The special aspects of public hearings in the process of environmental impact assessment (EIA)
The procedure of environmental impact assessment and main aspects of EIA procedure for particular types of activity are widely described in articles of news on our web-site. This article is dedicated to specifications of public hearings and importance of involvement the specialized professionals in it. Lets begin that public hearings in the process of environmental impact assessment is a public event aimed to discuss issues of local or regional relevance, provide propositions and comments concerning these issues. The procedure of environmental impact assessment is regulated by the Act of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. To find more about the amount for public discussions in the process of environmental impact assessment (EIA) you can through the link.
The protocol of public hearings, the copies of registered propositions and comments, information of their acceptance are designated in the report on environmental impact assessment. Moreover, the report on environmental impact assessment is published in the Unified register of environmental impact assessment by the local authority of ecology or the Ministry of ecology and natural resources of Ukraine.
The participants of public hearings are the authorities of local self-governments and executive power, representatives of environmental organizations and business entities, and also all interested persons in issues. The representatives of business entities are the environmental engineers, project engineers which developed the report on environmental impact assessment and the specialized professionals which carried out of required researches. The specialized professionals are the scientists, ornithologists, chiropterologists, entomologists, plant scientists, ecologists, environmental engineers in the field of atmospheric air protection, water and land resources. The involvement of these specialized professionals means active participation of community in public hearings. Public interest is growing. Personal involvement to pubic discussions of the enterprise’s activity that can negatively impact on environmental and their health, shows the increasing of ecological responsibility of Ukrainians and the supporting of environmental initiatives.
According to the requirements of the Act, audio and video records of public hearings should be carried out. Audio and video materials are the part of the protocol of public hearings. The organizer of public hearings starts it and declares agenda, participants and information on announcement of their holding. The next can be the business entity or its representatives. He in brief describes planned activity, the main points of the report of environmental impact assessment, and also defines the factors that negatively impact on environmental and developed measures to minimize/eliminate them. If required, the performance of the business entity can be supplement by the specialists and experts that have developed the report of the environmental impact assessment. After presentations people can pose the questions to the business entity. Involvement of specialized professionals is necessary to explain issues that are not the competency of the business entity.
The specialists of MCL, LLC provide complex support in the process of environmental impact assessment including participation in public hearings as Customer`s representative. Environmental impact assessment in form ‘ready-to-operate’ guarantees the control under all stages of EIA procedure and solving the urgent issues.