reg 5 Environmental impact assessment process
(1) The environmental impact assessment (“the EIA”) is a process consisting of— (a) the preparation of an environmental statement or updated environmental statement, as appropriate, by the applicant; (b) the carrying out of any consultation, publication and notification as required under these Regulations or, as necessary, any other enactment in respect of EIA development; and (c) the steps that are required to be undertaken by the Secretary of State under regulation 21 or by the relevant authority under regulation 25, as appropriate. (2) The EIA must identify, describe and assess in an appropriate manner, in light of each individual case, the direct and indirect significant effects of the proposed development on the following factors— (a) population and human health; (b) biodiversity, with particular attention to species and habitats protected under any law that implemented Directive 92/43/EEC and Directive 2009/147/EC ; (c) land, soil, water, air and climate; (d) material assets, cultural heritage and the landscape; (e) the interaction between the factors referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) to (d). (3) The effects referred to in paragraph (2) on the factors set out in that paragraph must include the operational effects of the proposed development, where the proposed development will have operational effects. (4) The significant effects to be identified, described and assessed under paragraph (2) include, where relevant, the expected significant effects arising from the vulnerability of the proposed development to major accidents or disasters that are relevant to that development. (5) The Secretary of State or relevant authority, as the case may be, must ensure that they have, or have access as necessary to, sufficient expertise to examine the environmental statement or updated environmental statement, as appropriate.