Question

1. A car washing and lubricating company has been operating for more than 10 years in a terrain with the following characteristics: porous, filterable with a freatic level near to the surface (5 m depth). This area is close to the estuary which is very useful to them since all the disposals and waste generated by this activity are directly released into the estuary. These disposals contain a high level of oils and greases. All the dumping from the car maintenance goes directly into the soil since there are no palettes or gutters. The operation hours are 20 hours for seven days a week. On the complaint of the locals, the Municipal Council has arranged the execution of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and you are part of it. What type of environmental evaluation must be performed by the Municipality according to this case?

a) What type of environmental evaluation must be performed by the Municipality according to this case?

b) What type of proposed professionals that will be part of the consultancy group performing the EIA?

c) List three environmental effects of this activity.

d) Mention three mitigation measures you will propose as part of your Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to mitigate the impacts identified.

Answer 1

a) Environmental evaluation done by the municipality is screening i.e the basic details of the flora and fauna actually having impact by the car washing and lubricating company.

b) The professionals in the constancy group performing EIA should have

professional of geoenvironmental studies

professional of environmental chemistry

professional of groundwater contamination and modelling.

professional of the microbiology

c) Three environmental impacts :

i) The upper layer of soil in the nearby region will be washed off slowly and the contaminated water makes the soil barren by the time.

ii) From the soil the leaching of contaminants to the ground water.

iii) These chemicals also contaminate air and the surrounding flora and fauna.

d) Three mitigation measures :

i) we can design a proper waste water distribution system to the disposal site.

ii) We can use sealants or impermeable layer and filler material in the nearby region to avoid contamination to soil.

iii) We can store the waste liquid slurry in a pond or a well by there we can make it transfer to the solid waste disposal sites like landfill etc time to time.