Assessing Environmental Impact 3 12.5 Amajor oil company wishes to establish aport for large tankers in Washington
State in Northern hget Sound, in a community of 40,000 people, 5,000 of whom are
members of two Native American tribes. Construction of the port would supply 500
temporary jobs, and the port’s operation would supply 300 permanent jobs. The com-
munity now is home to an oil refinery, a pulp mill, and a state-funded university with
8,000 students. Part of the oil unloaded at the port would supply the local refinery,
but a sizable part would be shipped to Minnesota by pipeline. Construction of the port
facility and pipeline extension requires federal permits.(a) Would you require an EA or an EIS? Give reasons for your answer.
(b) Construct an environmental checklist, including socioeconomic factors.
(c) Write down at least six ethical questions that would arise.
2.6 Extensive environmental impact analysis has been performed for the pro-
posed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV. Part of this
impact analysis is the impact of transporting construction materials to the site, trans-
porting site-generated nonradioactive waste from the site to an appropriate landfill, and
commuter-transporting workers to the site. Truck and rail transportation of materials
and automobile and bus transportation of commuters pose a risk of fatal traffic acci-
dents in direct proportion to the distance traveled. The average risk is about 3.5 deaths
per 100 million km traveled by rail and truck, and about one death per 100 million km
traveled by automobile. Trucks and trains carrying materials would travel a total of
about 280 million km, and commuters a total of about 800 million km. Do you think
that the projected traffic fatalities for any of this transportation should be part of the
EIS? Please give reasons for your answer. Note that there is no right or wrong answer
to this question.
2.7 A microchip manufacturer wishes to open a plant in the community where
your university is located. Air and water discharge permits would be needed, which
require environmental assessments. Given your community, would you require an EIS,
or would an EA suffice? Outline the topics that would be included in an EIS, or EA. In
your community, would you file a FONSI? Note that this problem is best worked as a
team or class effort, and the results will differ from community to community.