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Project title

Scenarios of household waste streams: composition and management in Cork to 2010.

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Cork (UCC)

Lead Applicant

Colin Sage

Project Abstract

The development of decision criteria and a decision support framework for alternatives within environmental planning has been undertake to assist practitioners to meet their obligations under the EU Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive (2001/42/EC) (EC 2001) and Irish environmental regulations. This work is one of a number of projects funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the ERTDI Programme (2000-2006) to work on different aspects of the SEA methodology. The primary aims of the research are to develop guidance on the identification and development of alternatives within SEA for use in land use planning and waste management planning. Specifically this involves: 1) the development of generic alternatives decision criteria; 2) the development of alternatives decision support framework; and 3) application of the approach to waste management planning. This work represents an original piece of research based entirely on the Irish experience of SEA within different sectors and tiers of environmental decision making. The findings of this research have a wider application to the International impact assessment community. The methodology that was used in the development of criteria for setting SEA alternatives in this research included a number of phases; 1) an assessment of criteria as set out under the EU SEA Directive national legislation and guidelines was undertaken; 2) an assessment of a sample set of SEAs in Ireland to determine criteria currently in use was conducted; 3) a questionnaire of potential criteria was circulated to all SEA practitioners (consultants and Local Authority staff) active in Ireland during the research period; 4) face to face interviews were conducted with a sample set of SEA professionals responsible authorities and statutory consultees to elicit views on existing and potential criteria and comment on a proposed decision making framework; and 5) assessment of the approach in the context of waste management planning.The methodology allowed the author to determine how alternatives are currently being dealt with in an Irish context and how this might be improved in light of growing familiarity with the SEA approach. In particular the questionnaire follow-up of detailed semi-structured interviews with some of the more experienced planners and practitioners was extremely useful. The methodology was initially developed within the context of land use planning and was subsequently applied to waste management planning. The main outputs from the research are: 1) alternatives development criteria; 2) decision support framework; 3) peer reviewed journal publications; and 4) dissemination through undergraduate teaching international and national conferences research seminars and local authority presentations. In addition the research has also given rise to networking teaching and project participation opportunities.

Grant Approved

�208,464.15

Research Hub

Sustainability

Research Theme

Socio-Economic Considerations

Start Date

01/12/2004

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a