and analyzed in preparation of an EIA report.
The best methods are able to:
organize a large mass of heterogeneous data;
allow summarization of data;
aggregate the data into smaller sets with least loss of
information; and
display the raw data and the derived information in a
direct and relevant fashion.
Summary of EIA Methods and Study Activities
The EIA Process
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Gathering environmental information
Describing a development or other project
Predicting and describing the environmental effects of the
project
Defining ways of avoiding, reducing or compensating for the
adverse effects
Publicising the project and the Environmental Statement
including a clear, non-technical prediction of the likely effects,
so that the public can play an effective part in the decision
making process
Consulting specific bodies with responsibilities for the
environment
Taking all of this information into account before deciding
whether to allow the project to proceed
Ensuring that the measures prescribed to avoid, reduce or
compensate for environmental effects are implemented
The Environmental Statement

The ‘Environmental Statement (ES)’ is
the report normally produced by, or on
behalf of, and at the expense of, the
developer or project promoter which must
be submitted with the application for
whatever form of consent or other
authorisation is required.
Key Stages and Steps in the EIA
Process
(David Tyldesley, 2005)
Four priorities for better EIA practice
Aims and Objectives of EIA
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Project development: The use of EIA in project development may
be regarded as a way of avoiding environmental impacts by using
EIA at as early stage as possible in the development. This is also a
way of avoiding costs due to these impacts.
Development control: (licenses, permits etc). Here the EIA is a tool
for authorities to prevent adverse environmental impact from the
proposed projects
Plan development: This EIA is a tool for authorities in planning of
resource. This EIA often is called Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SEA).
Policy development: Another use of SEA is in policy development
were the consequences of a policy can be evaluated by a
government.
Reasons of Diminished
Effectiveness of EIA
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Failure to implement the process early in the
planning stages
Inadequate consideration of environmentally
preferable alternatives
Lack of meaningful public participation
Failure to implement monitoring, mitigation, and
compliance measures recommended during the
EIA process in required and enforceable
components of the operational stages of the
approved action
(Lee, 2000)
Weaknesses in EIA Processes and
Practice
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Timing of the EIA process relative to project
planning and design
The poor scientific quality of many EIA studies
Allowing inadequate public involvement
The absence of “follow-up” environmental
management activities
“Follow-up” Environmental
Management Activities
Follow-up environmental management
activities include tasks such as mitigation,
monitoring, reporting and auditing of the
environmental impacts of development.
 These activities, undertaken by both
project proponents and government
agencies, are conducted after a
development proposal is approved.

Final Point for EIA

The EIA report provides an obvious
foundation for developing a list of potential
environmental impacts to be monitored, as
well as a reference for establishing
performance targets to be met within the
EMS.
Part 3.
Environmental
Management Systems
Definition of EMS
Environmental management systems,
streamline and systematize activities and
services to deliver outcomes that aim to
improve organizational environmental
performance.
 They are usually committed to voluntarily
by organizations or management.

History of EMS
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In June 1992, the British Standards Institute published
BS 7750, the first Environmental Management Systems
standard. This standard set the stage for the world to
take a look at their environmental practices.
In 1996, the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) published standard 14001
Environmental Management Systems – Requirements
with Guidance for Use.
ISO 14001 was first published in September 1996 and
amended in November 2004. It was created and
amended by Technical Committee ISO/TC207,
Environmental Management, Subcommittee SC1
Environmental Management Systems.
BS 7750
EMAS
Focus Area
Whole organization, can be
applied to any sector or
activity
Specified sites an/or industrial
activities
Frequency of Audits
Not specified
Maximum audit frequency at 3
years
Focus on Environmental
Performance
Audit is not concerned with
environmental
performance
Information that must be
publicly available
Environmental policy
programme and
management system
Countries
Application
Date of Acceptance of
Standard
Criticized Aspects of
Standard
Auditing is only concerned with
environmental performance
and compliance with relevant
environmental legislation.
ISO 14000
Whole organization, covers all
activities, products and services
Not specified, can be negotiated
It is a process standard
Environmental policy
Environmental policy
European Union
Internationally
Non-industrial activities included
on experimental basis
Applicable to non-industrial activities
1992
1993
1996
1. Standard can be obtained
by promising to improve
2. Small companies find cost
a problem
1. Auditing criteria are too vague.
2. It cost too much.
3. It badly disrupts activities of
organizations.
4. It may generate hostility from the
public and workforce.
1. Standard does not require sufficient
public disclosure of company’s
environmental impacts.
2. Standard does not guarantee
environmental performance or
compliance with applicable
national environmental
legislation.
UK and few other
Open to non-industrial
activities (i.e. transport,
local government)
Structure of EMS
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Plan - Establish the objectives and
processes necessary to deliver results in
accordance with the organizations
environmental policy
Structure of EMS
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Do - Implement the processes
Structure of EMS

Check - Monitor and measure processes
against environmental policy, objectives,
targets, legal and other requirements, and
report the results
Structure of EMS

