• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.174-181
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• 2009

The present study is a preliminary attempt to effectively incorporate the environmental issue of coastal erosion into the environmental assessment process of Korea. We assess the status of the environmental assessment on coastal erosion for the previous development plans and provide potential directions for the improvement. The considerable project plans should be screened for the impact of coastal erosion, which occupies about 20% of the total project plans reviewed, and the ratio increased with project scale. In addition to screening process, most process including scoping, baseline study, impact assessment, and follow-up need to be improved. The potential directions of improvement are provided in terms of appropriate guideline development, employment of cumulative impact assessment, follow-up improvement and rearrangement of the preparation regulation of environmental assessment. Emphasis is given for follow-up process to review post-monitoring period, to employ science compensation, and to consider the establishment of relevant institution. Final suggestion is made for the establishments of comprehensive national plan to manage coastal erosion and streamlined environmental process from strategic to project levels based on the national plan.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.21-32
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• 2023

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) plays a pivotal role in predicting the potential environmental impacts of proposed developments and planning appropriate mitigation measures to minimize effects on species. However, as concerns over biodiversity loss rise, there's ongoing debate about the efficacy of these mitigation plans. In this study, we utilized data from EIAs and post-environmental impact surveys to understand the trends in biodiversity during construction and operation phases. By examining 30 urban development projects, we categorized species richness indices of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles into pre-construction, during construction, and post-construction operational stages. The biodiversity trends were analyzed based on the rate of change in these indices. The results revealed three distinct biodiversity change patterns: (A) An initial increase in biodiversity indices post-development, followed by a gradual decline over time; (B) a sustained increase in biodiversity as a result of mitigation measures; and (C) a continuous decline in biodiversity post-development. Furthermore, all species exhibited a higher rate of biodiversity decline during the construction phase compared to the operational phase, with mammals showing the most significant rate of change. Notably, the biodiversity change rate during operation was generally lower than during construction. In particular, mammals seemed to be most influenced by mitigation measures, displaying the smallest rate of change. This study provides empirical evidence on the efficacy of mitigation measures and deliberates on ways to enhance their effectiveness in minimizing the adverse impacts of urban development on biodiversity. These findings can serve as foundational data for addressing terrestrial biodiversity reduction.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.453-466
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• 2020

The addition and evaluation of health impact items in Environmental Impact Assessment document are written in hygiene and public health items only for specific development projects and are being reviewed. However, after the publication of the evaluation manual on the addition and evaluation of health impact items in 2011, there is a demand for continuous methodology and improvement plans despite partial improvement. Therefore, in order to propose a methodological improvement of the evaluation manual, this technical paper identified detailed improvement requirements based on the consultation opinions on hygiene and public health items, and investigated and suggested ways to solve this problem by reviewing the contents of the research so far. As for the improvement requirements, the contents related to mitigation plan, post management, effect prediction, assessment, and present-condition investigation were presented in Environmental Impact Assessment documents for the entire development project at a frequency of 93%, 85%, 80%, 74%, and 67%, respectively. Particularly, the detailed improvement requirements related to mitigation plan consisted of an establishment direction and a management of development project. Considering the current evaluation manual and the frequency of improvement requirements, this paper proposed concrete methods or improvement plans for major methodologies for each classification of hygiene and public health items. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation methodology related to whether a project is implemented was proposed, which is not provided in the current assessment manual.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.279-290
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• 2023

Recently, as wind farms using wind power as new and renewable energy have been installed nationwide, noise problems have emerged. The environmental impact assessment and post-environmental impact assessment also require the measurement of background noise and low-frequency noise for wind farms, especially by applying the living noise measurement method according to the low-frequency noise management guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment in 2018. Due to the nature of wind power generators that generate loud noise in high winds, noise measurement should be made at high winds, but when wind speed increases, wind noise increases and living noise and low-frequency noise are not properly evaluated. Therefore, the type of noise generated by wind power generators was confirmed, and matters to be considered when measuring wind noise such as wind noise were confirmed.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.64-73
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• 2024

As the seriousness of habitat destruction caused by development projects emerges, the importance of environmental impact assessment (EIA) is increasing to preserve biodiversity. In previous studies, research is being conducted to quantitatively evaluate the biodiversity impact of development factors and surrounding environmental factors on the landscape scale, but research on the factors affecting the reduction of biodiversity based on development projects is insufficient. This study examined whether independent variables (size of development project, type of the development, DEM, ecosystem and nature map, distance from the green land, distance from the protected area), which have been proven to effect biodiversity through the previous researches, have a significant effect on the change of richness index (RI) through multi-class logistic regression analysis, T-test, and analysis of the development type. As a result, only the size of development project and the first richness index in EIA showed p-value less than 0.05. And it was confirmed that the reduction in biodiversity was significantly changed in the following construction types: installation of sports facilities, energy development, and development of industrial location and industrial complex. Since the results of this study confirmed that the impact of the variables may be inconsistent depending on the analysis scale, additional study of necessary indicators at the development project is needed to analyze biodiversity changes in EIA accurately.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.237-250
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• 2014

