Learnings from recent offshore project proposal submissions

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 461
Author(s):  
Naomi L. Kerp ◽  
Claire Weller

The offshore project proposal (OPP) process was introduced in 2014 as part of the streamlining of regulatory processes under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to provide for offshore petroleum developments to be assessed early in the project lifecycle. The OPP process involves the assessment of environmental impacts and risks of petroleum activities conducted over the life of an offshore project by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA). An OPP for an offshore project must be accepted by NOPSEMA before a titleholder can submit environment plans for activities that make up the offshore project. Although the OPP process is not new, it has proven complex to navigate, with four revisions to the OPP contents requirements guideline published by NOPSEMA since inception, and only three OPPs reaching the public consultation stage to date. An OPP is required to describe the offshore project; describe the environment that may be affected by the project; set out environmental performance outcomes for the project; describe feasible alternatives to the project or its activities; and evaluate environmental impacts and risks of the project. This paper provides insight to the OPP drafting, submission and assessment process, with shared key learnings based on actual examples of OPP submissions made. In particular, we will focus on the crucial elements that haven proven to make an OPP submission effective, including project aspect scoping, understanding relationships between aspects and receptors, building flexibility within set project boundaries and demonstrating acceptability.

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 984-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Minkkinen

This article investigates how futures of privacy protection are made in Europe. The public consultation phase of the European Union’s data protection reform is analysed as a case of making the future by using the future, that is, influencing institutional change through anticipatory storylines. A qualitative analysis of consultation responses is conducted, and two discourse coalitions are identified. The industry coalition promotes market liberalisation to allow the digital future to emerge. The civil society coalition, in turn, argues for rescuing privacy with strict rules. The article suggests that plausibility in relation to the discursive and extra-discursive environment is crucial for the success of storylines. The second storyline was relatively successful because it was more plausible in light of the trend of legalism and the predominant future-oriented narrative of privacy in danger. The ‘anticipatory institutionalism’ approach opens novel perspectives concerning actors’ future-oriented projects in relation to historical processes.


1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 584
Author(s):  
C.D. Cockshell ◽  
M. Malavazos

The introduction of changes to petroleum regulation in South Australia will, and have, resulted in some concern by industry, particularly in the area of public consultation. Primary Industry and Resources South Australia (PIRSA)-Petroleum Group's development of a set of guidelines for determination of project environmental significance is aimed to give a clearer indication of the level of consultation, documentation and assessment appropriate for each project. The Coongie Lakes assessment case study gives an indication of how these concepts can be applied in a practical sense.The assessment process establishes scales for the level of certainty (predictability) of the potential environmental impacts and the degree to which the consequences of the potential impacts can be managed or avoided (manageability). This process was undertaken for the seismic proposal in the Coongie Lakes area and provides an innovative approach to project assessment. The predictability and manageability charts prepared for all potential impacts provides a method of presenting a vast amount of information very concisely. The definition of assessment guidelines allows potential environmental impacts to be expressed in a quantitative manner, and leads to evaluation of these impacts against a defined level of community acceptability. The approach also demonstrates a degree of rigour in the assessment process and is transparent to all stakeholders. In addition, the predictability and manageability charts focus attention to issues which have higher ratings, and thus a need for closer attention. The feedback from stakeholders on this innovative assessment technique indicates a general acceptance of the approach and the criteria definitions used, although some adjustment and refinement is required.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-217
Author(s):  
Nádson Ricardo Leite de Souza ◽  
Vanessa Vasconcelos da Silva ◽  
Edson Henrique Almeida de Andrade ◽  
Valéria Raquel Porto de Lima

