One of the objectives of environmental impact assessment of projects is to ensure public participation in the assessment process, and to promote cooperation among stakeholders and interested parties.
Effective consultation with the public and stakeholders from the beginning of the environmental assessment process can:
Provide better consensus on projects.
Provide useful information for the assessment process, for example from local residents who often have good local knowledge of the environment and conditions. That knowledge can be useful in the design of a project and in assessing its environmental impacts.
The planning portal
You can find information on ongoing cases, submit comments and feedback during the consultation period, and access final documents and decisions on Skipulagsgátt, the consultation portal for planning, environmental impact assessment, and development permits.
Who can submit comments and what happens to them?
Anyone can submit comments and express their views on projects and their environmental assessment.
Comments received during the consultation period for the assessment plan and the environmental impact assessment report are part of the material that HMS considers when preparing its opinion on the assessment plan and the environmental assessment of the project.
Presentation and consultation in environmental assessment
When the developer has submitted the scoping document to the Planning Agency, the Agency presents it publicly and makes it accessible on Skipulagsgátt, planning portal and on the agency’s website. The public is then given the opportunity to review the plan and submit comments and feedback.
Once the Planning Agency has issued its opinion on the developer’s scoping document, the opinion along with the plan is made available on the Agency’s website. Those who submitted comments during the process also receive notification that the opinion has been issued.
Public presentation and consultation during the preparation of the environmental assessment report is carried out according to the circumstances in each case, and in accordance with what is outlined in the assessment plan for the project in question.
When the developer has submitted the environmental assessment report to HMS, the agency presents the proposed project and the report to the public and makes it available online. The public will then have the opportunity to review the project and its environmental assessment and to submit comments to HMS.
HMS prepares an opinion on the environmental impact of the project based on the developers environmental assessment report, received comments from the consultees and the public. HMS's opinion is shared with parties who submitted comments on the environmental assessment report and is made available to the public online.
Generally, those who have a legitimate interest in the decision whether projects falling under category B should be subject to an environmental assessment may appeal the decision to the Environmental and Natural Resources Board of Appeal. This applies, for example, to landowners, neighbors, fishing associations, or environmental organizations, outdoor recreation organisations, and interest groups that meet certain criteria.
Opinions issued by HMS on the environmental impact of a project or on the assessment plan are not subject to appeal. However, those with legally protected interests, including environmental, recreational and interest associations, may appeal permits for projects that fall under the Act on Environmental Impact Assessment of Projects and Plans to the Environmental and Natural Resources Board of Appeal.
