Using Environmental Impact Statements to Preserve & Enhance Quality of Life

CEDS believes that all projects should preserve quality of life for both existing and future residents.  Whenever possible, a project should also be designed to enhance quality of life.

A good Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will achieve both goals by meeting the following three criteria:

• All reasonable alternatives for achieving the project goals should be evaluated, including no-build;

• All quality of life impacts, both positive and negative, resulting from each alternative must be identified; and

• Each alternative must be ranked objectively with respect to cumulative and individual quality of life impacts. 

The research needed to fulfill these three criteria should be carried out in an open process where the public is provided with ample, independent background information and extensive opportunities to fully participate.  Of course, the alternative selected should be that which has the most positive quality of life impact while coming closest to achieving the purposes of the project.

Over the last 30 years, we've reviewed many EIS's and, frankly, it is rare that we see one that meets the description presented above.  All too frequently, the EIS fails to present all reasonable alternatives and the evaluation of impacts is less than thorough. 

To see examples of common EIS deficiencies, click on the two EIS Critiques at the top of the column to the right.   Both critiques were for highway projects.  And both focused on a limited number of the many impacts which should have been covered.  Yet both illustrate how the EIS preparers failed to perform a thorough evaluation of project impacts.

A longer list of quality of life issues can be found on the CEDS Project Evaluation Checklist.  The checklist covers 18 quality of life issues and provides several evaluation factors for each issue.  More detail on these and other issues, along with a detailed description of evaluation factors, can be found in the free CEDS book How To Win Land Development Issues.

How CEDS Can Help
Following are some of the ways we can help with your questions regarding EIS's.

1.  If you think an EIS should be prepared for a project, but the applicant or regulators disagree, then give us a call at 1-800-773-4571.  We can help you determine if local, state, or federal laws require an EIS or, if not, whether the political process might allow you to win an EIS for a project.

2.  If you are concerned that an EIS has failed to meet the three criteria presented above, then give us a call.  In some cases we can take a quick, no-cost look at an EIS and give you an informal opinion on how well the document meets the three criteria given above.

3.  We could prepare a critique of a portion or all of the EIS similar to the two posted to the right.  The cost of a critique generally begins around $750.  The more impacts you ask us to address, the higher the cost.  Usually we can complete a critique within two- to four-weeks.

Our Mission: To help citizens win Smart Growth victories.