A Mata do Buraquinho consiste no maior remanescente de Mata Atlântica em área urbana do país, é cortada pelo Rio Jaguaribe, um dos afluentes do Rio Paraíba e maior rio urbano de João Pessoa/PB que, represado, forma o Açude do Buraquinho, de onde provém parte da água potável da capital paraibana. O local é declarado uma Área de Preservação Permanente desde 1989, devido à importância ambiental e, desde o ano de 2000, abriga o Jardim Botânico Benjamin Maranhão, que ocupa mais de 65% da área total, criado com a missão de fortalecer as ações de preservação e promover a intensificação dos estudos no representativo ambiente, todavia, a existência de trilhas em seu interior possibilita maior vulnerabilidade à degeneração ecossistêmica, somada aos efeitos de borda no contato com a densa urbanização do entorno. Com o objetivo de analisar os impactos ambientais negativos ocasionados por tais bordas, foram realizadas observações in loco, por meio de inventariações de parcelas concretizadas ao longo das trilhas mais frequentadas, onde se apurou diversos indicativos de degradação florestal. A partir disso, confirmou-se a autenticidade das teorias empregadas sobre os impactos ambientais negativos e a degeneração das espécies habituais, resultantes das ações de caráter antrópico, concluindo-se que a propagação dos efeitos de borda originada pela abertura de trilhas que favorecem o avanço da degradação e fazem-se necessárias ações de conservação mais rigorosas do que as em vigor, mesmo se tratando de uma área legalmente protegida.Palavras-chave: Efeitos de borda; Degeneração ecossistêmica; Mata do Buraquinho. ABSTRACTMata do Buraquinho is the largest remnant of Mata Atlântica in an urban area of the country. It is cut by the Jaguaribe River, - one of the tributaries of the Paraíba River and the largest urban river of João Pessoa/PB – which was dammed up forming the Açude do Buraquinho, from where comes part of the potable water of the capital of Paraíba. The place has been declared a Permanent Preservation Area since 1989. Due to its environmental importance and, since the year of 2000, it has sheltered the Benjamin Maranhão Botanical Garden, which occupies more than 65% of the total area. This garden was created with the mission of strengthening actions of preservation and to promote the intensification of studies in the representative environment. However, the existence of trails inside of it, allows greater vulnerability to the ecosystem degeneration, and combined with effects of border in the contact with the dense urbanization of the surrounding area. In order to analyze the negative environmental impacts caused by such edges, some observations were made in loco, through inventories of concretized plots along the most frequented trails, where several indications of forest degradation were obtained. From this, the authenticity of the theories used on the negative environmental impacts and the degeneration of the habitual species was confirmed. And resulting from actions of anthropic character, it was concluded that the propagation of the edge effects originated by the opening of tracks, favors the advance of the degradation and becomes necessary conservation actions more stringent than those in force, even in the case of a legally protected area. Keywords: Edge effects; Ecosystem Degeneration; Mata do Buraquinho. RESUMENLa “Mata do Buraquinho” es el testimonio más grande del bosque Atlántico en el área urbana de Brasil, es cortado por el Río Jaguaribe, uno de los tributarios del Río Paraíba, además, es el río urbano más grande de João Pessoa/PB, que forma la presa del “Buraquinho”, de donde proviene el suministro de agua potable para la capital del Estado de Paraíba. Esta zona es declarada un Área de Preservación Permanente desde 1989, debido a su importancia ambiental, y desde el año 2000, acoge el Jardín Botánico Benjamin Maranhão, que ocupa más de 65% del área total, creado con la misión de fortalecer las acciones de preservación y promover la intensificación de los estudios en el representativo de ambiente, sin embargo, la existencia de rutas en el interior aumenta la vulnerabilidad a la degeneración ecosistémica, añadidos a los efectos de borde que tienen contacto directo con la densa urbanización de los alrededores. Con el propósito de analizar los impactos ambientales negativos ocasionados por estos bordes, han sido realizadas observaciones "In loco", a través de inventariaciones de parcelas implementadas a lo largo de las rutas más frecuentadas, donde se ha detectado indicios de degradación forestal. Con eso, se ha confirmado la autenticidad de las teorías utilizadas sobre los impactos ambientales negativos y la degeneración de especies habituales, resultantes de acciones antrópicas, se concluye que la propagación de los efectos de borde originada por la apertura de rutas ha favorecido el avance de la degradación, con eso, son necesarias acciones de conservación todavía más estrictas de que las que existen, aún que ya sea un área protegida por la ley.Palabras-clave: Efectos de borde; Degeneración ecosistémica; Mata do Buraquinho.


