EIA and Environmental Consultancy Services
EIA Process and Importance of Environmental Consultancy Services
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the process of assessing and managing the environmental impacts of projects. This process is critical to ensure the environmental compliance of projects, assess potential environmental risks and minimize environmental impacts. Accurate and complete implementation of the EIA process is crucial for the sustainability of projects and the environmental well-being of society.
The EIA process is a reporting and commitment process that covers all actions to be taken and/or planned to be taken until the project or operational life is completed. However, in accordance with the Environmental Law No. 2872 and related legislation; it is both a legal and conscientious responsibility to obtain environmental consultancy services from the beginning of the project in order to fulfill the obligations.
MEDESA provides all kinds of consultancy and technical support to our miners with its expert teams both in the EIA process and in all subsequent environmental permits and licenses.
EIA and Environmental Consultancy Services
- Preparation of EIA Report
- Project Introduction File Preparation
- Exemption and Exclusion Decisions
- Environmental Consultancy Services
- Environmental Permit and License Procedures
- Waste Management Plan
- Environmental Risk Analysis
- Preparation of Emergency Plans against Environmental Accidents
- Conducting Environmental Emergency Drills
- Environmental Assessment Reports
- Environmental Measurements (Emissions, Air Quality, Acoustic Noise, etc.)
- Modeling of Dust and Gas Emissions
- Water, Waste Water Analysis
- Making Legal Declarations
- Environmental Inspection and Environmental Officer Services
- Mine Waste and Tailings Management Plans
EIA REPORT PROCESS
The EIA report process is the examination of the impacts of new projects and developments related to activities that may have significant impacts on the environment, starting from the planning stage, construction, operation and after the end of the activity, with scientific methods and techniques before the decision is taken about the project, the prevention of negative impacts and determination of necessary measures, monitoring and supervision of these impacts and measures during all implementation stages of the project.
According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulation;
- Projects included in the Annex-1 list,
- Projects for which an "EIA Required" decision has been issued,
- In the event that capacity increase and/or expansion is planned for out-of-scope projects, an EIA report must be prepared for projects whose new capacity of the project, together with the sum of the existing project capacity and capacity increases, is at or above the threshold value specified in Annex-1.
This process consists of the preparation of the EIA Application File, followed by the Public Participation Meeting where the EIA application file is opened to public opinion, and the finalization of the "EIA Positive" or "EIA Negative" decision from the Ministry as a result of the preparation of the "EIA Report" in accordance with the special format to be given by the Ministry. In this report, taking into account all possible impacts on the environment, it includes how wastes and residues that may cause environmental pollution can be rendered harmless and the measures to be taken in this regard.
PTD (PROJECT DESCRIPTION FILE) PROCESS
According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulation;
a) Projects included in Annex-2 list,
b) In the event that capacity increase and/or expansion is planned for projects that are considered out of scope, the new capacity of the project together with the sum of the existing project capacity and capacity increases and the new capacity of the project are specified in Annex-2,
subject to selection and elimination criteria.
The process is carried out by preparing the Project Introduction file and finalized by obtaining "EIA Not Required" or "EIA Required" certificate for those that need detailed examination. EIA Not Required Decision refers to "the decision of the Ministry stating that the realization of the project is not objectionable for the environment upon the determination that the possible negative effects of the project on the environment are at acceptable levels according to the relevant legislation and scientific principles as a result of the measures to be taken, taking into account the evaluations made about the Projects Subject to Selection and Screening Criteria", while EIA Required Decision refers to "the decision of the Ministry stating that an Environmental Impact Assessment Report should be prepared in order to examine the environmental impacts of the Projects Subject to Selection and Screening Criteria and to examine their environmental impacts in more detail".
EIA EXEMPTION
According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulation;
- Not included in Annex-1 and Annex-2 lists,
- Those below the threshold value specified in the EIA Regulation,
Organizations that are not included in the scope of Annex-I and Annex-II of the current EIA Regulation and that wish to document this situation in any way should apply for exemption to the Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES
Pursuant to the Environmental Permit and License Regulation, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has made it obligatory for the facilities listed in Annex-1 and Annex-2 to receive services from companies with Environmental Consultancy Competence in order to obtain environmental permits and/or licenses. In the event that the relevant facilities are exempt from environmental permits and/or licenses, they are required to receive Environmental Consultancy Services if they are on the Annex-1 or Annex-2 lists.
ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER
All operations of e-environmental permits are carried out by the Environmental Officer who is present in the enterprises as an environmental consultant.
Environmental Officer Services
- Coordination of Environmental Activities
- Monthly Activity Reports
- Internal Audit and Reporting
- Education and Awareness Raising Activities
- Industrial Waste Management Plan Studies and Approval
- ECIS Applications (Waste Management Application, BEKRA Notification System, End-of-Life Vehicles Information System, Wastewater Information System etc.)
- Elimination of Nonconformities
- Official Correspondence and Periodic Notifications
- Obtaining and renewing Environmental Permit or Environmental Permit and License documents
- It consists of Accompanying Auditors in Environmental Inspections.
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMIT AND LICENSE SERVICES
Pursuant to Article 5 of the Regulation on Environmental Permit and License; in order for the enterprises listed in Annex-1 and Annex-2 of the Regulation to be able to operate, it is obligatory to obtain a Temporary Activity Certificate and then obtain an Environmental Permit or Environmental Permit and License certificate within 1 year from the date of the temporary activity certificate.
WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
Tailings Dams, Heap Leaching, Paste Filling Plants
Within the waste management legislation in Turkey, in order to improve the institutional capacity in the management of mining wastes and to establish an effective management model throughout the country, the Regulation on Mining Wastes, which was prepared in line with the EU Mining Waste Directive No. 2006/21 EC and published in the Official Gazette No. 29417 dated July 15, 2015, entered into force on July 15, 2017.
According to the Mining Waste Regulation;
- Existing Temporary Activity Certificate (TAC)/Licensed facilities named "Tailings Storage, Tailings Dams and Tailings Ponds", which are among the disposal methods of mine wastes for which the EIA process has been completed or which are out of the scope of the EIA and which are used as the most common method in our country,
- Heap leaching plants, which are one of the disposal methods of mine wastes and used especially for low grade ores in our country,
- Paste filling facilities where underground galleries formed as a result of mining activities are filled with mine enrichment wastes,
They are required to have their Waste Management Plans prepared by institutions/organizations/firms holding EIA Qualification Certificate or Environmental Consultancy Qualification Certificate by the Ministry, according to the format in Annex-1 of the Regulation, within a period of approximately 6 months until 15/01/2018.
In addition, in accordance with the Mining Waste Regulation; In addition, in accordance with the Regulation on Mine Wastes, static and kinetic tests, mineralogical, geochemical and hydrogeochemical examinations, hydrogeological, mineralogical, geochemical and hydrogeochemical examinations are carried out to determine the potential of the wastes to cause acid mine drainage and metal leaching in the long term and to demonstrate that all measures have been taken by the operator for this situation, The report containing all relevant information and documents, especially hydrological calculations and modeling, must be prepared by institutions/organizations/firms holding EIA Qualification Certificate or Environmental Consultancy Qualification Certificate by the Ministry and must obtain "Mine Waste Deep Injection Approval Certificate" from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.