When must a preliminary environmental impact assessment be performed for a project?

Article overview

Preliminary environmental impact assessment for the project to play a key role in the sustainable development process. This activity helps investors identify environmental risks early, optimize design and improve project efficiency. Conducting a thorough assessment not only ensures legal compliance but also creates a solid foundation for the long-term success of the project. The analysis in this article by Long Phan will help investors clarify important aspects of the content, subjects and timing of preliminary environmental impact assessments.

Carry out a preliminary environmental impact assessment
Carry out a preliminary environmental impact assessment

Content of the preliminary environmental impact assessment for the project

Preliminary assessment of environmental impact is an important step in the investment project development process. The main content of this review includes five aspects

According to the provisions of Clause 3, Article 29 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, the content of the preliminary assessment of environmental impact includes five main elements:

  1. Evaluate the suitability of the investment project location with the National Environmental Protection Strategy, National Environmental Protection Planning, environmental protection content in regional planning, provincial planning and planning other relevant;
  2. Identify and forecast the main environmental impacts of investment projects on the environment based on scale, production technology and project implementation location;
  3. Identify environmentally sensitive factors of the area where the investment project will be implemented according to location options (if any);
  4. Analyze, evaluate and select options for scale, production technology, waste treatment technology, investment project location and measures to minimize environmental impacts;
  5. Identify the main environmental issues and scope of impact on the environment that need to be kept in mind during the process of carrying out environmental impact assessment.

Carrying out a preliminary environmental impact assessment in accordance with regulations will create a solid foundation for future project implementation. Investors need to focus on collecting accurate and comprehensive information about environmental conditions in the project area to have a basis for objective assessment.

Content of preliminary environmental impact assessment
Content of preliminary environmental impact assessment

Any project must carry out a preliminary environmental impact assessment

Pursuant to Clause 1, Article 29 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, the subjects that must carry out a preliminary assessment of environmental impact are group I investment projects specified in Clause 3, Article 28 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020. Investment projects Group I projects are identified as projects with a high risk of negative impacts on the environment.

Types of projects in group I include:

  • Projects in the form of production, business, and services that have the risk of causing environmental pollution with large scale and capacity; projects to implement hazardous waste treatment services; Projects that import scrap from abroad as production materials;
  • Projects in the form of production, business, and services that have the risk of causing environmental pollution with average scale and capacity but have environmentally sensitive elements; Projects that do not belong to the type of production, business, or service that are at risk of causing environmental pollution with large scale and capacity but have environmentally sensitive elements;
  • Projects using land, land with water surface, and sea areas on a large scale or on a medium scale but with environmentally sensitive elements;
  • Projects to exploit minerals and water resources with large scale and capacity or with medium scale and capacity but with environmentally sensitive factors;
  • Projects that require changing the purpose of land use on a medium scale or larger but have environmentally sensitive factors;
  • The project requires large-scale immigration and resettlement.

The time for preliminary environmental impact assessment for the project

The time to conduct a preliminary environmental impact assessment is an important factor, directly affecting the effectiveness of the assessment process and the ability to integrate environmental protection measures into project design.

Pursuant to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 29 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, a preliminary assessment of environmental impacts is carried out in the period:

  • Pre-feasibility study of construction investment, proposal of investment policy, request for approval of investment policy.
  • A preliminary environmental impact assessment needs to be conducted for investment projects subject to a request for decision or approval of investment policy according to the provisions of the law on investment, public investment, and investment private in the form of public-private partnerships, and construction.

Complying with regulations on the timing of preliminary environmental impact assessment not only helps the project meet legal requirements but also helps optimize project design, minimize environmental risks, and enhance the sustainability of the project.

Regulations on the time of preliminary environmental impact assessment for group I projects
Regulations on the time of preliminary environmental impact assessment for group I projects

In-depth consulting and support services on preliminary environmental impact assessment for the project

Environmental legal consulting services help investors understand and comply with regulations related to environmental impact assessment as well as support investors in completing documents to submit to competent authorities for approval. With practical experience in the environmental field, Long Phan provides in-depth consulting services and customer support throughout the environmental impact assessment process. Consulting and support services at Long Phan include:

  • Consulting on projects requiring environmental impact assessment
  • Consulting on environmental impact assessment content
  • Guide investors on the order and procedures for environmental impact assessment
  • Consulting and guidance on preparing environmental impact assessment reports
  • Consulting on documents and procedures for requesting appraisal of environmental impact assessment reports
  • Review and evaluate legal regulations related to the project.
  • Current status survey: Investigate and collect data on environmental conditions in the project area.
  • Identify and forecast the main environmental impacts of the project.
  • Consulting on other related issues.

Preliminary environmental impact assessment is an important step, helping the project develop sustainably and comply with the law. Customers need to comply with the correct process, content and time of evaluation according to regulations. For in-depth support on this issue, please contact Long Phan via hotline 0906735386. Long Phan believes that with professional advice, your project will achieve the best environmental results, contributing to promoting sustainable socio-economic development.