LECTURE NO.

12 & 13
Learning Outcomes
Strategic environmental assessment

ISO 14001

OHSAS 18001

Participatory approaches to environmental management

Technological approaches to environmental management

Hazardous waste
Strategic Environmental assessment
i. Introduction
Similar procedure to EIA, but applies to Plans, Polices and
Program (PPP) rather than individual projects
SEA refers to family of analytical and participatory approaches,
that aim to integrate env.al considerations into PPP and
evaluate interlinkages with economic & social considerations
(OECD, 2006)
Includes triple bottom line in strategic decision-making

Analyze PPPs at formulation stage which set context &

framework for EIA of subsequent projects
ii. Objectives of SEA

Environmental protection & sustainable development

Strengthen & streamline EIA

To integrate env. Into decision-making

iii. Key issues & deficiencies of SEA

Political

Technical

Public Participation
iv. SEA performance criteria
The SEA must be:

Integrated

Sustainability-led

Focused & iterative

Accountable & participative

v. Importance of SEA
Supports SD

Streamline EIA

Can address causes rather than symptoms

Integration of triple bottom line at PPP level

2. SEA process

i. Screening

Define SEA required or not & if required defines type: Regional,

sectoral & National

ii. Scoping

Identifying physical & regional limits

Alternatives identification

Mitigation plans
iii. Reporting
Includes:
Executive summary
Decision-making framework
Env.al baseline
Objective & summary of proposed plan
Analysis of alternatives & impacts
Protection measures
Report of consultation & participation
Analysis of uncertainty
Env.al action & monitoring plan
iv. Consultation

Gathering views of stakeholders on SEA

v. Decision making

Affected by different levels and centers of decision making for

PPP

vi. Implementation & Monitoring

To evaluate effects of PPP

Experience shows monitoring carried out at project level

3.Key differences b/w SEA and EIA

EIA SEA
At end of decision-making cycle During earlier stages of
decision-making
Well-defined process Multistage variations
Reactive approach Proactive approach
Detailed analysis of proposed Broad level analysis
development impacts
Shorter time span Longer Time span
Environmental Management System ISO
14001
1. Environmental Policy

2. Planning

i. Env.al Aspects

ii. Legal & other requirements

iii. Objectives and targets

iv. Env.al management Program

3. Implementation

i. Structure and responsibility

ii. Training, awareness, competence

iii. Communication

iv. EMS documentation

v. Document control

vi. Operational control

vii. Emergency preparedness response

4. Checking & corrective action

i. Monitoring & measurement

ii. Non conformance

iii. Corrective & preventive action

iv. Records

v. EMS audits

5. Management review
6.Principles of EMS

i. Polluter pays principle

ii. User pays principle

iii. Precautionary principle

iv. Principle of effectiveness and efficiency

v. Principle of responsibility

vi. Principle of Participation

vii. Principle of Proportionality

Occupational Health & Safety: OHSAS 18001
1. OHSAS 18001
i. Introduction
OHSAS 18001 is an occupational health & safety series for
management systems
Purpose: To help an organization to control occupational health &
safety risks
OHSAS 18001 was developed to be compatible with ISO 9001
(Quality) and ISO 14001 (Env.al management systems)
To facilitate in integration of quality, Env.al and occupational health &
safety management systems by organizations
ii. OHSAS 180001 element

Following are elements of OHSAS 18001

1.Occupational H& S policy

2. Planning

i. Hazards identification, risk assessment

ii. Legal & other requirements

iii. Objectives & program

3. Implementation

i. Resources, role, responsibility, accountability & authority

ii. Competence, training & awareness

iii. Communication participation & consultation

iv. Documentation

v. Control of documents

vi. Operational control

vii. Emergency preparedness & response

4. Checking & corrective action

i. Performance measurement & monitoring

ii. Evaluation of compliance

iii. Corrective & preventive action

iv. Control of records

v. Internal audit

5. Management review
2. Occupational health & safety hazards

i. Safety hazards

Most common, present in most places

Includes unsafe conditions that can cause injury, illness or

death

ii. Biological hazards

Associated with: Working with sick humans, animals or

infectious plant materials

Works which can expose to Biological Hazards: Day care

facilities, hospitals, laboratories and Nursing homes

iii. Physical Hazards

Factor within the Env. Which can harm the body without

touching it

Exposure to UV Rays, nuclear radiations, loud noise

iv. Ergonomic hazards

Occurs when type of work, body positions and working

conditions put a strain on the body

Hardest to spot

Short-term exposure: Sore muscles

Long-term exposure: Acute or chronic illness

v. Chemical hazards

Occurs when a worker is exposed to any chemical preparation

in the work place in any form (solid, liquid or gas)

Some workers safer than others

Those who are more sensitive can get illness even from

common chemicals

Also, can cause skin irritation or breathing problems

vi. Work-organization hazards

Hazards that cause stress and strain

Hazards such as Workload, Lack of control or respect

Participatory approaches of Env.al management

i. Introduction
An alternative to state-lead env.al management
Involving community
Participatory approach produces lasting benefits if:
There is acceptance of the need for community involvement by
the government
Demand for participation by the community
Env.al management through community participation will be
more successful if:
It offers clear benefits for both community & Gov.
Legislation & by-laws allow for it
Necessary services to support it
ii. Supporting principles for participatory approach

Some key principles supporting PA are:

Communities are active & dynamic decision-makers

Communities accumulate a large pool of local knowledge

Env.al management is sustainable when community feels

ownership

Participation is a process of learning for all

2. Advantages & disadvantages of participatory approach
i. Advantages
More commitment towards EMPs by the community, which
they help to develop
Involving multi stakeholders enriches the process
Provides access to key information, only obtained when locals
are involved
Important management tool to counter project threatening
resistance
Knowledge & understanding for those who will carry
subsequent phases of project
ii. Disadvantages
Overburdening people
Risk of false participation
3. Types of Participatory approaches

Passive participation: Community is told what is to be done

Participation through information giving: Community’s asked

questions about situation/need

Participation through consultation: What need to be done

Participation through contribution: Labor/financial

Participation through partnership

Participation through self-mobilization

Technological approaches to Env.al Management
1. Basic technological approaches to EM
Preservation: Refer to no-use i.e. BD preservation

Conservation: Attempts to minimize the use i.e. Waste management

techniques
Restoration: Return of a degraded resource into original state

EMS: Integrated approach towards env.al issues

Solid Waste management

Water purification

Air purification: i.e. Growing indoor plants

2. Advanced technological approaches to EM: Bio remediation
i. Introduction
A waste management technique that involves use of microorganisms
to remove or neutralize pollutants from a contaminated site
Might involve introduction of new organisms in the site or
adjustment of env.al conditions to enhance degradation rates
Applied to:
Recover Brown fields (Contaminated Urban lands)
Preparing industrial effluents prior to discharge
Used in past on Exon-Valdez oil spill in 1989 & Deepwater horizon oil
spill 2010
ii. Importance of Bio remediation
Bio-remediation is important for 02 reasons:
Uses no chemicals
Allow waste to be recycled
3. Geo-engineering and technological remedies

Geo-Engineering: Maintaining or changing the climate of a

region to a desired state deliberately by employing scientific

techniques

Also called Climate Engineering or climate intervention

Umbrella term for two types of measures:

Solar radiation management

CO2 removal
i. Solar radiation management

Seek to reduce Sunlight (Visible, UV, IR) absorbed through:

By deflecting Sunlight away from Earth

By increasing reflectivity of Earth’s atmosphere or Earth’s surface

Methods may include:

High reflectivity roofing material

Change ocean brightness

Growing High albedo crops

Tropospheric based: Cloud whitening

Space based: Using mirrors in space

a. Reflective surfaces
Surfaces that can deliver high solar reflectivity

Techniques are:

Cloud brightening: Spraying salts and making clouds more

reflective
Cloud thinning: Clouds sprayed with Bismuth tri-iodide
become more transparent, allowing reflected radiations to
escape
b. Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI)
Spraying of fine light-colored materials into stratosphere to
reflect back part of solar radiations
ii. CO2 removal
Methods for reducing CO2 in atmosphere
a. Ocean/iron fertilization
Intentional introduction of iron to the upper layer of ocean to
stimulate Phytoplankton bloom
More Photosynthesis by phytoplankton, more CO2
consumption and O2 release
b. Artificial upwelling
Geoengineering strategy that involves bringing relatively
nutrient rich water from depth onto the surface of ocean to
stimulate phytoplankton activity
c. Other methods
Lasers to break CFCs in the troposphere
Hazardous and Toxic materials and CERCLA
1. Hazardous & Toxic materials
i. Hazardous materials
An item or agent which has the potential to cause harm to humans,
animals or environment, either itself or through interaction with
other factors
Waste generated from hazardous materials, is called hazardous
waste
Could be solid, liquid or gases
ii. Toxic materials
A material is considered toxic when it causes death or harm by being
inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin
Not all hazardous materials are toxic but all toxic materials are
hazardous
So, the discussion of hazardous materials includes toxic materials
iii. Identification of hazardous waste

Materials can be hazardous if they meet one or more of below

given four characteristics of hazardous waste:

Ignitability:

Creates fire under certain conditions

Spontaneously combustible or flash point less than 60 C

Corrosivity:

Strong Acids/bases that can corrode metal tanks, drums or

other containers
Reactivity:

Unstable under normal conditions

Can cause explosion, toxic fumes, gases or vapors if heated,

compressed or mixed with water

Toxicity:

Harmful or lethal if ingested or absorbed or inhaled

When disposed in a landfill toxicity can contaminate

groundwater
2. Env.al & health hazards of hazardous waste
i. Env.al problems
Export of hazardous waste of industrialized countries to poor
countries
Footprint on aquatic ecosystem
Terrestrial BD impact
Problems after years of disposal
ii. Health risks
02 types of health risks: Acute & Chronic
Acute: Immediate results which usually caused by brief
exposure to hazardous waste
Chronic: Delayed effects occur after long time of exposure
3. CERCLA & its relation with hazardous waste

Stands for Comprehensive Environmental Response,

Compensation and Liability Act

Also known as ‘Superfund’

Passed in 1980 in response to some alarming hazardous waste

practices during 1970s

The fund aims to:

Establishes prohibitions & requirements regarding closed &

abandoned hazardous waste disposal sites
Provides for liability of persons responsible for release of
wastes at these sites
Trust fund for cleanup when no party identified as responsible

Two kinds of response action: Short & Long-term

Short term removals: To address release or threatened release

Long-term remedial: Permanently or significantly reduce

dangers associated with release or threat of release