Environmental impact assessment and the planning process of major sports events in Brazil: a case study of the Rio 2007 Pan American Games

This paper investigates the implementation and enforcement of environmental licensing and environmental impact assessment (EIA) regulations and decisions in the context of the Rio 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil. The methodology includes detailed case study analysis involving document analysis and interviews with key stakeholders. The results demonstrate that implementation and enforcement of EIA and environmental licensing still have a long way to go in terms of being fully effective in Brazil. Despite this, in the scope of the case study, the results showed that implementation and enforcement of environmental licensing and EIA regulations and decisions seem to be undertaken according to relevant regulations in the context of the Pan American Village. Finally, recommendations for major sports events and for the Brazilian context to strengthen its regulatory framework for environmental licensing and EIA are developed.     

How strategic dynamics complicate the framing of alternatives in strategic environmental assessment: the case of the Danish natural gas planning

Unpredictable and complex developments challenge the application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA), for example, in terms of timing, prediction and relevance of assessments. In particular, multi-actor and unstructured strategic-level decision-making processes often seem to be characterised by unpredictable and complex changes. Despite the apparent implications, explorative investigations about how unpredictability influences SEA application in practice are rare. This article aims to shed light on contextual changes and reactions to such changes in practice by a case study of the specific SEA process of the Danish Natural Gas Security of Supply Plan. Special emphasis is given to the framing of alternatives in the SEA process, since alternatives are directly related to the contextual developments. Based on a participative approach, strategic dynamics are mapped and the reactions and concerns in the SEA team are outlined. The contribution of the article is enhanced empirical understanding of strategic dynamics and how it challenges SEA application.     

Achieving meaningful public participation in the environmental assessment of hydro development: case studies from Chamoli District,Uttarakhand, India

Uttarakhand, India has great potential for hydro development because of its mountainous environment and fast flowing rivers. While growth in the hydro sector could facilitate industrial development and improve social well-being in the state, it could also have severe negative impacts on social-ecological systems. Using a qualitative methodology involving a review of documents, field observations, and over 100 interviews with government, industry officials and community members, the research investigated two large hydro projects in the Chamoli District. The results show that public participation in project planning and implementation did not exemplify characteristics of meaningful involvement. The participation processes would have been improved with greater opportunities for advanced, decentralised, and more active local involvement. The conclusion is that the central and state governments should play a more assertive role in regulating large-scale hydro development in Uttarakhand, to facilitate meaningful public participation and to protect local environmental, economic and social interests.     

Meta-analysis of EIA public hearings in the state of Gujarat,India: its role versus the goal of environmental management

Public consultation is an important decision-aiding process in environmental impact assessment (EIA) and aids in building up consensus between various stakeholders, primarily the local public. In this meta-analysis, proceedings of 100 public hearings (PHs) recorded in the Indian state of Gujarat were analysed for the views of local public between environmental issues and others while an industry is being set up across five sectors – bulk drug and drug intermediates, cement, highway projects, oil and gas exploration and thermal power plants. The analysis shows that environmental issues are only 33% of the total issues raised, while socio-economic, infrastructure, PH process, track record and other general issues cover 21%, 13%, 2%, 12% and 19%, respectively. This implies that irrespective of sector or project local socio-economic and developmental concerns outweigh environmental issues and the current PH process is not able to get the appropriate inputs and insights from the stakeholders in improving the environmental decision-making. In light of these, some alternatives for strengthening the EIA-PH process is proposed in the paper.     

Outcomes and contextual aspects of strategic environmental assessment in a non-mandatory context: the case of Brazil

Within the ample body of literature devoted to strategic environmental assessment (SEA) outcomes and the assessment of its effectiveness, it is accepted that the performance of SEA systems is influenced by contextual aspects. Procedural aspects, objectives, guidance, approach, timing, amongst others, are reported as key components of the different dimensions of SEA effectiveness but their linkage to SEA outcomes is yet to be adequately investigated. In this paper, contextual aspects and related outcomes of a non-mandatory SEA system were identified through systematic literature review and personal interviews with key actors of SEA, aiming at the identification of the influence of contextual factors on SEA effectiveness. The findings indicate three main aspects that may explain the lengthy process of introduction of SEA in plan- and policy-making in the country: (i) lack of proper SEA legislation, (ii) the influence of Environmental Impact Assessment practice and (iii) the influence of the environmental licensing culture. Nevertheless, SEA contributes to improving communication between stakeholders along the planning process and to providing a better level of information for lower tiers of decision-making. In spite of the minor influences on the nature of the strategic action, valuable lessons credited to SEA have been learnt.     

Learning from transboundary environmental impact assessment under the Espoo Convention: a case of the Neman Hydropower Plant,Belarus

Transboundary environmental impact assessment (TEIA) is becoming widespread; however, there is still little evidence about its implementation and usefulness in countries in transition, especially where TEIA builds on the convergence of distinct environmental assessment systems. This paper reviews the performance of the Belarusian–Lithuanian TEIA of the Neman Hydropower Plant in order to identify and discuss its strengths and weaknesses across various organizational and procedural aspects and to make suggestions for improvement. The Espoo Convention proved to be capable of bridging two assessment systems. Certain difficulties with implementing some of its provisions were tackled in a doing-by-learning manner. The greatest problems were associated with the lack of screening practice in Belarus, delayed assessment process undermining its usefulness, misunderstanding of what informal cooperation stands for and what constitutes a ‘final decision’, and limited collaboration in establishing a time frame and duties. The paper suggests learning from these issues and the solutions found.     

Practice report: Assessing the economic impacts of roads passing through ecologically sensitive areas: a case study in Cape Town,South Africa

A recent environmental impact assessment of a proposed new toll road in Cape Town, South Africa raised some interesting questions, particularly with respect to the impacts of routing a road through an environmentally sensitive area. The paper discusses the challenges encountered in assessing the economic implications of this routing and how workable methodological solutions were arrived at. Our approach was to investigate the longer-term opportunity costs associated with the preferred routing. This was done through focusing on the strategic importance of the area without necessarily engaging in detailed quantification.     

The place of social impacts in the iterative assessment process: a case study of a highway project in the US State of Georgia

Social impact assessments (SIAs) were conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process along the US 441 corridor in Clinch and Atkinson Counties, Georgia. The SIA approach consisted of both quantitative and participatory (public involvement) components. Successes in using this approach included: aligning the roadway with access and optimal benefits for the adjacent communities; support for the project despite the change it will bring to the region; improved relationships with the community, which previously had little trust in government; and, most important of all, education of the design engineers about community impacts.     

The significance of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) in international environmental law: examining the implications of the Danube Delta case

The Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, providing for a concrete framework of procedural regulation on environmentally harmful activities, has several features and is one of the most progressive multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). This convention may offset some of the limits of substantial regulation and strengthen procedural regulation in various respects where an activity, to which the convention applies, is also regulated by other MEAs. The Danube Delta case concerning the Bystroe Canal project of Ukraine may be one such precedent. This convention takes several distinctive functions, derived from the features, in the complex interaction of the management processes under five MEAs and the UNESCO MAB Programme, as well as by the European Commission. This gives us some hints of an answer regarding some questions on overlap between different MEAs.     

Environmental impact of military base closure in the United States: a case study on the closing of Fort Sheridan,Illinois

In 1991, the Fort Sheridan Army Garrison was slated for closure and remediation. This would have a significant economic and environmental impact on the region, particularly the three surrounding communities. Once the base closed, there would be about 700 acres of what are considered some of Illinois' most valuable real estate available for future use. This study identified the hazards, such as soil and groundwater contaminated with toxic or hazardous fuels, that were found as a result of the military activity; it analyzes the process by which the conflicting regulatory authorities assessed the facility. Particular emphasis focuses on how the Army communicated the risks found at the base to the three surrounding communities.     

Things of Darkness: Genetics,Melanins and the Regime of Salazar (1936–1952)

This article discusses the interaction between genetics and politics during the early phase of Salazar's regime. In particular it focuses on the work of the Portuguese biologist José A. Serra who investigated the genetics of hair pigmentation at the University of Coimbra. The first part of the article describes how Serra's research benefitted from the ideological and political context in Coimbra before and during WWII, and how his work on melanins was a clear response to a new project initiated at the German Kaiser Wilhelm Institut für Anthropologie. The second part shows how his expertise in the inheritance and composition of hair colour was required by the regime in the post‐war period, when wool became a priority of the corporatist State. The ‘things of darkness’ are melanins, dark biological pigments responsible for pigmentation in mammalian tissues, used in this historical investigation to connect Serra's rather obscure field of research to the political context of his time.     

Medically used radionuclides (131I, 99mTc) in the urban sewage system: the case of the Daejeon metropolitan city, Korea

In order to assess the behaviour of radioactivity (specifically (131)I concentrations in wastewater and sludge at sewage treatment plant) discharged into municipal sewage by therapy patients receiving treatment, the use of radiopharmaceuticals in four hospitals was quantitatively evaluated and the patients were classified by their residence. (131)I concentrations were estimated using a simple assumption model for radioiodine treatments of 94 patients, and measured by HPGe in inflow points, respectively. A good agreement was found between (131)I concentrations estimated with the model and those measured in the inflow points at the sewage treatment plant.     

Drift in the resistance of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) printed films during thermal cycling

We report on the investigation of the suitability of printed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films for temperature sensing devices. Gravure printing with the advantage of low cost production was used to prepare thin films of PEDOT:PSS on a flexible foil substrate. The electrical resistance was studied during thermal cycling and exposure to elevated constant temperatures. A drift of the resistance which depends on time, temperature and sample makes the usage as simple temperature sensors not possible. However, a closer look on the drift of relative resistances reveals that integrated temperature-time-profiles can be measured, which might be interesting in connection with monitoring of conditions of storing and transport of sensitive goods.     

Evaluation of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of Chinese EIA in Myanmar: Myitsone Dam,the Lappadaung Copper Mine and the Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines

The economic relationship between China and Myanmar is regarded as a win–win cooperation. However, Chinese investments, especially in extractive and natural resource sectors, are associated with a number of unwanted environmental consequences. Moreover, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) quality of Chinese enterprises has often been criticized. EIA identifies adverse impacts to the environment through evidence-based decision making. On this basis, this paper provides an evaluation of Chinese EIA performance within the natural resources sector through a structured review of 15 environmental impact statements (EISs). This research also evaluates the EISs of the three largest and most controversial projects, the Myitsone Hydropower Dam, Lappadaung Copper Mine and Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines. The findings reveal several omissions, inadequacies and deficiencies in all the projects with a significant number of EISs falling short of satisfactory quality. Through the analysis, the paper summarizes the factors affecting the EIA performance and proposes feasible recommendations to improve EIA practices in Chinese development projects in Myanmar.     

On the road to Stockholm: A case study of the failure of Cold War international environmental initiatives (Prague Symposium, 1971)

In May 1971, the Czechoslovak capital hosted an international conference on the environment that brought together high‐ranking government officials and scientists from both sides of the Iron Curtain. The idea to organize such an event reflected Czechoslovakia's interest in environmental planning and was one of the main outcomes of the country's science diplomacy in the field of global environmentalism in the late 1960s. Organized under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the meeting aimed to be an important stepping‐stone in the formation of a new international institutional landscape related to the environment. UNECE, with its history of facilitating international cooperation across the Iron Curtain, provided an optimal platform for such an undertaking. Nonetheless, the Symposium on Problems Relating to Environment was overshadowed by the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, the outcomes of which were instrumentalized by the Soviets to promote their own international policy aims associated with the Brezhnev Doctrine. Soviet authorities considered the environment to be a purely domestic issue and did not show much interest in pursuing international environmental cooperation. The “German Question” at the UN served as a Soviet instrument to pursue Soviet interests and resulted in the downgrading of the Prague meeting and a subsequent boycott of the Stockholm Conference by the entire Eastern Bloc. Based on a detailed analysis of materials produced by the event organizers (archived in Prague and Geneva), this paper shows how Cold War geopolitics played a decisive role in shaping emerging global environmentalism.