Environment agency scoping guidance on the environmental impact assessment of projects

Scoping the impacts on the environment of proposed development projects is key to the good practice of environmental impact assessment (EIA). The Environment Agency is the most important environmental advisor and regulator in England and Wales and a statutory consultee in the EIA process. It has produced generic Scoping Guidance for its own staff, external developers and their consultants, and other stakeholders. This is intended to help identify opportunities and constraints early in development planning and help avoid inconsistencies in scoping practice. The Guidance addresses specific impacts and associated mitigation measures for 72 different project types and four categories of site operations. In this paper, the development of this Scoping Guidance is discussed and its format explained. The implications for scoping potential impacts on the environment in England and Wales (and elsewhere) are discussed.