Environmental Impacts

Course Units

#	Title	Description	Hours
1	Introduction	Sustainable development and environmental policy. Environmental policy dimensions and evaluation of relations, positive and negative, between the proposed project or facility and the environment.	1Χ3=3
2	Environmental Licensing	Impact categories, impact assessment, decision making, response and monitoring measures, principles of environmental law, legal framework, environmental impact assessment, assessment methodology, Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) content, environmental permitting process, EIS assessment criteria, environmental approval and licensing.	1Χ3=3
3	Calculation of Impact-Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)	Empirical Methods, Leopold Tables, Measurement of Specific Parameters and Indicators, Overlapping Method, Impact List Method, Network Method, Battelle Index System. LCA purpose, life cycle stages, LCA methodologies, applications	1Χ3=3
4	Presentation Of Waste Management Case Study	Legislation - institutional guidelines for solid waste management, basic principles of cyclical economy, waste production and stages of urban waste management, management hierarchy, environmental impacts, alternative technological approaches, siting. EIS case study for a landfill, location and history, waste management plan, operation description & waste data, output data (biogas - leachate), field measurements.	2Χ3=6
5	Elaboration of EIA for real technical work	Upon completion of the theoretical lectures, class is split into 4-person study groups, where each group undertakes a real-world project, aiming at the preparation of an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) under the close supervision of a professor with technical expertise in the specific project area. Projects are mostly large infrastructure projects (waste management, transportation, water resources, energy, marine and coastal, etc.). The implementation of the project is based on the material collected and/or provided to the members of the OM, the course specific guidelines (posted on the website) and the supervisor's guidelines. Groups meet regularly with the supervisor to present their progress and discuss/resolve any arising issues all the way to project completion. Project completion entails the preparation of the final course deliverable, the actual EIS as submitted to the licensing authority.	8Χ3=21

Learning Objectives

Upon successful course completion students will be able to:

1. Have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the theoretical, historical and legal environmental impact frameworks.

2. Have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the necessity, different processes and preconditions of environmental licensing for civil and environmental engineering works.

3. Apply different environmental impact assessment and pertinent life cycle analysis methodologies.

4. Appreciate and comprehend the importance of circular economy and sustainability considerations in civil works.

5. Conduct, effectively present and be able to defend as a team a real-case environmental impact assessment study for selected civil works projects.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methods	Class lectures. Group meetings with the project supervisor.
Teaching media	Blackboard and power-point presentations.
Computer and software use	Use of databases (Filotis, GEODATA, GSA, Corine, Natura, etc.) for environmental impact assessment
Assignments (projects, reports)	An Environmental Impact Study (EIS) with a project deliverable and a presentation.
Student presentations	YES

Student Assessment

• Assignments (projects, reports): 70%
• Oral exam: 15%
• Student presentations: 15%

Textbooks - Bibliography

Lecture notes

Lecture Time - Place:

• Tuesday, 08:45 – 09:30,
  Rooms:
  • Ζ. Κτ. 1 Πολ., Αιθ. 11
• Tuesday, 12:45 – 14:30,
  Rooms:
  • Ζ. Κτ. 1 Πολ., Αιθ. 11