Abstract
A post-project audit was conducted of 239 impacts forecast in an representative cross-section of 29 U.S. environmental impact statements. Results must be qualified because of the imprecision of EIS forecasts and the quality of data available to a retrospective evaluator. Relatively few forecasts were found to be inaccurate and even fewer unanticipated impacts were identified. However, only 30% of the impacts were unqualifiedly close to their forecasts, with almost as many rated accurate principally by virtue of the vagueness of the forecasts.
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Culhane, P.J. The precision and accuracy of U.S. environmental impact statements. Environ Monit Assess 8, 217–238 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404266
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404266