Important Factors In The Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAS)
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.
The vegetation in the site area is one of these aspects. Plants are of interest to the assessors for two reasons. Firstly, they may be an alien species. Secondly, they may be vectors of environmental toxins or infections.
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.
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.
The ESAS is too important for developers to ignore or to leave aside. These aspects of the natural environment are all essential in the assessment and should all be taken into account.
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.
The vegetation in the site area is one of these aspects. Plants are of interest to the assessors for two reasons. Firstly, they may be an alien species. Secondly, they may be vectors of environmental toxins or infections.
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.
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.
The ESAS is too important for developers to ignore or to leave aside. These aspects of the natural environment are all essential in the assessment and should all be taken into account.
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