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.
The consistent attitude of the developer should be that the environment matters and that pollution is not acceptable. The old-fashioned view that the environment should be taken for granted is not popular these days, and neither is a lax approach to pollution. The public and government are not going to appreciate that approach and where there is enough opposition, government can sometimes restrict or even curtail the entire project. An environmental assessment is part of a more responsible attitude.
As a general approach, then, developers should always try to maintain the attitude that the environment is to be respected. If they try to tell the public that environmental issues are not important, or that the pollution generated by their development is not significant, they may elicit opposition and criticism. Sometimes, this criticism is not unfounded and the authorities impede or prohibit the development entirely.
An ESAS incorporates several aspects of the environment that indicate its safety and suitability in terms of the development and human health. They are all important and they should all be given attention in deciding whether the area is suitable for the project.
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.
The soil is another aspect that should be examined. This sounds strange, but soil is not as innocuous as it looks. It absorbs any chemical that it comes into contact with, especially from sources such as animal carcases or decomposing vegetation. Poisons sink into the soil and remain, where they can potentially poison anything else. Poisoned soil is not suitable for crops or animal husbandry.
The water in the site area is an important indicator of the chemicals present there. Water stores many different chemicals, and poisons are no exception to this. Where the water is poisoned, plants and animals are also poisoned by using it.
A healthy plant is one which is not poisoned and which has not been infected by any diseases. Alien invasive species are not desirable and they are usually prohibited by law. This is because they do not slot naturally into the local food chain. They either take up too much space or they use excessive amounts of soil nutrients. Some of them also cause the soil to weaken and erode. On the other hand, unhealthy plants are those which have been infected by diseases or which are being poisoned, either by the soil or their water supply. They then transmit the poison into the food chain when animals or insects graze on them.
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.
The consistent attitude of the developer should be that the environment matters and that pollution is not acceptable. The old-fashioned view that the environment should be taken for granted is not popular these days, and neither is a lax approach to pollution. The public and government are not going to appreciate that approach and where there is enough opposition, government can sometimes restrict or even curtail the entire project. An environmental assessment is part of a more responsible attitude.
As a general approach, then, developers should always try to maintain the attitude that the environment is to be respected. If they try to tell the public that environmental issues are not important, or that the pollution generated by their development is not significant, they may elicit opposition and criticism. Sometimes, this criticism is not unfounded and the authorities impede or prohibit the development entirely.
An ESAS incorporates several aspects of the environment that indicate its safety and suitability in terms of the development and human health. They are all important and they should all be given attention in deciding whether the area is suitable for the project.
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.
The soil is another aspect that should be examined. This sounds strange, but soil is not as innocuous as it looks. It absorbs any chemical that it comes into contact with, especially from sources such as animal carcases or decomposing vegetation. Poisons sink into the soil and remain, where they can potentially poison anything else. Poisoned soil is not suitable for crops or animal husbandry.
The water in the site area is an important indicator of the chemicals present there. Water stores many different chemicals, and poisons are no exception to this. Where the water is poisoned, plants and animals are also poisoned by using it.
A healthy plant is one which is not poisoned and which has not been infected by any diseases. Alien invasive species are not desirable and they are usually prohibited by law. This is because they do not slot naturally into the local food chain. They either take up too much space or they use excessive amounts of soil nutrients. Some of them also cause the soil to weaken and erode. On the other hand, unhealthy plants are those which have been infected by diseases or which are being poisoned, either by the soil or their water supply. They then transmit the poison into the food chain when animals or insects graze on them.
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.
About the Author:
Read more about Important Factors In The Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAS).
0 comments:
Post a Comment