Environmental impact assessment procedure integrates environmental considerations into design and decision-making

As part of the EIA procedure, we generated the environmental impact assessment programme, organised public events, assessed and reported the impacts of the engineering design and prepared the final EIA report. During the assessment procedure, we investigated the impacts of the project alternatives on the environment, transport, land use and urban structure and on the residents of the area in accordance with the Act on Environmental Impact Assessment (252/2017). The purpose of the EIA procedure is to prevent or mitigate adverse environmental impacts. The EIA procedure is interactive and anyone affected by the project alternatives is welcome to participate.

The EIA procedure included assessment of three project alternatives. The alternatives impacts were compared to impacts of the current arrangements of infrastructure. We also proposed measures to mitigate possible adverse impacts. The assessment resulted to introducing a project alternative that would not lead to significant environmental impacts due to the mitigation measures. The ELY Centre of South Savo, which acted as the coordinating authority, considered the conclusion of the EIA report to be justified. The ELY Centre of South Savo indicated in its statement that the impacts and the significance of impacts had been identified well in the EIA-report.