Environmental Impact Assessment

Overview

What you will study

Through a series of self-guided course materials, including course and textbook readings, you will be introduced to the basics of environmental impact assessment. You will cover methods used to assess the effects of economic activities on the environment with a focus on energy resource exploitation.

In the Environmental Impact Assessment course offered by Athabasca University , you will:

• Describe the administrative and legislative process around EIA

• Outline the six steps of an EIA

• Describe the complex legislative framework around conducting an EIA

• Describe the screening process used to determine which projects need a full EIA

• Describe the scoping process used to establish the content and terms of reference (TOR) of the EIA

• Discuss how a baseline study establishes the overall picture of a project's environmental and social footprint

• Explain how impact prediction relates to the type of project and the valued components identified in the scoping

• Describe the hierarchy of mitigation options such as avoidance, restoration, offsets, and others

• Identify the reasons for and types of monitoring during all phases of a project.