Application Of Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (Riam) Method For Waste Disposal Site

Abstract

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) work is becoming more and more extensive in the world. The environmental assessment process has been defined differently in different countries. In fact, it appears that no two countries have defined it in exactly the same way. It is an aid to decision making and to the minimization or elimination of environmental impacts at an early planning stage. The EIA process is potentially a basis for negotiations between the developer, public interest groups, and the planning regulator. The Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) method is based on a standard definition of the important assessment criteria as well as the means by which semi-quantitative values for each of these criteria can be collected to provide an accurate and independent score for each condition. The impact of project activities is evaluated against the environmental components and for each component a score is determined, which provides a measure of the impact expected from the component. The RIAM method makes it possible to carry out a global analysis of the results based on the individual environmental score for each component, which is classified in ranges and so can be compared to each other. In this study, the RIAM method was used for the new waste disposal site in Canakkale City where one of the most important archaeological, historical, and. natural parks of Turkey is located. Compared with other Turkish cities, a great number of EIA reports have been prepared based on numerous projects within the border of Canakkale Province, Turkey. The result of the RIAM method shows that the new waste disposal site will cause positive impacts resulting from economic-operational changes. But local people have a negative reaction to the new waste disposal site. Most impacts are of class -A (impact) for the waste disposal site, because of the waste, biological-ecological, and physicochemical effects prominent in the study area.