• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.57-71
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• 2004

This study aims to review the environmental impact assessment systems of Japanese local governments, to compare its outcome with the systems of Korean local governments, and to suggest the development direction for the environmental impact assessment systems of Korean local governments based on the result. The study results showed that, first, due to distinction in the political systems of Japan and Korea, while Japan has bottom-up environmental impact assessment systems, Korea has topdown environment impact assessment systems. Second, although introduction of national systems on planning was put on hold as a future initiative, local governments including Tokyo and Saitama are experimenting evaluation procedures tailored to local features by legislating them as regulations. On the other hand, while 'prior environmental review system' was in effect as a national system, nothing was practiced at all by local governments. Third, in a total of 47 Japanese local governments, about 45 projects and 44 assessment items were added to local government environmental impact assessment only and designated as target projects and assessment items. Fourth, in both national and local environment impact assessment systems in Japan, screening procedures to determine assessment by separating into Type 1 projects and Type 2 projects and scoping procedures to discuss assessment items in advance were introduced and in effect. This Japanese EIA system may serve as a good reference to the Korean national and local government EIA systems.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.137-150
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• 2003

This study aims to survey whether local governments have legislated laws and regulations on environment impact assessment system, to compare and analyze specific projects and their scale, assessment items, and procedures & discussion process, to identify issues and generate improvement plans, and to suggest a direction for future legislation to local governments that plan to legislate laws and regulations in the future. Major outcome of the study are as follows. First, terminologies used for environment impact assessment by local governments need to be unified. Also, laws and regulations need to be legislated soon. Second, in "urban development project" areas, a total of nine project areas including "quarrying of soil and stone, sand, gravel, and minerals" was essential common projects. A total of six project types were added or newly established compared to national systems. Among them, four project types were added within national-level project areas and two project types were not available under the national-level project areas and newly added due to the nature of local governments. Third, in terms of project scale, scale enhancement of "urban development project" was most common. Analysis showed that in case of clean natural environment such as Cheju Island, it is necessary to consider reinforcing project areas where development activities take place directly in forests or rivers such as "industrial base and complex development", "water resource development", and "development of tourism complex." Fourth, the discussion and review procedures of assessment reports were similar to those at government level. However, in case of Seoul city, it is required to write a "preparation plan" before drafting an assessment report. The city features partial introduction of scoping and screening, which allows to exempt discussion procedures if impact on environment is found to be minimal after drafting the assessment report. In case of national-level, it has a dual system that is split between Ministry of Construction and Transportation and Ministry of Environment. However, in case of environment impact assessment of local governments, it is a single system where city mayors and provincial governors are in charge of both project execution and environmental assessment. Therefore, the most important task is how to satisfy objectiveness and accountability.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 2001

This paper presents the policy directions of total maximum daily loads(TMDL), which was recently adopted in Korea, for scientific management of water quality. The basic principles of water quality management are also discussed in this paper, along with the TMDL policy in United States as well as the previous policy in Korea. We discussed several unreasonable points out of the previous approaches, such as regulation of all point sources with equal standards, negligence of an assimilative capacity of the receiving water, and emphasis only on drinking water supply, etc.. For successful applications of the TMDL policy in Korea, the following directions are suggested: 1) the unit drainage basin for each TMDL application should be given, 2) the water body where the water quality standards should be maintained, needs to be guided, 3) the water quality parameters of TMDL should be given, 4) the technical guidances should be given for applications of water quality models, and 5) the seasonal TMDL would be allowed. In order to maximize the benefits of the TMDL policy, the local governments would need to implement the following strategies: 1) the increment of an assimilative capacity of the receiving water, 2) the effective controls of the non-point source pollution, 3) the advanced treatment of the point sources, 4) application of system optimization techniques along with effluent trade, and 5) utilization of watershed management systems.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.296-314
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• 2014

In recent years, Ministry of Environment (MOE) has been implementing a phased strengthening of the effluent standards for sewage treatment plants. In this regard, a comprehensive system should be developed to help check the appropriateness of such standards by specifying the grounds for standard-setting and investigating the current operation of sewage treatment plants clearly. It is necessary to establish a new standard-setting system for the effluent that is in a closer connection with the environmental criteria and rating systems. In the United States, the federal government provides guidelines on the least provisions and requirements for the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). Local governments set the same or stricter guidelines that reflect the characteristics of each state. In Japan, the sewage treatment plants are subject to both the effluent standards and the discharge acceptable limits to pubic waters under the sewerage law. Specific requirements and limits are set in accordance with local government regulations. The European Union imposes sewage treatment plants with different provisions for effluent standards, depending on the sensitivity of public waters to eutrophication. The effluent standards for sewage treatment plants are classified by pollutant loads discharged to receiving waters. MOE also needs to introduce systems for setting new parameter standards on a POTW effluent by applying statistical means and treatment efficiencies or optimal treatment techniques, as seen in the cases of the US National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) or the EU Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC).

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.214-229
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• 2023

This study was aimed to derive the following regional characteristics and implications by reviewing the effects of local communities and overseas cases through agricultural heritage and related systems to prepare rural regeneration measures using agricultural and rural heritage. First, The study was examined to improve the awareness to improve awareness of the value and preservation of heritage through the designation of agricultural heritage. However, it was found that it was necessary to prepare for social problems such as the aging population in the future. Second, most of the residents' perceptions showed a positive perception of the designation of agricultural heritage, but they were somewhat less recognized in terms of economics, so it was found that regeneration measures were needed to compensate for this. Third, as a result of applying the effect measurement model, the preservation and management effect that meets the purpose of the system is high, and the effect varies depending on projects such as local governments and residents' councils. Fourth, as a result of examining rural regeneration measures through overseas cases, it was found that rather than large-scale development, various cultural and natural resources and activation measures were prepared by expanding the scope to surrounding areas. This study was conducted only on agricultural heritage areas, but it is meaningful that agricultural and rural heritage should be reviewed from various perspectives suitable for the current trend, and it is meaningful in that it considers not only local residents' perception but also regional effects and revitalization measures.