Environmental Impact Assessment: Assignment 1 Report and Analysis

This report examines the principles of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and sustainability, addressing rapid population growth, resource scarcity, and the need for renewable energy sources. It compares EIA approval processes in New South Wales and South Australia, highlighting commonalities and differences, and discusses challenges in the EIA process, proposing solutions for training and auditing. The report includes an environmental assessment of a road construction project in Mujuruga National Park, detailing project specifics, environmental impacts, and mitigation strategies. It concludes with an analysis of strategies for reducing solid waste from households, emphasizing the importance of government policies and citizen participation. The assignment utilizes various sources to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive overview of environmental challenges and potential solutions.

Running Head: ASSIGNMENT 1 1
Sustainable systems
Student’s name
Course
University
Date

ASSIGNMENT 1 2
Question one
Rapid population growth hurts the well-being of society. This has resulted in a severe collision
between the increasing number of people and the available resources which are very scarce
implying that the resources are not enough for all the individuals. People experience growth and
development by utilizing available resources such as minerals to generate income. Hence
scarcity of resources limits the growth of individuals in the country. Competition for the scarce
resources by the increasing population results in serious problems which are evident over-
dependence on the production of oil which has been declining throughout the years(Hall &
Day,2009). It is also evident that ecological researchers from various countries have raised their
concern over the effects of rapid population growth and the resources which are declining.
Despite that, their views have been neglected by society.
Countries that are rich in petroleum products such as oil are economically stable. This is because
of the high demand for products in the world. The availability of petroleum products has
controlled the economy of various European nations for many years including the United States.
Petroleum products determine the price of other commodities such that any slight increase in
their price results to an increase in the price of food and other products in the country. The article
stipulates that the availability of oil determines the production of food mechanized agricultural
procedures because of the necessity of fuel in production. Without fuel production of food in the
industries cannot take place, transportation of food from one place to another cannot take place.

ASSIGNMENT 1 3
The primary concern brought out in the article is how the people will survive when the oil
production reaches its peak without an alternative source of fuel. This is because the economic
growth of various nation rely on products which cannot occur without fuel which implies that a
decrease in the petroleum products would limit the growth of human beings and various nations.
Transportation of goods and services depends on petroleum products. Extinction of these
products would have a significant impact on the people because there would be no transportation
of goods which would limit their growth as far as the economic status is concerned.
The Australian government has taken several measures to solve the escalating issue. Such
measures include increased investment in the sources of energy which are renewable such as
wind and hydropower. The government of Australia has also focused on the consumption of the
alternative sources of fuel such as biogas and ethanol. This has been achieved through escalating
the prices of petroleum products in the country which drives people to the alternative sources of
fuel. The government has also set environmental policies to regulate the number of emissions
experienced in various places for a specific period which enhances the consumption of
alternative source of fuel by the population.
Australia is playing a significant role in controlling the rapid population growth experienced
where people are advised to adopt family planning approaches to limit the birth rate experienced
annually. This is very important because it shall ensure that the available resources are equally
distributed to all hence enhancing the opportunities for growth among the people. This shall, in
turn, have a positive impact on the economy because of the economic development that shall be
experienced. The government is also importing Oil and other fuel from other countries to ensure
that it is sufficient in the nation which enhances economic growth and the growth of individuals
who trade in oil products.

ASSIGNMENT 1 4
Question two
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) entails the assessment of several environmental
impacts depicted in the various project proposals seeking to address the concern(Bradley&
Swaddling,2018). This is because various researchers have come up with various research
projects that aim to address various issues that pertain to the environment such as global
warming. For this task, I shall focus on two states namely New South Wales and South Australia
whose main objectives is to enhance the reduction in Carbon emissions that has an adverse effect
to the environment through a thorough investment in the renewable sources of energy.
For the approval of projects that require EIA, New South Wales adhere to a series of steps as per
the statutes within the state laws regarding the process of EIA and its approval. Some of the
statutes include the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act of 1999, the State
Development and Public Works Organization Act of 1971, the Environmental protection Act of
1994 and Sustainable Planning Act of 2009.New South Wales follow the steps that are
determined by the government during the project proposal. The project manager should respond
within eight weeks, all the information in relation to the environmental impact of the project
should be submitted, the information should then be shared with the public after which the
government should allow a period of eight weeks to examine the whole issue and provide the
feedback after which the verdict of the project shall be given. In South Australia, a document
about the environmental, social and cultural heritage is formed within the environmental impact
statement which includes the proposed expansion and the opportunities for the input from the
public. The description of the project is then given outlining the detailed information concerning
the impact of the project both to South Australia and the environment