A wide range of projects for ocean renewable energy are currently in development around the world and ocean energy industries continue to receive significant support from their governments. Surrounded by sea on three sides, Korea has potentially abundant renewable ocean energy resources, which include tidal current, tidal range, offshore wind power, osmotic pressure and ocean thermal energy. Numerous ocean renewable energy projects has been developed in Korea. Nevertheless, there are some concerns that those developments often select an environmentally unsuitable location and/or there are very few existing information on those environmental effects. The purpose of this study is to improve supporting policies and regulation systems of ocean renewable energy development in Korea by reviewing and compiling government policies and environmental assessment systems related to ocean renewable energy development around the world. The study suggests several policy implications for its environmental-friendly development in Korea, including requirements of strategic environmental assessment for proactive and environmentally suitable site selection of ocean renewable energy development and continuous post-development environmental monitoring, and so on.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2011

This study was carried out to assess the variations of water quality caused by the dam construction on the river. Six dams-Yongdam, Miryang, Hoengseong, Boryeong, Jangheung and Buan- constructed recently in Korea were selected for the study. Chemical oxygen demand(COD) was increased in the initial stage of water storage at dams compared to the lotic(river) environment, but after 3 years it was maintained lower and stabilized concentrations. Five dams except for Jangheung Dam were maintained Ia~Ib grade conditions under the water quality criteria of Korea. The concentrations of total nitrogen(T-N) were decreased under the lentic(reservoir) environment compared to the river status. Total phosphorus(T-P) was decreased 13~63% at the reservoir condition. We concluded that increase of COD concentration was due to the debris organic materials of the land, but temporary phenomenon. T-N and T-P concentrations were decreased at the lentic condition compared to the lotic.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.115-124
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• 2004

To utilize a closed municipal solid waste landfill site in environmentally secure conditions, it is necessary to verify the stabilization level of landfill leachate. To assess leachate stabilization of an open-dumping municipal solid waste landfill (Noeun Landfill) which is located at the upper drainage basin of Namhan River which flows into Lake Paldang utilized for Seoul Metropolitan water supplies, the surrounding characteristics of the landfill site was surveyed. After then, leachate, groundwater and soil samples from this landfill were chemically analyzed, and the analysis results were evaluated by "The Criteria of Landfill Waste Stabilization(CLWS)", "Discharge Criteria of Landfill Leachate", "The Criteria of Domestic Use in Groundwater Quality", and "Soil Contamination Criteria" promulgated by Korean Ministry of Environment. The closed open-dumping landfill was equipped with the final soil cover, 3 groundwater monitoring wells and poor landfill gas extraction devices for the post-closure management of the landfill. BOD/CODcr ratios in leachate were less than or slightly higher than 1/10. This results seemed to imply that the leachate stabilization level of this landfill based on the CLWS was almost completed. Qualities of groundwater sampled from monitoring wells located at outside of landfill were adequate for "The Criteria of Domestic Use in Groundwater Quality". Finally, concentrations of soil contaminants that were likely to be influenced by this landfill site were adequate to "Soil Contamination Criteria".

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.5-31
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• 1997

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an assessment process integrated with policy and planning processes considering environmental impacts, not at the level of individual project, but at higher level of policy and plan. Presently, two systems for the SEA are being implemented in Korea. One is "the consultation of environmental investigation into a change in national land utilization", which is to be pre-discussed with the head of the related central administrative organizations, based on the respective individual code. The other is "the consultation of environmental investigation into an administrative plan and project", which is to be pre-discussed with the minister of the environments for the administrative plan. However, these two systems are not integrated procedures with the planning process. In other words, there is a separate post-environmental assessment after planning. Also concrete proposal is not yet prepared for the method and procedure of environmental investigation about details of the planning. Therefore, they do not playa role in taking precautions for environmentally sustainable development. In this study, for the effective environmental investigation at the level of planning, environmental assessment model to be integrated with urban comprehensive plans was developed. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: First, based on the analysis of systematic problems in environmental investigation of this country, the study compared and analysed the SEA method of foreign countries. derived the potential limitations in its applications to this country. Also, the new method in this study, is integrated into planning process by improving the limitations. Thus, we developed the SEA model for this country, which consists of seven steps ; Phase 1; establishing a work program, Phase 2; defining the scop. of the SEA, Phase 3; analyzing an existing environmental situation, Phase 4; examining the consistency with environmental policy, Phase 5; appraising and synthesizing the plan content, Phase 6; proposing recommendations, Phase 7; monitoring and feedback. Second, the two types of application program of the developed assessment model were proposed. One is to integrate this model into planning process, and the other is for the institute and ministry of environments to implement SEA after planning. An aim of this study was developing an environmental assessment model at the planning level which was not yet established in this country and was to apply the model to urban comprehensive plan for inspection. This research will make the effective operation of environmental investigation system possible at the planning level in this country and contribute to the environmental protection at the global level.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.133-146
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• 1999

Generally, to carry out environmental impact assessment(EIA) for a dam construction, enormous environment data should be collected and managed using scientific methods. But greatness of the area, hugeness of environmental data and deficiency of proper analysis tool caused a trouble in environmental data management and EIA More efficient assessment tool is needed in EIA Therefore this research uses GIS for systematic management of the environment factors, and ante-assessment and post-assessment for environmental impact of dam construction. For this purpose, environmental database of related environmental factors were built and by using GIS more efficient EIA was carried out. The results of this research show that systematic EIA data management and efficient environment analysis can be possible by using GIS. Graphic representation of the analysis results makes it possible for more easy understanding to the residents and decision-makers. This development of environmental information system has showed the methodology of more efficient EIA.