Good practices in environmental studies for simplified environmental impact assessment process

Abstract

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is internationally recognized for its role in preventing and reducing impacts arising from proposals for the implementation of companies and enterprises. However, EIA systems around the world have been questioned regarding the length of the procedures employed. Thus, there are proposals to simplify the procedures and/or complexity of the required environmental studies. In the specific case of simplified environmental studies, doubts remain about the relevance and quality of these documents as the only inputs in decision-making about the environmental feasibility of the proposed projects. Therefore, this article starts from the systematic literature review for proposing quality requirements for environmental studies in EIA processes, which are applied in the evaluation of the Preliminary Environmental Report (RAP) of a dam for water supply in the State of São Paulo (SP). This case turned out to be a document with some deficiencies that compromise the effectiveness of the EIA process. It concludes by the need to reafirm the mechanisms of public participation and the adoption of tools that contribute to a more objective assessment of the environmental studies presented, providing ways for environmental technicians and authorities to distinguish the information gaps resulting from the level of knowledge about the environment and intentional omissions.