ASSIGNMENT 1 5
In general, there are six significant procedures for EIA that need to be adhered to by individuals
when assessing the impacts to the environment from actions that have been outlined by the
project proposal which include:
a) Adhering to the assessment process that has been approved by the state
b) Performance of the referral information assessment
c) The preliminary information that has been assessed by the state officials has to be
documented.
d) The public environmental report has to be submitted.
e) The submission of the statement for the environmental impact to the relevant authorities
f) Public inquiry for feedback.
Commonalities and differences between the two states
There is a lot of government intervention in New South Wales; hence the entire process takes
longer as compared to South Australia where there is no intervention from the government;
hence the process is fast. Both report to the Environmental Impact Assessment body that deals
with the assessment of the impact of the project undertaken by various contractors on the
environment.

ASSIGNMENT 1 6
Question three
The process of EIA has various challenges which include: lack of experts with experience, poor
examination procedure, lack of a clear procedure for training, public hearing restrictions, public
decision making limitations and ineffective system of auditing and control. Focusing on two
pitfalls that is lack of a clear training procedure and lack of an effective system for editing and
control, there are various solutions for the shortcomings. The challenge concerning training and
development can be solved through the formulation of training policy where there shall be
various training programs with clear procedures on how to approach the entire process. There
should be enough funds to facilitate the development of training centers where individuals could
be trained on how to deal with the procedure effectively. The challenge experienced in auditing
can be resolved through the establishment of a transparent system of communication. The
challenge is experienced due to reduced flow of information among the officials who are vital as
far the decision-making process is concerned. There should be efficient coordination of ideas
among the officials involved in auditing which can improve the performance of the EIA process
to a greater extent(Suwanteep, Murayama& Nishikizawa,2016).

ASSIGNMENT 1 7
Question four
Environmental Impact Assessment Report
Road construction and expansion in Mujuruga National Park
Aim
This environmental assessment aims to curb the adverse impact of the proposed development
project on the environment. This can be achieved through a thorough analysis of the potential
impact and formulating various ways to mitigate the risks as far as the environment is concerned
before the approval of the project.
Location of Mujuruga National Park
Mujuruga national Park is located in the northeastern part of Dampier town which is about 35km
apart from Karratha(McDonald, 2016). Burrup road is the best access to the park which is off the
Dampier High way. Mujuruga national park was established with the Mujuruga Aboriginal
Corporation (MAC). The visitors at the National park have always been impressed by the
existence of a diverse ecological and biological life forms together with the rock arts associated
with the archaeological activities in the park(McDonald,2018).

ASSIGNMENT 1 8
Source: Google map.
Details of the contractor
Company: Sisco Civil works
Address: P.O BOX 750, Sidney (Australia).
Project deadline: 21st May 2019.

ASSIGNMENT 1 9
Environmental Record and experience of the contractor.
Sisco civil works is a company with much experience because of the various projects it has
handled in the past in and outside of Australia.
Description of the project Activities
The proposed project shall entail the expansion and upgrade of multiple lanes of roadways within
the park. Various raw materials such as crushed stone gravels shall be very vital for the entire
process of construction. Petroleum products such as bitumen shall be used in the tarmacking of
the paths within the park. Large machines such as the bulldozers and asphalt spreaders shall be
used within the park for quality work. The process of upgrading shall involve planning,
implementation, and handing over. The road shall be thoroughly inspected before been approved
for use.
Time frames
The project is estimated to take eight months as outlined below
Planning ……………… 1month
Mobilization of resources ……………. 2months
Construction ……………………….5months

ASSIGNMENT 1 10
Main objective and justification
The main objective for the expansion and upgrading of the roads within the national park is to
enhance the natural movement of vehicles and tourists. This shall enhance a faster response in
case of an emergency.
Stakeholders
The project shall involve various stakeholders such as scientists, engineers, and the government.
Impact of the project to the environment
The expansion shall result in the cutting of some trees and clearance of grass for easy
accessibility.
Workforce health and safety
The health and safety of the employees are likely to be compromised by the world animals. This
would be mitigated by liaising with the game wardens who shall provide security to enhance the
success of the project. The fence shall be erected along the roadway in which the project shall be
taking place to inhibit the animals from getting to the workers.

ASSIGNMENT 1 11
Monitoring the activities to assess and measure the possible impacts
The possible impact of the project to the animals shall be ascertained through observation by
examining the behavior of the animals in their response to the noise made by the machines.
Ways of mitigating the impact of the project on the environment
Several mitigation strategies are as outlined below:
a) Minimizing the movement of machines and equipment to avoid the disruption of animals
from the habitat
b) The clearance of the trees shall be limited to the region around the road area to avoid an
adverse impact on the environment. This will prevent the destruction of the natural
habitat for individual animals like monkeys.

ASSIGNMENT 1 12
QUESTION FIVE
Strategy for reducing solid waste from households
Solid waste is a significant cause of environmental pollution in many countries. Poor disposal
behaviors within the households attribute most of them. Various countries have formulated
effective strategies to deal with the issue accordingly(Pandey& Shukla,2019). For instance, the
ministry of environment in Australia apply the following strategies to mitigate the pollution of
the environment by solid waste.
a) Allocation of dumping sites
The ministry has ensured the establishment of dumping sites within the households where the
solid waste is dumped and collected by garbage collectors for appropriate disposal. This
helps in maintaining a clean environment.
b) Use of biodegradable plastic bags
The Australian government encourages the use of biodegradable plastic bags by the
citizens to reduce solid waste pollution in various places after disposal because they
decompose.
c) Reverse logistics
Various companies encourage suppliers to establish collection centers where people can
dump various tins and cans for recycling purposes
d) Reusing some plastic packages
A water bottle can be used to store oil or kerosene. This would reduce the dumping in the
household.

ASSIGNMENT 1 13
Strategies by other countries
A country like Kenya has burned the use of plastic bags for packaging. This policy was
implemented in last year 28th of August and has been enforced. As a result, there has been a
positive outcome especially in major cities which were usually polluted by plastic bags. A
country like Rwanda burned the production of plastic cans, and metallic cans are used instead for
packaging of various drinks.

ASSIGNMENT 1 14
References
Bradley, M., & Swaddling, A. (2018). Addressing environmental impact assessment challenges
in Pacific island countries for effective management of deep-sea minerals activities.
Marine Policy, 95, 356-362.
Hall, C. A., & Day, J. W. (2009). Revisiting the Limits to Growth After Peak Oil: In the 1970s a
rising world population and the finite resources available to support it were hot topics.
Interest faded—but it is time to take another look. American scientist, 97(3), 230-237.
Lallier, L. E., & Maes, F. (2016). Environmental impact assessment procedure for deep seabed
mining in the area: independent expert review and public participation. Marine
Policy, 70, 212-219.
McDonald, J. (2016). Murujuga national park: Co-management of cultural heritage through a
future act agreement. Right to Protect Sites: Indigenous Heritage Management in the Era
of Native Title, The, 285.
McDonald, J. (2018). Murujuga (Dampier Archipelago) and the journey towards world heritage
recognition.
Pandey, L. M. S., & Shukla, S. K. (2019). An insight into waste management in Australia with a
focus on landfill technology and liner leak detection. Journal of Cleaner Production.
Suwanteep, K., Murayama, T., & Nishikizawa, S. (2016). Environmental impact assessment
system in Thailand and its comparison with those in China and Japan. Environmental
Impact Assessment Review, 58, 12-24.