sâmbătă, 26 septembrie 2015

Important Factors In The Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAS)

By Della Monroe


A new development is always an exciting prospect and one which people devote large amounts of money and energy to. Whether the development is a factory or processing plant, the project is always of a substantial magnitude and so it requires extensive assessment and planning before construction can commence. Part of this preliminary activity is the environmental assessment, or Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAS), which are conducted to determine whether an area is suitable for the development and what risks exist in it.

People may not always realize how important this environmental assessment is. The attitude that the natural environment does not matter or that pollution does not make any difference to it is not acceptable these days, since present governments and society are more aware of the environment and how it operates. An environmental assessment is therefore important.

As a rule, then, developers should always take cognisance of the environment. They should maintain the approach that the latter needs to be preserved, not damaged or polluted. This is in keeping with the modern philosophy of conservation and respect.

The ESAS looks at several factors in the natural environment that are of extreme importance in determining the safety of the area. These factors are related to aspects of the environment that can potentially have an influence on human health and the ability of the area to sustain the development or planned activities.

One of the most important is the water in the area. Water is a good indicator of other conditions because it may contain any toxins that are present. Toxins in the soil and plants are probably also going to be present in the water.

Alien species are not allowed by law and should be eradicated. This is because they do not naturally form part of the food chain or ecosystem in the area and they disrupt it. They either draw too many nutrients from the soil or they choke out other (endemic) species by using too much surface area. They also sometimes cause the soil to deteriorate, which in turn leads to erosion. Another problem with vegetation, any vegetation, is that plants draw toxins into their structures from the soil or water, which they then pass on to the animals and insects which use them as a food source. Also, there are plant diseases which are a threat to agriculture.

Undesirable plants are those species which are not wanted by the authorities in that specific area. This is almost always because they are not indigenous species. Alien plant species are a threat to the environment because they do not form part of the endemic food chain. They then cause a disruption in the food chain by absorbing too many nutrients or taking up too much space. They may also cause the soil quality to deteriorate. Unhealthy plants are those which have been poisoned or which are carrying diseases. Poisoned plants are sometimes eaten as fodder by insects and animals, and this is how the poison enters into the local food chain.

The water in the area also needs to be assessed. This is an easy assessment because the water harbors the toxins that are present in the soil and plants.

These are all significant aspects in the environmental assessment. In general, developers should not try to skimp on the assessment or eliminate it from their planning.




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