Procedures for exemption from environmental impact assessments for rapid disaster recovery projects have been established. From now on, when the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety submits the designated documents to the Minister of Environment, disaster recovery can begin without an environmental impact assessment after consultation.
On the 11th, the Ministry of Environment announced that it had approved the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act at the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul. This amendment to the Enforcement Decree includes delegated matters from the upper law revised on February 20 last year and improvement opinions from related ministries. The amendment will take effect from the 21st.
The Ministry of Environment specified the documents required for exemption from environmental impact assessments for disaster recovery projects. When rapid recovery from disasters is needed in special disaster areas, the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety must submit consultation documents including the project plan, environmental status, and conservation measures to the Minister of Environment. A guideline containing procedures, methods, and forms will also be prepared and distributed to help officials perform exemption tasks quickly.
Additionally, when holding online briefings or public hearings, the methods and procedures are stipulated to facilitate smooth collection of opinions from local residents. Online briefings or public hearings must be announced at least once in daily newspapers and local newspapers in advance, including the date, time, and internet address. When project operators hold briefings or public hearings, they may request the mayor, county governor, or district head to post related information on their websites and bulletin boards.
Regulations are relaxed for small-scale environmental impact assessments with minor environmental effects to reduce the burden on project operators. Forest restoration projects under the Act on the Creation and Management of Forest Resources and new afforestation, reforestation, and vegetation restoration projects under the Act on the Maintenance and Promotion of Carbon Sinks are excluded from small-scale environmental impact assessment targets.
Kim Tae-o, Director General of the Nature Conservation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, said, “With this amendment, disaster recovery projects in special disaster areas are excluded from assessment targets, which is expected to promote rapid recovery. We will continue to improve the assessment system to ensure sustainable national land environmental management through harmony between development and conservation of the national territory.”
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