Public participation in the environmental assessment of oil projects has been introduced as one of the essential components and inseparable chapters of environmental assessment studies. Mohammad Taghi Jafarzadeh, Deputy of Environmental Protection at the HSE Department of the Ministry of Oil, stated that these guidelines relate to the development of oil fields, linear projects such as pipelines, and point projects like refineries and petrochemical complexes.
Emphasis on the Necessity of Public Participation
Jafarzadeh emphasized that from now on, every project executed in the oil industry must include a public participation appendix in its environmental assessment process. This action is in line with addressing environmental considerations and reducing the negative impacts of oil activities on the environment. He also referred to utilizing existing capacities to mitigate these negative impacts and stressed that these considerations should be taken into account during the assessment and implementation stages of projects.
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Reduction of Gas Emissions to Flares
Jafarzadeh also mentioned the actions taken to reduce the amount of gas sent to flares and stated that plans for oil industry flares have been considered. These projects can help not only in reducing environmental impacts but also in collecting and utilizing associated gas and preventing the waste of these resources. He emphasized the importance of considering environmental considerations and utilizing public participation in project assessments, stating that these actions can help reduce the consequences of developmental activities and better protect the environment.
Finally, Jafarzadeh stated that public participation in environmental assessments not only helps increase public awareness about environmental issues but can also lead to improved decision-making quality regarding oil projects. This new approach can serve as a leading model in other sectors as well.
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