Act - Take actions to continually improve
performance of the environmental
management systems
Structure of EMS
Simplified Overview of a Typical
EMS
Benefits of the ISO 14001 (EMS)
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Obtain insurance at reasonable cost
Enhance image and market share
Meet vendor certification criteria
Ability to dispose of waste
Liability limitation and risk reduction
Save in consumption of energy and materials
Easier site selection and permitting
Technology development and transfer
Improve industry-government relations
Meet customer’s environmental expectations
Maintain good public/community relations
Satisfy investor criteria
Reduce cost of waste management
Lower distribution costs
Provide a framework for continuous improvement of environmental
performance
Part 4.
Integrating
EIA with EMS
Relation Between EIA and EMS
Interaction Between EIA and EMS
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Within EIA, there is also a range of factors which may
influence environmental management activities. In
particular, environmental management activities can be
influenced by;
Design changes in the pre-decision stage of EIA
Environmental management commitments within
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs)
Environmental management conditions on project
approval
Environmental management activities implemented in
the operational development
Enforcement of approval conditions by government
agencies in the operational development
The relative usefulness of well practiced EIA and EMS
as tools to determine environmental outcomes for a
project during the different phases of the project cycle.
(Ridgway, 2005)
Comparison Between EIA and EMS
Comparison Between EIA and EMS
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Impact identification is the initial step common to both
tools. However, an important difference is that in the EIS
preparation potential impacts are identified, while in an
EMS both actual and potential impacts must be
considered.
Both processes require the ranking of impacts according
to their relative importance, but, in EIA, ranking criteria
will be submitted on public election. Although public input
is also recommended in EMS, the decision whether or
not to solicit and how to incorporate these views rests
exclusively internally.
Comparison Between EIA and EMS
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EIA derives not from any substantive prescribe
to choose an environmentally beneficial
alternative,
But instead from its procedural requiring
decision-makers to evaluate and consider the
environmental impacts of potential actions,
Decision-makers would analyze other, more
traditional factors such as economic costs,
design options, and construction schedules.
Differences Between the EIA and EMS
The Goal Behind Integration of
EIA with EMS
Ensuring that initial adverse impacts will
be no greater than the levels set out as
acceptable in the plan,
 Reducing the adverse impacts by
continual design improvements, process
refinements, and mitigation measures.

The Goal Behind Integration of
EIA with EMS
EIA seeks integration of environmental
considerations into other planning and
decision-making,
 While EMS seeks to integrate the
monitoring, reporting, training, feedback,
and self-correcting process into every
aspect of the operation.

The Goal Behind Integration of
EIA with EMS
EMS involves a commitment to take
essential actions to improve environmental
quality.
 As a result, EMS provides a mechanism
for enforcing the substantive
environmental mandate that many EIA
procedures lack.

Benefits of Integrating EIA with EMS
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The recommendations presented in EIA are generally
stated in terms that are too broad and generic. In order
to be implemented these recommendations need to be
‘translated’ into a set of clear procedures and/or
instructions.
Converting the management measures proposed in an
EIS into enforceable commitments
The effort to describe the affected environment and to
identify impacts during the EIA process would not be
duplicated once the organization decides to implement
an EMS.
Benefits of Integrating EIA with EMS
New opportunities for infusing substantive
environmental goals into both government
planning and business decision-making
 More effective planning and improved
environmental protection
 Streamlining compliance and enhancing
business competitiveness
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Pollution Prevention Perspective
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Under an integrated strategy, EIA processes
may provide a practical framework for evaluating
and integrating a comprehensive pollution
prevention plan,
While the EMS process provides a top-down
policy for ensuring that pollution prevention
measures are actually incorporated on a
continuous basis during the operational phases.
Obstacles to Integration
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Insufficient interaction between the EIS
consultant and the proponent project team.
Incompability between the project team and
operational staff can cause loss of time and
money.
The EIA process is often viewed by project
proponents as a bureaucratic step to obtain a
government permit, rather than a useful planning
process that will assist in the actual operation of
the project.
Conceptual Framework for
Integrating an EIA with EMS
(Ridgway, 1999)
Cause–effect relationship linking a
project action to an environmental
impact
(Sánchez and Hacking, 2002)
Single-sequence Idea for the EIAEMS Integration
(Sánchez and Hacking, 2002)
Conceptual Framework for
Integrating an EIA with EMS
The Policy, Planning,
Analysis, and Decisionmaking
Phase (Performed by EIA
Process)
Performed by standart
EMS Process
(Charles H. Eccleston and
Robert B. Smythe, 2002)
Alternating-sequence Conceptual
Framework for the EIA-EMS
Integration
EMS-EIA-EMS(-EIA) provides
a balanced division of tasks.
This framework includes a
series of modifications
to key documents of both
processes, to render them
appropriate for smooth
integration.
(A. Perdicoúlis and B. Durning, 2007)
Achievement of the Integration of
EIA with EMS will be concluded in
a process that ensures adverse impacts
are anticipated and controlled (which is the
objective of EIA), and
 that any remaining significant impacts are
reduced or eliminated through a
continuous improvement cycle (which is
the hallmark of an EMS).
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Results and Discussions
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The EIA process, which focuses on pre-approval
planning and design, often lacks a legally
binding obligatory to protect the environment in
the operational phases of an approved action.
In contrast, the EMS process requires ongoing
monitoring and meaningful actions to be taken,
leading to continual environmental improvement.
Results and Discussions
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But simply conducting both processes, whether
simultaneously or in sequence, does not
automatically achieve the benefits and goals
described in the previous sections.
In reality, planners, managers and legislators
must develop a detailed and carefully thoughtout strategy for consciously combining the two
processes in order to truly gain from the relative
strengths of each system.
Results and Discussions
The initial EIA process should be designed
to be compatible with the EMS planning
requirements.
 In this way the EIA could provide a clear
starting point for the EMS.

The weaknesses of one system
tend to be offset by the
strengths of the other
Thanks for your
attention.