Climate change driven events and projects’ vulnerability as element of the EIA procedure – Application of the IAEA STE selection criteria

Abstract

There is a clear cause-and-effect interaction at play between environment and the project itself that acts two-way, making the project’s suitable site selection of utmost importance. As general public becomes more and more aware of environmental issues that need to be addressed in the course of licensing procedures (Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA]) many aspects that can affect a planned development’s site suitability remain hidden from the public view and yet crucial as they can determine investment’s not only impact spatial boundaries but even its viability. Determination of a planned development’s location, therefore, should be preceded by detailed siting and environmental studies completing of which guarantee removal or at least occurrence probability reduction from a financial equation of significant uncertainties that could impact an investment at either the designing or operating stage. In the paper application of conventional energy sector methodologies as well as site selection criteria of the Safety Standards, International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] for nuclear installations as mutually complementing tools are being discussed with a special consideration given to climatic, geological and legislative issues.There is a clear cause-and-effect interaction at play between environment and the project itself that acts two-way, making the project’s suitable site selection of utmost importance. As general public becomes more and more aware of environmental issues that need to be addressed in the course of licensing procedures (Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA]) many aspects that can affect a planned development’s site suitability remain hidden from the public view and yet crucial as they can determine investment’s not only impact spatial boundaries but even its viability. Determination of a planned development’s location, therefore, should be preceded by detailed siting and environmental studies completing of which guarantee removal or at least occurrence probability reduction from a financial equation of significant uncertainties that could impact an investment at either the designing or operating stage. In the paper application of conventional energy sector methodologies as well as site selection criteria of t...