Environmental Impact Reports

Introduction

In accordance with Section 97 of the Petroleum Act 2000, Licensees are required to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the regulated activities. This document addresses the potential threats and risks on the environment, and outlines the extent to which these threats are likely and manageable.

Contents

Under Regulation 10 of the Petroleum Regulations 2000, the EIR is required to provide the following information:

  • a description of the activities to be carried out.
  • a description of the specific features of the natural, social/cultural and economic aspects of the environment which may be affected by the activities.
  • a description of the actual and potential events associated with the activities that could pose a threat to the various aspects of the environment (as per definition of environmenta provided in Section 4 of the Act) including the likelihood of the events and the level of certainty in their prediction.
  • an assessment of the potential consequences of the above defined events on the various aspects of the environment.
  • detailed information on the extent to which the above potential consequences can be managed including information on their duration, size and scope.
  • information on any consultation undertaken with the relevant land owner or occupier, relevant government agencies or other interested groups or individuals.

Quality

The information and material provided by the EIR must:

  • be balanced, objective and concise;
  • state any limitations that apply, or should apply, to the use of the information and material;
  • identify any area or issue in relation to which there is a significant lack of relevant information or a significant degree of uncertainty;
  • identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect;
  • be presented in a way that allows a person assessing the information or material to understand how conclusions have been reached and allows the information or material to be used to make an informed decision on the level of environmental impact of a particular activity without the need to obtain additional technical advice.

Existing Documents

EIRs prepared by Licensees for various activities can be viewed on the SEO, EIR and ESA Reports page.