5 60 A ppen d ix b: Usi n g L aw s to Fi g h t f o r En v i r o n m en tal R i g h t s
How communities can influence an EIA
Getting lots of information from different
sources (not just from the company)
and taking the time you need to
understand all the potential impacts,
are important parts of exercising
your right to participate in an
EIA. Usually, many decisions are
already made by the time the
people who are most affected
have any say.
Participating in an EIA
process can help educate and
organize your community to
better protect its health and
resources in the long term.
Even if it is not always possible to
stop a harmful project, educating
and organizing around an EIA
can help protect your community.
Demand to participate
Communities can demand a voice in an EIA. Sometimes a court, government,
or development agency will allow community representatives to take part in the
EIA process. People from the community may participate, or can ask an ally,
such as an NGO or a lawyer, to represent them. If community representatives
take part in the EIA process, they can then report back at community meetings
about what the company is planning and doing. Participation can also help build
an understanding about the community’s rights and responsibilities, and the
ways they may prevent harm from a project or prevent the project altogether.
Get the entire EIA report
Communities have a right to see the entire EIA document, not just a summary
or a partial version. EIA reports often include sections called “Security Risks,”
“Social Risks,” “Health Risks,” and “Clean-up Costs.” These sections may
describe problems the company would rather not share, especially at public
meetings. Communities and their allies can also identify errors in the EIA or
important missing information.
The problems described in an EIA, as well as the problems ignored by
the EIA, can be shared with media, government officials, and the public to
help build broader resistance to harmful projects. You can also share them
with national or international bodies, such as the United Nations, which may
result in pressure being placed on corporations or governments to respond to
community concerns.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012