Public participation of EIA in R.O.C.

Hsiao-Tien Wu, Wei-Chein Sun & Tung-Wang Chang

Environmental Protection AdministrationExecutive Yuan R.O.C.

I. Introduction

• R.O.C. has developed and finished the legislation of ”EIA Act” in 1994, and it has been put into effect for over twelve years.

• As people are growing more and more aware of how important the environmental protection becomes to human life, the number of mechanisms and channels for “public participation” starts to increase along the process, and they become more and more diverse.

• When it comes to legal and practical aspects, several ways and means have been established in “EIA Act” to provide sufficient and detailed information for the public to review, such as:

(1)public access to necessary information in EPA websites(2)public hearings(3)questionnaire surveys(4)on-site inspections,(5) public expression of opinions in review meetings, and so on.

Multiple channels are provided for citizens to take part and speak for themselves.

http://www.epa.gov.tw/

History of EPA

Organizational structure

Air quality protection

Waste management

Environmental impact assessment

II. Open Information

Technical specifications

Review criteria

Process for EIA operations

Meeting minutes of the EIA Review Committee

Review schedule and progress

II.1 Review schedule and progress

name of a specific case

person in charge of the case

date that the review meeting

progress of the review

Underreview

Supplementation of relevant information needed for further review

II.2 Meeting minutes of the sessions of EIA review committee

Meeting minutes of the sessions of EIA Review Committee

II.2 Meeting minutes of the sessions of EIA review committee

• In average, the EPA holds the EIA review committee meeting once every month. The EPA, as the law requires, has assembled an EIA review committee consisting of 21 members, including 7 government agencies representatives and 14 experts and scholars specialized in a variety of areas.

II.3 Meeting minutes of specific task force

• “specific task force”:some of the committee members and other experts and scholars specialized in different areas are invited .

• Hill slope development: water and soil conservation, civil engineering are invited

• Beach front development: marine ecology• When the “specific task force” reaches a mutual

consent and conclusion after sessions of review and discussion, the result will sent to the “EIA review committee” for final resolutions.

II.3 Meeting minutes of specific task force

Meeting minutes of specific task force

II.4 Review conclusions

Review conclusions

II.5 Document disclosure

Inquiries for environmental impact assessment document

system

II.5 Document disclosure

category of development site

name of developer

Liu-Ching

Name of EIA Document

Table of Content Suggestion for this case Review conclusion

Content

Chapter 01

Attachment 01

The following items shall be recorded in the EIS

• The name and business address or office address of the developer

• The name, permanent residence address, temporary residence address and identification number of the statutory responsible person

• The signatures of those who conducted comprehensive assessments of the environmental impact statement and those who wrote impact items for the environmental impact statement

• The name of the development activity and the development site

• The purpose and content of the development activity

• All types of related plans and current environmental conditions within the area that could possibly be impacted by the development activity

• A forecast of the environmental impacts that could possibly be caused by the development activity

• Environmental protection strategies and alternate plans

• The budget required for the implementation of environmental protection work

• A summary chart of strategies for the prevention and mitigation of the adverse impact of the development activity on the environment

Suggestion for this case

• Citizens are allowed to upload their doubts and opinions, and the Administration will collect and summarize the suggestion uploads to the developer for future studies.

• After the suggestions are reviewed and studied, the developer will make proper responses and send them back to the “EIA review committee” for reference.

III. Public participation * Organize meetings for local

residents and concerned group

Submit an EIS to the industry competent authority

Transfer the EIS to the competent authority for review

Required to proceed by conducting a phase II environmental impact

assessment due to concern of a significant impact on the environment

* Review by “ EIA review committee”

* Distribute the EIS to relevant angecies

* Public explanation meeting

* Define the scope of assessment

Draft an EIA report

* To conduct an on-site inspection and hold a public hearing

Transfer the EIA report to the competent authority for review

* Review by “ EIA review committee”

The developer may submit an

alternate plan for a new review

Complete a review conclusion and issue an official

announcement

* Hold a public explanation meeting

Complete a review conclusion and issue an

official announcement and official register

Permission not granted

Permission not granted

Approval

Phase II EIA

Phase II EIA

Industry competent authority

Developer EIA competnet authority

F l o w c h a r t s o f E I A

Approval

* EIS document publish on the Internet

* On-site inspection

* Review by specific task force

Public participate*

Public Participation

Phase I EIA：• Organize meetings for

local residents and concerned group.

• EIS document publish on the Internet.

• On-site inspection• Review by specific task

force.• Review by “EIA review

committee”• Hold a public

explanation meeting.

Phase II EIA：• Distribute the EIS to

relevant agencies.• Public explanation

meeting.• Define the scope of

assessment.• To conduct an on-site

inspection and hold a public hearing.

• Review by “EIA review committee”

IV. Conclusion

• Summarizing the above, it is with no doubt that the channels for the citizens of Taiwan in expressing their comments and opinions are multiplying without any obstacles. However, one of the biggest difficulties at the moment is to figure out how to incorporate the comments and opinions of citizens that are mostly unprofessional and without key points, in the conclusion or documentation of EIA reviews, and this requires the efforts of government to find a solution.

• htwu@epa.gov.tw