Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Practitioner Perspectives on the Role of Science in Environmental Impact Assessment

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A large body of literature addresses the role of science in environmental impact assessment (EIA) but less attention has been given to the views of practitioners themselves. In this research a survey of 31 EIA practitioners in Western Australia was undertaken to determine their perceptions of the quality and importance of science in EIA. The survey results are compared with previous theoretical, empirical, and survey studies of the role of science in EIA. Interview questions addressed the role of science in impact prediction, monitoring activities, mitigation and management, and EIA decision-making. It was clear from the interviews that many practitioners are satisfied with the quality of science currently used in EIA, but do not believe that it is given sufficient importance in the process. The quality and importance of science in the predecision stages of EIA was rated higher than in the postdecision stages. While science was perceived to provide the basis for baseline data collection, impact prediction, and mitigation design, it was seen to be less important during decision-making and ongoing project management. Science was seen to be just one input to decision-makers along with other factors such as sociopolitical and economic considerations. While time and budget constraints were seen to limit the scientific integrity of EIA activities, pressure from the public and regulatory authorities increased it. Improving the scientific component of EIA will require consideration of all these factors, not just the technical issues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • B. L. Antcliffe (1999) ArticleTitleEnvironmental impact assessment and monitoring: the role of statistical power analysis. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal 17 33–43

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Bache J. Bailey N. Evans (1996) ArticleTitleInterpreting the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA): social impacts and the environment redefined. Environmental and Planning Law Journal 13 487–492

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Bailey (1997) ArticleTitleEnvironmental impact assessment and management: an under-explored relationship. Environmental Management 21 317–327 Occurrence Handle9106408

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • J. Bailey V. Hobbs A. Saunders (1992) ArticleTitleEnvironmental Auditing: artificial waterway developments in Western Australia. Journal of Environmental Management 34 1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • G. E. Beanlands P. N. Duinker (1984) ArticleTitleAn Ecological Framework for EIA. Journal of Environmental Management 18 267–277

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Benkendorff (1999) ArticleTitleThe need for more stringent requirements in environmental impact assessment: Shell Cove Marine case study. Pacific Conservation Biology 5 214–223

    Google Scholar 

  • D. P. Bernard D. B. Hunsaker Jr D. R. Marmorek (1993) Tools for improving predictive capabilities of environmental impact assessments: structured hypotheses, audits and monitoring. S. G. Hildebrand J. B. Cannon (Eds) Environmental analysis: The NEPA experience. Lewis Publishers Boca Raton, Florida 547–564

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Bisset (1984) ArticleTitlePost-development audits to investigate the accuracy of environmental impact predictions. Umweltpolitik 4 463–484

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Bisset (1988) Developments in EIA methods. P. Wathern (Eds) Environmental impact assessment: theory and practice. Unwin Hyman London 47–61

    Google Scholar 

  • B. K. Boyd G. G. Dess A. M. A. Rasheed (1993) ArticleTitleDivergence between archival and perceptual measures of the environment: causes and consequences. Academy of Management Review 18 204–226

    Google Scholar 

  • L. K. Caldwell (1991) ArticleTitleAnalysis—assessment—decision: the anatomy of rational policymaking. Impact Assessment Bulletin 9 81–92

    Google Scholar 

  • L. K. Caldwell D. E. Bartlett D. E. Parker D. L. Keys (1982) A study of ways to improve the scientific content and methodology of environmental impact analysis. Advanced studies in science, technology and public affairs School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington, IN

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, B. D. 1994. Introduction to environmental assessment, environmental management and sustainable development. Presented at the 15th International Seminar on Environmental Assessment and Management, CEMP, University of Aberdeen, 26 June–9 July 1994

  • B. D. Clark R. Bisset P. Tomlinson (1987) Environmental assessment audits in the United Kingdom: scope, results and lessons for future practice. B. Sadler (Eds) Audit and evaluation in environmental assessment and management. Canadian and international experience, volume II, supporting studies. Beauregard Press Canada 519–540

    Google Scholar 

  • Commonwealth Environmental Protection Agency. undated. Public review of the commonwealth environmental impact assessment process: initial discussion paper: setting the direction. Commonwealth Environmental Protection Agency, Canberra

  • P. J. Culhane H. P. Friesema J. A. Beecher (1987) Forecasts and environmental decision-making: the content and predictive accuracy of environmental impact statements Westview Press Boulder, Colorado

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Dickerson J. Montgomery (1993) ArticleTitleSubstantive scientific and technical guidance for NEPA analysis: pitfalls in the real world. The Environmental Professional 15 7–11

    Google Scholar 

  • P. N. Duinker (1985) Forecasting environmental impacts: better quantitative and wrong than qualitative and untestable! B. Sadler (Eds) Proceedings of the conference on follow-up/audit of EIA results. Environment Canada and Banff Centre, School of Management Banff, Canada 399–407

    Google Scholar 

  • P. N. Duinker (1989) ArticleTitleEcological effects monitoring in environmental impact assessment: what can it accomplish? Environmental Management 13 797–805

    Google Scholar 

  • P. N. Duinker G. L. Baskerville (1986) ArticleTitleA systematic approach to forecasting in environmental impact assessment. Journal of Environmental Management 23 271–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Ecological Society of Australia Inc. 2002. Ecological factors in environmental impact assessment. Position statement by the Ecological Society of Australia. Available online: http://life.csu.edu.au/esa/esaPSeia.html (last accessed 4 October 2002)

  • G. K. Eddlemon J. W. Webb D. B. Hunsaker Jr R. L. Miller (1993) Actual versus predicted impacts of three ethanol plants on aquatic and terrestrial resources. National Association of Environmental Professionals (Eds) NEPA Symposium. NAEP Publications Washington, DC 272–287

