Vol. 535 No. 1
135 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will ensure that a comprehensive and independent environmental impact statement, covering all possible long-term risks to health and the environment, is commissioned before he authorises the development of the Corrib field. [11568/01]
The legislation governing petroleum developments is the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act, 1960. The provisions of this Act relating to the environmental impact assessment require the applicant seeking approval for the working of petroleum to submit an environmental impact statement to me for consideration. The legislation therefore places the onus on the developer rather than the competent authority to prepare and submit the environmental impact statement.
In deciding whether the proposed working of petroleum would or would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment I am obliged, before reaching a decision on the proposed development, to have regard to criteria which are specified in the legislation. These criteria include possible long-term risks, if any, to health and the environment. Before reaching a decision on a project of this nature my Department will carry out an extensive consultative process with both internal and external experts, statutory consultees and the general public on the environmental impact statement.
My Department has also engaged Environmental Resource Management, ERM, to advise on the environmental impact statement submission by Enterprise Energy Ireland. This advice is for the purpose of determining if the EIS conforms with statutory requirements, to advise on its adequacy and to ascertain the likelihood of significant impacts arising from the proposed activities.
