Selected CEA Best Practices
Moderator: Bill Ross
Presentations
Lessons Learned from Recent US NEPA Cumulative Impacts Case Law
Presenter(s): Michael Smith
This presentation will focus on practical steps EIA practitioners can take to prepare their cumulative impact analyses in a manner that takes into account recent court decisions. A review of recent cases challenging the cumulative impact analyses contained in US NEPA documents will focus on key practical steps that practitioners can take to prepare more legally-defensible analyses.
A Profound Misunderstanding: Current Practice vs. Best Practice in US CEA
Presenter(s): Leslie Wildesen
Current practice in US CEA is hampered because most practitioners misunderstand the purpose, concepts, values, outcomes, tools and methods of CEA, and because of the fragmented and contradictory nature of CEA guidance. Best practice approaches to improvement include more training, sector guidelines, regional baselines, access to centralized databases, integration with environmental management systems, and emphasis on sustainability.
Considering Past Projects and Effects in Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA): Requirements, Challenges and Approaches
Presenter(s): Steve J. Bonnell, Jeffrey L. Barnes
CEA often requires consideration of a Project’s environmental effects in combination with past, present and future developments. Considering past effects and defining an appropriate temporal boundary is often a key challenge, and has resulted in uncertainty and inconsistency in CEA–including at times an expectation that a pre-development, “pristine” environment forms the baseline. This paper discusses experiences and challenges in considering past projects and effects, and explores approaches to doing so in a more practical and meaningful manner.