ID: 1811
Presenting Author: Brian Balcom
Session: 705 - Navigating Uncertainty in Impact Assessment to Support Expedited Decision-Making
Status: pending
Understanding new technologies and identifying associated impact-producing factors presents a challenge. Results of a recent case study highlight the novel approach taken to fully address this issue.
As impact assessment (IA) practitioners operating in the marine realm, we routinely identify project-specific impact-producing factors (IPFs), assess impacts using various IA metrics and methodologies, and propose appropriate mitigation measures per the mitigation hierarchy, drawing upon our own professional experience, prior projects of a similar nature, and recent guidance or advances in IA. This experience base includes all aspects of offshore oil and gas operations, supplemented with more recent experience with alternative energy (e.g., offshore wind). With increasing frequency, we see novel projects that deviate from the norm, presenting unique challenges to IA. Understanding new technologies and being able to identify new IPFs associated with these new projects presents a challenge to the IA process. Suitably addressing unique project-related IPFs from novel projects has required assessing the practicality and efficacy of mitigation measures and often identifying new and sometimes innovative data collection which helps guide the analysis. This presentation explores one recently completed novel project which required assessing impacts not commonly encountered in offshore oil and gas or alternative energy development projects.
Mr. Balcom has >40 years experience in both domestic and international EIAs/ESIAs, including offshore oil and gas exploration, development, and decommissioning and alternative energy projects.
Coauthor 1: John Tiggelaar