Life cycle assessment as a tool in environmental impact assessment

Various authors have stated that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) differs fundamentally from product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This paper shows the contrary. LCA is a specific elaboration of a generic environmental evaluation framework. EIA is a procedure rather than a tool, in which LCA certainly may be useful. Particularly in strategic and project EIAs, environmental comparisons of process and abatement alternatives may be relevant. Although these alternatives may lead to different emissions and effects at the location of the process itself (which is usually the focus in project EIAs), they can also influence the demand for activities upstream and downstream in the production chain. Including such secondary effects in an EIA, which may be crucial for a proper comparison of alternatives, requires a system approach that takes into account all relevant effects. This is, in fact, LCA. A review of five case studies shows that it is quite feasible to use elements of LCA in EIA. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.