EANVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESMENT

What is EIA:-

                        ElA is both a decision making process and a document that provides a systemic, reproducible, and interdisciplinary evaluation of the potential effects of a proposed action and its practical alternatives on the physical, biological, cultural and socioeconomic attributes of a particular geographical area.

The importance of an EIA program:

l      Establishment of a Substantive Environmental Policy.

        An effective program of EIA expresses the intent at the national, regional, or local level to establish a sound and sustainable environmental policy for governmental and private decision-making.

l      Protection of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, and Public Health.

        An effective EIA program serves to identify, in advance, action that could have significant adverse effects on natural resources; on the quality of local, regional, or national environment; and on human health and safety.                           

l      Full and Open Disclosure of All Environmental Consequences of a Proposed Action.

        An effective program of EIA provides a standardized mechanism for documenting and disclosing the full spectrum of effects of a proposed action. This disclosure encourages a thorough examination of all actions that could affect the natural environment.

l      Objective Consideration of All Reasonable Alternative.

       The heart of the EIA process is the objective and systematic comparison of reasonable alternatives to identify the least environmentally damaging alternative that would meet the stated purpose and need of the proposed action.

l      Establishment of a Uniform and Quantitative/Qualitative Basis for the Identification and Characterization of All Relevant Environmental Impacts.

        The systematic steps included in an effective EIA program provide technical guidance concerning the types of environmental effects that should be evaluated, the range of technical methodologies that might be used in those evaluations, and the types of techniques that can be used to predict potential effects resulting from a proposed action.

l      Application of Best Management Practices to Minimize Unavoidable Impacts.

        Early identification of effects potentially stemming from a proposed action can promote the use of best management practices or innovative technological solutions to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate significant adverse impacts.

l      Encouragement of Public Participation throughout the EIA Process.

         Provision; for public involvement through workshops, meetings, and hearings promote an open flow of information and allow communities and citizen-s to make reasoned choices about the benefits and risks of proposed actions. It also helps to identify alternative which may not have otherwise been considered which better serves to integrate economic, social and environmental concerns.

EIA of the CATIVA process

Steps involved in the EIA Process:

• Participants.
• Purpose and need.
• Alternatives that satisfy Purpose and need.
• Screening Alternatives
• Describing the affected environment.
• Forecasting and assessing impacts. and Mitigating adverse impacts.
• Documenting results and soliciting comments.

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·        Participants:

The EIA process for the Cativa process involves the following groups;

ü      Environmental protection agency, Pakistan.

ü      Project members who have proposed the action.

ü      Engineering and scientific experts from relevant fields.

ü      Non Government organizations that are interested.

ü      People of Pakistan.

·        Purpose and need:

     Due to increasing demand of acetic acid, because to its widespread advantages and various applications. The need of erecting a plant is increasing day by day. Also this process involves methanol carbonylation which has large number of advantages over other processes. These advantages have already been discussed in detail.  Keeping all these facts in mind the need and purpose of erecting and running a plant producing acetic acid by methanol carbonylation is quite clear.

·        Alternatives that satisfy Purpose and Need:

Another process producing acetic acid by methanol carbonylation is.

ü      Monsanto Process.

·        Screening the alternative:

The pros and cons of all the available technologies have already been explained in detail. Due to its technological advantages, Cativa Process is preferred over the other process.

·        Describing the affected environment:

The impacts of the facility on the environment are considered in this report. The effects on Humans are in fact result of these environmental adverse effects. The following area of environment is that which  will be affected the most.

v     Air.

·        Forecasting and assessing impacts and mitigating adverse impacts:

The impacts on the said discipline of environment is considered in detail

Impact on Air:

The following pollution causing species are expected to be there after the plant is erected;

• Flue gases

·        Flue Gases:

                                The flue gases emerging from reactor and gas liquid separator are at high temperature and therefore contain high heat contents. Due to which they are send to the utility section of the plant. Where there heat is utilized and than they are send to be scrubbed. CO₂, CH₄, CO are easily scrubbed with water. H₂ in very very low amount is vent to atmosphere.  And is not that much a problem.

·        Documenting results and Soliciting comments:

After the mitigation of all the adverse impacts has been proposed , the results are now documented and opinion is invited from various stakeholders for further improvement. The suggestions of all those involved is given consideration before the decision is finalized.

Decision:

The plant proposed by the project group members is fairly satisfactory to accomplish all the needs of the industrial and public sector and has least environmental issues which will be settled after the proper mitigating steps are taken.