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Re: Initial Study: North Coast Railroad Authority Russian River Division Freight Rail Project - July 10
Author: Jon
Date: 07-23-2007 - 08:49
I see a lot of confusion here. Reading (and especially understanding) an environmental impact report or a similar document is very difficult for the general public. As a real estate development consultant, I’m familiar with them, so I thought I would give some pointers on these kind of documents.
1. Don’t believe everything that you see. This is a draft, almost totally one-sided, and will be revised when feedback comes in. Basically, a target for all interested parties to shoot holes into it.
2. Just about everything refers to a “worst case” scenario. Just because the report says that impacts will (or could) happen doesn’t necessarily mean that they will.
3. There is always an option for “no project”. That doesn’t mean anything other than to say that’s a potential option.
4. ALL development changes the environment to some extent. The purpose of the report is to identify what the proposed development may change.
5. Some things that a proposed project changes can’t be helped, others can. Projects are approved regularly with unmitigated effects due to the “greater good”.
6. Before the document is certified (finalized and accepted by the governing authority), mitigations will be adopted to eliminate or soften the impacts caused by the project.
I hope this helps.
1. Don’t believe everything that you see. This is a draft, almost totally one-sided, and will be revised when feedback comes in. Basically, a target for all interested parties to shoot holes into it.
2. Just about everything refers to a “worst case” scenario. Just because the report says that impacts will (or could) happen doesn’t necessarily mean that they will.
3. There is always an option for “no project”. That doesn’t mean anything other than to say that’s a potential option.
4. ALL development changes the environment to some extent. The purpose of the report is to identify what the proposed development may change.
5. Some things that a proposed project changes can’t be helped, others can. Projects are approved regularly with unmitigated effects due to the “greater good”.
6. Before the document is certified (finalized and accepted by the governing authority), mitigations will be adopted to eliminate or soften the impacts caused by the project.
I hope this helps.