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameEnvironmental Protection Authority. (1997) Who cares about the environment in 1997? EPA Social Research Series Environmental Protection Authority (New South Wales) Chatswood, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameEnvironmental Resources Limited. (1985) Handling uncertainty in EIA, volume 18, handling uncertainty in prediction Environmental Resources Limited London

    Google Scholar 

  • H. T. Epp (1995) ArticleTitleApplication of science to environmental impact assessment in boreal forest management: the Saskatchewan example. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 82 179–188

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Eversley (1976) Some social and economic implications of environmental impact assessment. T. O’Riordan R. Ley (Eds) Environmental impact assessment. Saxon House Westmead, UK 126–141

    Google Scholar 

  • P. G. Fairweather (1989) ArticleTitleEnvironmental impact assessment: where is the science in EIA? Search 20 141–145

    Google Scholar 

  • W. R. Freudenburg (1989) ArticleTitleSocial scientists’ contributions to environmental management. Journal of Social Issues 45 133–152

    Google Scholar 

  • R. H. Green (1979) Sampling design and statistical methods for environmental biologists John Wiley & Sons New York 257

    Google Scholar 

  • T. Hellstrom J. Merle (1996) ArticleTitleUncertainty and values: the case of environmental impact assessment. Knowledge & Policy 9 70–85

    Google Scholar 

  • D. E. Hinkle W. Wiersma S. G. Jurs (1979) Applied statistics for the behavioral sciences Rand McNally College Publishing Chicago 489

    Google Scholar 

  • E. L. Hyman B. Stiftel (1988) Combining facts and values in environmental impact assessment: theories and techniques Westview Press Boulder, Colorado 304

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Lemons (1994) ArticleTitleThe use of science in environmental impact assessment. Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 20 303–315

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Lemons D. Brown (1990) ArticleTitleThe role of science in the decision to site a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA. The Environmentalist 10 3–24

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Lothian (1994) ArticleTitleAttitudes of Australians towards the environment: 1975 to 1994. Australian Journal of Environmental Management 1 78–99

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Malik R. V. Bartlett (1993) ArticleTitleFormal guidance for the use of science in EIA: analysis of agency procedures for implementing NEPA. The Environmental Professional 15 34–45

    Google Scholar 

  • R. K. Morgan (1998) Environmental impact assessment: a methodological perspective Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht, The Netherlands 307

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Morrison-Saunders (1996) ArticleTitleEnvironmental impact assessment as a tool for ongoing environmental management. Project Appraisal 11 95–104

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Morrison-Saunders (1997) The influence of EIA on environmental management in Western Australia EditionNumberPhD thesis School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Murdoch University Western Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison-Saunders, A. 1998. The effect of public pressure during environmental impact assessment on environmental management outcomes. Presented at IAIA’98 sustainability and the role of impact assessment in the global economy. 18th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment, 19–24 April 1998, The Convention Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand

  • A. Morrison-Saunders J. Bailey (1999) ArticleTitleExploring the EIA/environmental management relationship. Environmental Management 24 281–295 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002679900233 Occurrence Handle10486040

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • A. Morrison-Saunders J. Bailey (2000) ArticleTitleTransparency in EIA decision-making: recent developments in Western Australia. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal 18 260–270

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Morrison-Saunders D. Annandale J. Cappelluti (2001) ArticleTitlePractitioner perspectives on what influences EIA quality. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal 19 321–325

    Google Scholar 

  • G. H. Orians (1986) ArticleTitleThe place of science in environmental problem solving. Environment 28 12–17

    Google Scholar 

  • B. J. Preston (1985) ArticleTitleMonitoring—the neglected aspect of environmental impact assessment. Habitat Australia 13 6–7

    Google Scholar 

  • R. M. Robinson (1989) ArticleTitleEnvironmental impact assessment: the growing importance of science in government decision making. Hydrobiologia 188/189 137–142

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Sadler (1996) International study of the effectiveness of environmental assessment, final report, environmental assessment in a changing world: evaluating practice to improve performance Minister of Supply and Services Canada 248

    Google Scholar 

  • K. S. Shrader-Frechette (1985) Science policy, ethics, and economic methodology: some problems of technology assessment and environmental-impact analysis D. Reidel Publishing Dordrecht, The Netherlands 321

    Google Scholar 

  • W. H. Starbuck J. H. Mezias (1996) ArticleTitleOpening Pandora’s box: studying the accuracy of manager’s perceptions. Journal of Organizational Behaviour 17 99–117 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199603)17:2<99::AID-JOB743>3.0.CO;2-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. J. Underwood (1991) ArticleTitleBeyond BACI: experimental designs for detecting human environmental impacts on temporal variations in natural populations. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 42 569–587

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Wood J. Bailey (1994) ArticleTitlePredominance and independence in environmental impact assessment: the Western Australian model. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 14 37–59 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0195-9255(94)90041-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Research was funded by a small Australian Research Council grant. Statistical analysis of results was performed by Karen Joesbury. The cooperation of the practitioners who participated in this study and the detailed feedback received from Dr. Kirsten Benkendorff plus two other (anonymous) reviewers on a previous version of this paper is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia

    Angus Morrison-Saunders & John Bailey

Authors
  1. Angus Morrison-Saunders
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Angus Morrison-Saunders.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morrison-Saunders, A., Bailey, J. Practitioner Perspectives on the Role of Science in Environmental Impact Assessment . Environmental Management 31, 683–695 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-2709-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-2709-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation