Environmental Assessment

Environmental assessment is a process by which a company surveys, forecasts and assesses a business project that may have an impact on the surrounding environment, so that the concerned project may become acceptable from an environmental protection viewpoint.

Environmental assessment has been conducted in Japan under a 1977 Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) directive, and under a 1984 Cabinet directive. The Environmental Impact Assessment Law was introduced in June 1999, and the Electric Utility Law was partially revised accordingly. Both laws require power companies to undertake certain arrangements before commencing construction of a power plant larger than a given size.

Kyushu Electric made an environmental impact study on the area near Matsuura Power Station Unit 2 in keeping with MITI's directives, to prepare for output changes from 0.7 million kW to 1 million kW from September 1997. Kyushu Electric then altered study procedures to meet requirements after the new Environmental Impact Assessment Law was enforced, and concluded the assessment.

[Legal procedural flow for environmental impact assessment]

1.	Screening
•	A project plan is compiled. If the project is classified as a Class 1 business project level, the scoping procedure applies.
•	If the project level is too small for a Class 1 categorization (thus classified as a Class 2 business project), the national government decides whether an environmental assessment should be made, taking that prefecture's governor's opinion into account.
2.	Scoping
•	A report of the environmental impact assessment method is compiled prior to construction of a power plant. The report includes items to be surveyed and methods to be taken to forecast and assess the environmental impact concerning construction of the plant.
•	The report is submitted openly for public inspection to gain feedback from local residents and the municipal government, and for review by the national government. Appropriate environmental survey, forecast and assessment methods are then determined.
3.	Survey, forecast and assessment
•	Based on the scoping outcome, an environmental survey is conducted around the proposed site.
•	Based on the on-site survey, a report of the environmental impact assessment specifications is compiled in which an impact forecast on the environment, the assessed results and measures to be taken for environmental conservation are described.
•	The specifications are submitted openly for public inspection. The opinions of local residents and the municipal government are heard, and the report is subjected to a national government review.
•	Based on the national government review, amendments are made to the specifications and an environmental impact assessment survey report is compiled and submitted for public inspection.

• Flow chart of environmental impact assessment