Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessments are to evaluate and measure the possible impacts that projects could have on the environment. The assessment helps in the decision to continue or discontinue planned projects. Environmental Assessments are not meant to be confused with Environmental Impact Statements. Environmental Assessments are generally 10 to 15 pages and fairly easy for the public to read. Environmental Impact Statements are much longer and more rigorous texts that contain jargon and are meant for specialists in the field of work.

1. The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a pipeline being built through West Virginia and part of Virginia and has an Environmental Assessment posted. The assessment covers the impacts the MVP has on the pipeline. Below is a quoted line from the MVP’s environmental assessment. The word choice is understandable to most of the public who have some high school educational experience or more.

“The FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the projects would result in some adverse environmental impacts. In the case of the clearing of forest, effects may be long-term and significant. However, for most other environmental resources, effects should be temporary or short-term, and impacts would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with the implementation of the applicants’ proposed mitigation measures and the additional measures recommended in the EIS.”

https://www.ferc.gov/final-environmental-impact-statement-mountain-valley-project-and-equitrans-expansion-project

If a company is building a structure and they have to redirect a waterway this would be explained and covered in the assessment, to show readers what and how they are going to redirect the waterway

If a company decides to build its new office building in a forested location it will also need to include the impact on the environment and including the flora and fauna in the area.