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BOC Immingham Dissolved Acetylene Project Environmental Statement: Vol. 2 Main Text
Assessment Step Description
3 Environmental
baseline
A discussion of the existing conditions, services and physical
natural environment of the site and its surroundings. This includes
consideration of sensitivity and importance of the existing
environmental conditions (as appropriate).
4 Potential impacts Identification and evaluation of the proposed Dissolved Acetylene
Project’s potential impacts in quantitative and qualitative terms.
Impacts have been considered in terms of direct or indirect, shortterm,
medium-term or long-term, permanent or temporary,
positive or negative effects.
5 Assessment and
significance of effects
Following the identification of potential impacts (Step 4), the
environmental baseline data (Step 3) have been used to predict
any changes to the existing conditions and to allow an
assessment of these changes.
The assessment of a potential impact takes into account any
methods to reduce the impact that are already incorporated into
the design and assumes that ‘good practice’ will be applied.
For impacts relating to emissions (e.g. noise, stack gases), a
‘source-pathway-receptor’ viii approach has been taken to
determine whether the identified potential impacts could result in
an environmental effect.
The effect that a project may have on each type of environmental
receptor is influenced by the sensitivity of the baseline
environment and the predicted degree of alteration from the
baseline state.
Significance of an impact has been evaluated in terms of the
magnitude of impact and sensitivity of the receptor. For impacts
effects where an assessment of significance cannot be
determined (e.g. for reasons of uncertainty) this issue has been
highlighted and an explanation given as to why this is the case.
Criteria (as identified in Step 2) have been used in the
assessment process to define the significance of effects. Specific
criteria have been defined in each impact assessment chapter but
are generally considered as:
Major: substantial fundamental changes in an ecosystem ix ,
society, or economy. Changes are well outside the range of
natural variation and unassisted recovery could be protracted.
Moderate: a material but non-fundamental change in an
ecosystem, society, or economy. Changes may exceed the range
of natural variation. Recovery could occur in the long-term.
Minor: a detectable but non-material change in an ecosystem,
society or economy. Changes might be noticeable, but fall within
the range of normal variation.
Negligible: changes in an ecosystem, society, or economy that
are unlikely to be noticeable (i.e. well within the scope of natural
variation).
viii The source-pathway-receptor approach typically involves an estimate of the quantity and composition of material which could escape
(source), the routes by which it could travel offsite (pathways) and the environmental sensitivity of the receiving environment (receptors).
For there to be an environmental effect all three linkages must be present. If connecting source-pathway-receptor linkages cannot be
identified then there is no environmental effect and no need to progress further with the environmental assessment.
ix The term ‘ecosystem’ can be taken to mean the physical environment and the biological communities that live within that environment.
Typically impacts to biological populations and communities are considered rather than impacts to individuals.
5100935.404 Environmental Statement August 2011 56