CAN SOFTWARE BULLETPROOF THE EIS PROCESS?

BY LIZ SHAW
Special to the Journal

In the midst of today's computer revolution, people are constantly demanding things be done quicker, faster and cheaper. But of course, that isn't to say they don't want it perfect, too.

This is certainly true when it comes to environmental assessments of development projects. With what are often multi-million dollar projects hanging in the balance, the ability to conduct an environmental review quickly and accurately becomes paramount. Sue Sanders, president of the environmental consulting firm Shapiro & Associates, puts it another way "People want things bulletproof."

Folks at Shapiro & Associates think they've found a way to help "bulletproof" environmental reviews while also cutting valuable time off the research process. It's a software package called Calyx, designed to help project developers find preliminary environmental impacts quickly and easily.

Developed by Essa, a Canadian software developer, the software allows the user to enter data about a project, such as its location, dimensions and the kind of materials to be used. The system then accesses a customized database that locates the project, evaluates the impact it will have on the area and suggests several mitigation measures that the owner can take to compensate for any negative impacts.

Started in 1987 as a Canadian government project, the software drew upon the experience of Canadian airports managers, defense ministers and other officials who were responsible for environmental issues. Scientists supplied Essa with technical information from their respective fields to form the large interdisciplinary data base.

Preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) can be cumbersome enough to make Calyx attractive to a number of clinets. For example, if a municipality wants to build a new bridge, preparing an EIS is a time-consuming first step towards getting the project underway. The municipality must first study the possible project sites to determine the location that will allow the structure to be built with the least number or least severe environmental impacts on the surrounding area.

Next, experts from various disciplines (archeology, biology, water quality, etc.) conduct detailed scientific studies of the impact of the structure. Mitigation measures are then suggestions to compensate. Finally, the municipality must present this report to the public, which often includes several special interest groups, such as neighbors, business councils, environmentalists and developers.

But Calyx is a decision support tool, not a final decision maker. Sander sees this product as the next advance in the way scientists conduct research. "If you look at the evolution of the consulting practice, we all started doing research out in the field, then started doing research via books, as well as computer search programs and computers," said Sander. "This is the next likely step, where an expert system helps you make decisions."

Currently, Calyx is used by several municipalities outside the U.S., such as the Australian Department of Defense and the Edmonton International Airport. The software has just been introduced in America and has yet to be tested by a local government. But Shapiro has already been in contact with several municipalities in the area that have expressed interest in the product.

"No product that we've seen combines knowledge engineering, which is expert system technology, relational data base technology and wraps it around GIS [geographic information system]," says Mark Sten, principal of environmental management services at Shapiro.

The digital map databases, a key to the product's effectiveness, offers a visually accurate picture which decision makers and stakeholders can easily understand. That can save valuable time explaining a project's impact to the general public.

To operate Calyx, users input information about the site -- its physical, socioeconomic and ecological characteristics. Construction activities are also entered, such as building a bridge and its ramps. Then, the software identifies and prioritizes impacts for the site based on the data.

The user can change the information by adjusting factors such as the structure's location or the number of sockeye salmon living nearby, and the software again prioritizes the impacts.

"With this tool you can do 10 different scenarios and bang, show them to the stakeholders on the fly, while they're asking questions," says Sten.

Proponents of Calyx say the program will shorten the EIS writing process because it provides a long list of mitigation measures. Having 20 mitigation measures to choose for a project can save a municipality time they would otherwise have to spend creating a preliminary list.

The software also serves as an instant and accessible long-term memory. Many large projects outlive their project managers and information is lost with each new project manager. With Calyx, the data base improves with use.

But, as with the advent of all technology, there are downsides. The implication for entry-level scientists that otherwise would be doing the work Calyx does, is not promising.

"We're headed to a situation where folks that have general backgrounds in general planning, or in general sciences won't have employment opportunities with us or others that they had in past," said Sander.

And what will be the effect of Calyx on the general EIS process?

"It will never replace an EIS, because it won't give you the intimate level of detail that an EIS will," said Sten. "What it will do is very quickly assess optimal locations and choices for an activity."

But sophisticated scientific analysis will remain paramount in understanding the complicated nuances of data relationships.

"Those that are specialists in water as it relates to water quality or quantity, you'll still need those folks because you'll need them to interpret the data," said Sander.

Liz Shaw is a freelance writer living in Seattle.