What is EIA?
EIA is short for Environmental Impact Assessment. The EIA is a process during which a systematic report on all conceivable impacts a construction can have on the environment is elaborated. The purpose of the EIA is to assess the impact the construction will have on the environment based on a number of specific demands on the content.

The EIA-report shall provide citizens, authorities and other parties with a foundation enabling them to consider pros and cons connected to a specific project. As a citizen you are invited to take active part in the two public comment phases featured in the EIA procedure.

Based on the EIA a proposal for the local development plan amendment will be elaborated and published for public commenting.

Content of an EIA
Basically the following is contained in an EIA:

- a description of the project and the most important alternatives, including the main alternative and a zero-alternative
- a description of the surroundings susceptible to influence
- an assessment of the short and long term, direct and indirect and possible increasing consequences for the environmental conditions
- preventive measures to reduce the environmental impact
- method and potential weak points
- a non-technical summary

From this you can see that in EIA connections "the environment" is broadly defined. It is not only pollution caused by the construction but also the impact on social conditions such as landscape, traffic, culture-historical values, business development and so on.

As mentioned above there is a number of legal requirements for the content of the EIA report. However, in connection with an infrastructural project there is obviously much attention on aspects such as noise and consequences for the existing traffic, both concerning public transport and all other traffic. Also the visual consequences of the LRT are specifically investigated.

In addition to this the routing of the LRT system will be distinctly investigated in the EIA. Below map shows the routing for stage one.



As shown on the map two alternatives are being considered in the northern part of Aarhus, where the LRT crosses Herredsvej. Where the eastern alternative is unlevelled with Herredsvej, and thus the economically most expensive solution, the western alternative is on level with the road. This alternative fits best into the landscape, but gives the longest by-pass. Both alternatives will be analysed in the EIA before a final decision is taken.

The EIA process
From the spring of 2007 until the middle of 2008 preliminary investigations were made to form the basis for the Environmental Impact Assessment report. In the same period the first public comment phase took place and was subsequently considered. The preliminary investigations and the public comment period served as background for the preparatory work on the EIA report and the invitation for tenders for the report. This took place in 2008.

On 22 October 2008 contracts for consultancy on preparation of input for the EIA report for the first stage of the LRT in the Aarhus area were signed. This took place on the basis of offers received from the tendering phase from 11 July to 1 September 2008. The tender was divided into 3 domain specific areas, and the following consultants were chosen:

• Domain 1: Draft for Construction - Grontmij-Carl Bro
• Domain 2: Environmental and land use conditions - NIRAS
• Domain 3: Landscape aesthetic consultancy and visualisations - Architects C.F. Møller A/S.

Until the end of 2009 the consultants chosen, the LRT Secretariat and COWI, as the client consultant, prepared the EIA report, in which the environmental impact of the project within the 3 domains were defined. Based on this report a proposal for the local authority plan supplement was prepared. This and subsequent local plans will form the basis of the construction of the LRT stage 1.

The proposal and the EIA report were considered and approved by Aarhus City Council on 16 December 2009 in order to submit the plans to public hearing at the beginning of 2010.

The public hearing of the proposed local authority plan supplement and the EIA report took place from 3 February to 7 April 2010. You can find all written material published in connection with the hearing under » Materiale (in Danish only).

When all comments from the hearing and the subsequent political discussion have been considered, a final approval of the proposal for the local authority plan supplement and the EIA report may be expected. This will probably happen by the middle of 2010.

Below the EIA process and the time table for this process are shown.