Knowra Environmental impact assessment Environmental impact assessment Environmental impact assessment is a process for predicting and evaluating the environmental effects of a proposed project or policy before decisions are made.
Screening (environmental assessment) : A preliminary decision about whether a proposed action requires environmental assessment. Screening determines whether a proposal enters a full assessment process.
National Environmental Policy Act : A 1969 United States law requiring federal agencies to assess environmental effects of major proposed actions. Its requirements established a widely influential model for formal assessment.
Environmental impact : A change to the natural or human environment caused by an action or event. Assessment predicts and evaluates these changes.
Strategic environmental assessment : The assessment of environmental effects of proposed policies, plans, and programs before they are adopted. It applies assessment upstream, before individual projects are designed.
Environmental decision-making : The process of choosing actions or policies that affect environmental conditions and resources. Assessment supplies evidence used to approve, modify, or reject proposals.
Scoping (environmental assessment) : The process of identifying the issues, impacts, and alternatives an environmental assessment should examine. Scoping sets the assessment’s boundaries and priorities.
Council on Environmental Quality : A United States federal agency that coordinates environmental policy and oversees implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. The council developed rules that shaped how federal assessments are conducted.
Environmental baseline : A description of environmental conditions before a proposed action begins. Baseline conditions provide the reference for estimating change.
Social impact assessment : The analysis of the social consequences of a proposed policy, plan, or project. It examines community effects that environmental assessment may address alongside ecological ones.
Environmental justice : The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people in environmental laws, policies, and decisions. Assessment can expose who bears environmental burdens and who benefits.
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