Scope of environmental assesment

INTRODUCTION:
               Similar to fiscal, social and economic impacts, development impacts on the environment vary significantly by project type, size, location, and the environmental conditions at the proposed site. As such, the first phase of environmental impact assessment involves becoming familiar with the characteristics of the proposed development. The better understanding one has about the project; the more accurate will be the assessment of environmental impacts. In designing the environmental impact assessment, it is important to consider the following unique characteristics of the proposed development site:

The size and nature of the development: A small, low density residential subdivision, for example, may have a much different impact on the environment than would a large regional shopping mall. This refers to impacts during development/construction as well as impacts from the operation of the facility itself.

The location of the proposed development: Is the site of the proposed development located in a rural, urban, or suburban part of a Wisconsin community? If the proposed development is located in an urban or suburban area, it will be appropriate to assess potential impacts such as urban runoff from impervious surfaces, increased pollutant loadings, and decreases in available water supply.

The character of the natural environment being impacted: The ability of the natural environment to support or sustain certain land uses will vary according to such factors as soil type, bedrock conditions, drainage patterns, vegetative cover, whether the development is built on a floodplain or bluff.

The spill-over effects of environmental impacts:  Although the purpose of an environmental impact assessment is primarily to inform a community, it must be recognized that environmental impacts may affect resources far from the community in time and/or space. The type and magnitude of off-site and out-of-community impacts may influence who needs to become involved in the process.

Inventorying Community Natural Resources, Their Quality and Current Use:

Once elements of the proposed development are understood, inventorying community natural resources, their quality and current use is an important next step in determining what impact a proposed development may have on the community’s environment. Moreover, an environmental inventory can provide citizens with a better understanding of local natural resources, economic opportunities for resource use, factors that might constrain development and problems that might result from resource use or new development. The inventory of current use and quality of natural resources in the community can either be specific to the proposed development or may include a comprehensive assessment of the community’s natural resources.

Environmental Resources and Potential Impacts of Development:

Land Resources:  Loss of Plant Species and Communities: Direct impacts result from: disturbances that cause changes in temperature, light, moisture, and nutrient levels; removal activities (e.g., clear-cutting, bulldozing); impacts resulting from air and water pollution (e.g., turbidity, eutrophication). Indirect impacts result from changes in natural community processes (e.g., fire) or invasion of non-native plant species. Loss of plant communities also results in decreased water quality (e.g., loss of filter function associated with plant communities), increased erosion as a result of unstable soil, nutrient imbalances in the soil, and/or compaction of soil

  Soil Erosion:Construction activities are of particular concern. Soil erosion is an important problem both at its source and downstream of the development site. Lost soil will be deposited somewhere, and the location of the deposition could alter downstream hydrology and increase flooding. It may also pose a water quality issue directly as a result of siltation and indirectly from contaminants carried with or attached to soil particles.

Water Resources:  

 Surface and Groundwater Hydrology: Changes in surface hydrology alter the flow of water through the landscape. Construction of impervious surfaces such as parking lots, roads, and buildings increase the volume and rate of runoff, resulting in habitat destruction, increased pollutant loads, and flooding. Built or paved areas and changes in the shape of the land also influence groundwater hydrology (i.e., recharge rates, flow, conditions). Etc.

Water Quality: Development activities (e.g., construction, industrial or residential development) as well as the spillover effects of development such as increased demand for drinking water and increased auto use can impact water quality by contributing sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants to limited water supplies, increasing the temperature of the water, and increasing the rate and volume of runoff.