Author(s):  
John Hunsley ◽  
Eric J. Mash

Evidence-based assessment relies on research and theory to inform the selection of constructs to be assessed for a specific assessment purpose, the methods and measures to be used in the assessment, and the manner in which the assessment process unfolds. An evidence-based approach to clinical assessment necessitates the recognition that, even when evidence-based instruments are used, the assessment process is a decision-making task in which hypotheses must be iteratively formulated and tested. In this chapter, we review (a) the progress that has been made in developing an evidence-based approach to clinical assessment in the past decade and (b) the many challenges that lie ahead if clinical assessment is to be truly evidence-based.


Author(s):  
Debesh Mishra ◽  
Suchismita Satapathy

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) provides a suitable platform for groups as well as promotion of the participants' role in decision processes. This also enables the development of real participatory processes essential for the successful implementation and sustainable flood management programs. The present study contributes by applying two MCDM approaches for weighting the criteria related to the environmental impacts of flooding. Moreover, an attempt was made in this study by an extensive review of literature, and consultations with experts to identify the environmental impacts of flooding in Odisha State (India). Then, the Best Worst Method (BWM) followed by the Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method was used to rank the environmental impacts which were considered as the risk factors. The result of this study will be useful to the governance system for an effective and proper planning, and implementation of flood mitigation projects.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Uren ◽  
Daniel Wright ◽  
James Scott ◽  
Yulan He ◽  
Hassan Saif

Purpose – This paper aims to address the following challenge: the push to widen participation in public consultation suggests social media as an additional mechanism through which to engage the public. Bioenergy companies need to build their capacity to communicate in these new media and to monitor the attitudes of the public and opposition organizations towards energy development projects. Design/methodology/approach – This short paper outlines the planning issues bioenergy developments face and the main methods of communication used in the public consultation process in the UK. The potential role of social media in communication with stakeholders is identified. The capacity of sentiment analysis to mine opinions from social media is summarised and illustrated using a sample of tweets containing the term “bioenergy”. Findings – Social media have the potential to improve information flows between stakeholders and developers. Sentiment analysis is a viable methodology, which bioenergy companies should be using to measure public opinion in the consultation process. Preliminary analysis shows promising results. Research limitations/implications – Analysis is preliminary and based on a small dataset. It is intended only to illustrate the potential of sentiment analysis and not to draw general conclusions about the bioenergy sector. Social implications – Social media have the potential to open access to the consultation process and help bioenergy companies to make use of waste for energy developments. Originality/value – Opinion mining, though established in marketing and political analysis, is not yet systematically applied as a planning consultation tool. This is a missed opportunity.


1989 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 259-277
Author(s):  
Donal A. Kerr

In the spring of 1848 a number of respected English vicars-general, William Bernard Ullathorne of the Western District, John Briggs of the Northern District, and Thomas Brown of Wales decided that one of them, together with Fr Luigi Gentili, the Rosminian missioner, should proceed immediately to Rome. Their object would be to support, by personal intervention with Pius IX, a memorial drawn up by Briggs, signed by twenty Irish and three or four bishops in Great Britain, which was solemnly presented to the Pope by Thomas Grant, President of the English College in Rome. This memorial ran: we most... solemnly declare to Your Holiness that British Diplomacy has everywhere been exerted to the injury of our Holy Religion. We read in the public Papers that Lord Minto is friendly received... by Your Holiness At this very time, however,... the first Minister of the British Government, the Son in Law of Lord Minto is publicly manifesting in England, together with his fellow Ministers, his marked opposition to the Catholic Religion and the Catholic Church. Another cause of our serious alarm is the very general hostile and calumnious outcry now made in both houses of our Parliament and throughout Protestant England against the Catholic Priests of Ireland, falsely charging them with being the abettors of the horrible crime of murder whilst as true Pastors they are striving t o . . . console their... perishing people and like good shepherds are in the midst of pestilence giving their lives for their flocks.


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