2018, Vol.27, No.1

Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.51

pISSN : 1225-7184
https://journal.kci.go.kr/kseia

Selecting target items of EIA(Environmental Impacts Assessment) is very important process in conducting the EIA. In Korea, like other countries, the EIA Council selects the target items before starting the EIA process. However, the assessment items stipulated in the Enforcement Decree of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act is almost wholly applied to most businesses. Thus, the EIA is difficult to carry out reflecting the characteristics of the target business. Additionally, the items of EIA have a structure that is difficult to change, so that the items of EIA is easy to fall apart from the current social needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to suggest adjustment of the items of EIA by reflecting the changes in the assessment and social conditions based on analysis of the usage and effectiveness of the current EIA items. In addition, this study would like to propose a improvement of the operating system in order to ensure that EIA items can be selected effectively.

The need for seawater desalination is increasing in terms of securing various water resources, but few studies are available as for the environmental impact of hypersaline concentrated water (brine) discharged from desalination plants. Domestic studies are concentrated mainly on toxicity evaluation that phytoplankton, zooplankton larvae and green algae (Ulva pertusa) are negatively affected by concentrated water. The mortality of Paralichthys olivaceus showed a linear relationship with increasing salinity, and Oryzias latipes died 100% at concentrations above 60 psu. Foreign studies included monitoring cases as well as toxicity evaluations. The number of species decreased around the area where the concentrated water discharged. The hypersaline concentrated water affects the pelagic and benthic organisms. However, the fishes escaped when exposed to salinity, and the pelagic and benthic organisms resistant to salinity survived the hypersaline environment. The salinity limit and distance from the outlet was presented as the regulatory standard for bine discharge. There were differences in regulatory standards among country and seawater desalination plants, and these regulatory standards have been strengthened recently. In particular, California Water Boards were revised to ensure that the maximum daily salinity concentration does not exceed 2 psu above the ambient salinity level within 100 m of the outlet.

It has been noted that the main cause of biodiversity loss is influx of alien species. Specifically, habitats destruction, economic loss, and human injury are increasing due to invasive alien species. There were 2,167 alien species in Korea. 21 alien species of extraterrestrials including Lycorma delicatula, Solenopsis invicta, Myocastor coypus, and Spartina alterniflora at high risk through ecological risk assessment, are designated as invasive alien species. Alert species, which may have negative impact on ecosystems when they are introduced into the country, are assigned to 127 species through the ecosystem risk evaluation. To list such alien species to prevent invasion of alien species in advance, and to minimize damage caused by imported alien species, a national level management system called the Conservation and Use of Biological deversity Act was established, but there is a lack of a systematic management system in accordance with degree of risk. There is also a risk assessment chart should be developed that reflects ecological characteristics of each taxon and evaluation criteria in predicting the risk.