Cumulative impact assessment: A case study
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) indirectly addressed cumulative impacts. Attempts to include cumulative impacts in environmental impact assessments, however, did not began until the early 1980's. One such effort began when The Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission (FERC) received over 1200 applications for hydroelectric projects in the Pacific Northwest. Federal and State Agencies, Indian tribes and environmental groups realized the potential cumulative effect such development could have on fish and wildfire resources. In response, the FERC developed the Cluster Impact Assessment Procedure (CIAP). The CIAP consisted of public scoping meetings; interactive workshops designed to identify projects with potential for cumulative effects, important resources, available data; and preparation of a NEPA document (EA or EIS). The procedure was modifies to assess the cumulative impacts of fifteen hydroelectric projects in the Salmon River Basin, Idaho. The methodology achieved its basic objective of evaluating the impact of hydroelectric development on fish and wildfire resources. In addition, the use of evaluative techniques to determine project interactions and degrees of impact hindered acceptance of the conclusions. Notwithstanding these problems, the studies provided a basis for decision-makers to incorporate the potential effects of cumulative impacts into the decision-making process. 22 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/EH
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 7152613
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-891098-3; ON: DE90003546
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: The scientific challenges of NEPA: future directions based on 20 years of experience, Knoxville, TN (USA), 24-27 Oct 1989
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FEDERAL REGION X
BASELINE ECOLOGY
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
CALIFORNIA
COLUMBIA RIVER
DAMS
DECISION MAKING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
FISHES
FLOOD CONTROL
IDAHO
IRRIGATION
PLANTS
POWER GENERATION
SALMON
WASHINGTON
WILD ANIMALS
ANADROMOUS FISHES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CONTROL
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECOLOGY
FEDERAL REGION IX
NORTH AMERICA
POWER PLANTS
RIVERS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
130600* - Hydro Energy- Environmental Aspects
540130 - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)