Environmental Impact Assessment

A central application domain for AirWare deals with the assessment of new or modified emission sources, policies and strategies for emission control and reduction, or urban and regional develop that may change the landuse and population exposed to air pollution. Two prototypical case studies are described here:

• Industrial Complex, Porto do Acu, Brazil, a large (close to 100 km2) coastal industrial district development in Brazil, Porto du Acu in Rio de Janeiro Province. A wide range of industrial activities, involving more than 350 emission sources and total estimated NOx emissions well above 4,000 g/s for the final stage of development include thermal power plants, steel works, cement and building materials, automotive industry, a large harbor and the associated 35 km land transportation corridor. The expected air quality impacts are evaluated for compliance with the Brazilian air quality standards with emphasis on NOx (NO2) and particulates (PM10, TSP).

• Delimara Thermal Power Station, Malta:   the planned capacity increase for the existing Delimara thermal power plant on Malta, to the South of the capital of Valetta, with a planned increase in generating capacity from the current 110 to 250 MW is evaluated according to the relevant EU directives including 2008/50/EC defining ambient air quality standards.

EIA, legal framework and procedure:   The main regulatory framework is defined by (85/337/EC). The EIA Directive of 1985 has been amended three times, in 1997, in 2003 and in 2009:

• Directive 97/11/EC brought the Directive in line with the UN ECE Espoo Convention on EIA in a Transboundary Context. The Directive of 1997 widened the scope of the EIA Directive by increasing the types of projects covered, and the number of projects requiring mandatory environmental impact assessment (Annex I). It also provided for new screening arrangements, including new screening criteria (at Annex III) for Annex II projects, and established minimum information requirements.
• Directive 2003/35/EC was seeking to align the provisions on public participation with the Aarhus Convention on public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.
• Directive 2009/31/EC amended the Annexes I and II of the EIA Directive, by adding projects related to the transport, capture and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).
• For a final, consolidated version of the EIA Directive, see: COM/2009/0378

The EIA procedure:   The EIA procedure can be summarized as follows: the developer or project proponent may request the competent authority to define what should be covered by the EIA information to be provided by the developer (scoping stage); the developer must provide information on the (expected) environmental impact -- this is where simulation models can be used to predict such impacts (EIA report, Annex IV); the environmental authorities and the public (and affected Member States) must be informed and consulted; the competent authority decides, taking into consideration the results of consultations. The public (including various interest groups) is informed of the decision afterwards and can challenge the decision before the courts.

EIA methodology:   using AirWare to predict impacts.