A Study On The Validity For Public Participation Of Environment Impact Assessment In China

Public participation plays an important role in environmental assessment, and many countries have made relative regulations on public participation of environmental assessment. Although China's public participation started late, but in recent years, it has developed rapidly. For China, public participation still exist some shortcomings, especially the effectiveness of public participation. When developing China's system of public participation, we need to take corresponding measures, combining country-specific situations; Not completely imitate foreign models, develop public participation that suits China's actual situation based on continue to assimilate, deflowering, summing up experience.The so-called public refers to the main masses served by government; Public participation is a social action taken by the social groups, social organizations, units or individuals as the principal rights and obligations within the scope of the purpose of engaging in. And it is right that mass participate in the government. Specific to a different meaning and different context , having its specific meaning. Public participation of EIA refers to a two-way exchange between the environmental impact assessment work and the public, aims at being fully endorsed by the public, and enhances project's environmental and economic benefits. Public participation has a great significance for the implementation of the EIA: First, public participation is conducive to enhance objectivity of environmental impact assessment. Secondly, public participation effectively supervises the environmental impact assessment. Moreover, public participation is an effective manner to avoid public conflict and arousingThe concept of "EIA" was firstly advanced at an international environmental quality evaluation meeting held in Canada. In 1969, United States "Environmental Policy Act" first affirmed it as legal system, then, the system has been used in Sweden, Australia, France, Ireland and many other countries. As environmental impact caused by the proposed action involves many complex benefits, at the beginning of the establishment of environmental impact assessment system, the public participation is considered one of the important contents of the environmental impact evaluation. The purpose for public participation in environmental impact assessment is designed to solicit the views, attitudes and demands on the environment affect from various aspects. Thus, policy makers could as much as possible to balance the interests of all parties, consider the interests of ecological environment and prevent and reduce the possible adverse environmental impacts. The study of public participation in environmental management theory began in early 1960s. Its main ideas are environmental public property, environmental public trust and public's environment rights.Through analyzing the developing history and status quo of public participation in environmental impact's evaluation of our country ,I describe the development progress in this system and current environmental impact on public participation in the status quo simply , point out the positive role of public participation in environmental impact assessment work , especially the "environmental impact assessment public participation in these procedures", not only defines the rights of public participation in"EIA", but also formulates the specific scope, procedures, mode and duration for participation . It is propitious to protect the public's right to know the environment and molilize all relevant stakeholders in the initiative. Specific performance is shown as follows: realization the possibility for public to exercise the environment right; assurance the feasibility and appropriateness for Environmental Protection Measures to be active; enhancement the people's awareness of environmental protection and so on. And basing on the preceding analysis of the situation, the author sum up the current problem of public participation in"EIA": the system of public participation is not perfect enough; the choice of participation mode is not reasonable; the effect of view on public participation is limited; and the sense of public participation is weak. Moreover, the paper presents a detailed instruction of current situation for public participation in the several main western countries and Japan, compares with our situation on the main features and basic methods to indicate the insufficiency, and explain the reason of the effective less in our current public participation.In the examples'analysis, we analyze four examples in certain regions of the flood respectively: a infrastructure project of city technician Institute, a flood control project, a city sewage treatment project and a city Municipal Garbage Disposal. The main content include: the meaning, purpose, scope, and mode of public participation. Through specific questionnaire and tables, we can know the public support and proposals for the project. Moreover, on the effective analysis for the four projects, we find the overall character and deficiency in current public participation. This analysis is of great practical significance to improve the system of public participation, and enhance the effectiveness of public participation. Viewing the effectiveness of the public participation in our current"EIA", from the factors of impact on the effectiveness of the public participation, proposes the more effective prescription and high maneuverability recommendations: perfect mechanisms, enhancement the degree of concern, strengthening environmental education; increasing the diversity of implementing public participation, enhancement the awareness of public participation, choosing the time and object scientific, and designing the scientific steps .Finally, summarize several conclusions on the basis of environmental impact evaluation of public participation in the exploration of theory and case analysis: China and the developed countries has a certain gap in public participation system, therefore resulting in gaps of effectiveness; enhance the effectiveness of public participation should be from the following aspects : making clear the purpose and significance of public participation, expanding the scope of public participation, and making public participation target more representative and enrich .Public participation is an important component of the environmental impact assessment. Compared with other countries, our work is still immature, and in actual operation, there are still many problems affecting the effectiveness of public participation, which also reduces the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment. Public participation is the most direct and effective way to for the public to increase environmental protection awareness. Public participation arouses the community to attach importance to environmental protection, and to work together with environmental protection workers to protect our environment. The effectiveness of public participation for construction project EIA needs to be improved, not only is construction project's demands, but the full embodiment of China's socialist democracy, as well as currently the inevitable choice for China to build a harmonious society.