Environmental Impact Assessment Studies and Marine Environment Monitoring Schemes

To guarantee environmental sustainability of plans and projects

We work on ensuring the environmental sustainability of plans and projects in the marine environment within the framework of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures defined in existing legislation. In order to do this, we develop Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) which cover the following aspects:

• Purpose and description of the plan or project and its actions, during the construction, operation and dismantling phases. Details of the main alternatives studied, including the zero alternative, or the option of not carrying out the project or plan. Justification of the main reasons for the adopted solutions, considering economic aspects but also social and environmental issues.
• Environmental inventory which includes a description of the environmental parameters, to the extent that they could be significantly affected by the positive and negative impacts associated with the project or plan.
• Identification and assessment of the impacts, both for the proposed solution and for the alternatives including the zero alternative, or the option of not carrying out the project or plan.
• Establishment of preventive, corrective and compensatory measures to reduce, remove or compensate for the significant environmental effects, both for the proposed solution and for the alternatives including the zero alternative, or the option of not carrying out the project or plan.
• We design and develop an Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) in order to assess whether the actual impacts of the project align with the expected impacts in the EIAs, to verify compliance with the protective and corrective recommendations, and to evaluate the effectiveness of each of these measures.

Advantages

• To guarantee environmental sustainability and efficiency in current and future plans and projects implemented and executed in marine environments.
• To comply with environmental requirements set forth by administrations to the proposed plans and projects in the marine environment:
• Timely achievement of the corresponding Environmental Impact Declaration (EID).
• Execution of the proposed Surveillance Plans and report to the competent environmental authorities.
• We provide ongoing advice on matters related to environmental processing of plans and projects, follow-up, response to claims and queries from the relevant environmental Administration, etc.

Applicable sectors

• Public administrations and environmental agencies.
• Industries, thermal power stations, water treatment plants, aquaculture facilities (onshore plants, offshore cage systems, etc.), sea power plants, commercial ports and marinas, dredging, installation of submarine cables, underwater prospections for marine mining sites, etc.

We prepare Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies adapted to the requirements and particularities of marine environments and needs of each customer

Implementation

• Preliminary assessment and process scheduling (15 days)
• Ongoing communication with the stakeholders involved
• Field campaigns for the analysis and characterisation of environmental variables (deadline determined by variables)
• Drafting of EIA study and report submission (according to envisaged phases and deadlines)
• Ongoing availability for EMS performance and environmental advice.

Experience

• Our multidisciplinary team (engineers, geologists, biologists, chemists, oceanographers, marine scientists, etc.) have 25 years’ ongoing experience in EIA study preparation and EMS implementation of plans, schemes and projects in marine environments.
• We are marine environment leaders at local, national, European and global level. We participate in different national groups, such as AENOR standard committees and international bodies such as ICES, related to environmental impact of projects on marine environments.
• Technical equipment and skills for sampling, analysis and modelling in marine environments.
• Efficiency corroborated by customers and associates regarding integrated environmental assessment and marine environment monitoring schemes.

Proven track record

• Basque Government EJ-GV (Port Directorate): projects since 1994. Dredging plans and projects in different Basque ports.
• Government of Panama: Preparation of an environmental impact assessment protocol in Panama marine environment.
• Bilbao Port Authority: extension work monitoring plans since 1992; EIA study for aggregate extraction; studies on dredged material characterisation and management.
• Pasajes Port Authority: Environmental study of Pasajes outer harbour.
• Environmental impact assessment studies on marine aquaculture farms in Mediterranean coastal areas of the Iberian Peninsula. For different customers:
• Astilleros de Murueta S.A.: Environmental assessment study of the impact of Urdaibai River bed preservation dredging operations.
• Aquarium, San Sebastián: Environmental assessment study of the impact of San Sebastián Aquarium extension.
• Bahía de Bizkaia Gas S. L.: Environmental impact assessment study of the re-gasification plant and the combined cycle thermal power plant (BBG-BBE) in the Port of Bilbao; Environmental Monitoring Scheme for BBG-BBE plant in Zierbena.
• Basque Energy Board: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study and Monitoring Plan (pre-operational and during construction) for the Biscay Marine Energy Platform which has allowed BIMEP to obtain the necessary environmental authorizations to operate as a wave power capturing devices demonstration infrastructure.