How can the effects of EIA procedures and legislation foreseen for the mining operation activities to mining change positively in Turkey?

• Published in: Resources policy Vol. 72; p. 102018
• Main Author: Yıldız, Taşkın Deniz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Approved projects; Audits; Bureaucracy; Community involvement; Community participation; Comparative studies; Criteria; Cut off grades; Decisions; Environmental effects; Environmental impact assessment; Environmental impact assessment decisions; Environmental impact assessment system; Environmental legislation; Environmental policy; Investments; Legislation; License security; Minerals; Mining; Mining industry; Mining investment attractiveness; Public participation; Regulation; Sales; Security of mineral tenure; Turkey; Security of mineral tenure; License security; Environmental impact assessment decisions; Mining investment attractiveness; Public participation; Environmental impact assessment system
• ISSN: 0301-4207; 1873-7641
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102018

Environmental criteria have an impact on the decisions made whether to realize mining operating activities or not alongside with criteria for production and investment such as reserve, cut off grade, sales price, cost. In this direction, according to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), it is determined whether mining projects will be carried out or not. Necessary arrangements have been made in the EIA Regulations since the first time they came into force in Turkey. And environmentally sensitive EIA reports were prepared to carry out mining activities. Additionally, the participation of local community to the EIA process is ensured and mining enterprises also contribute economically to the mining region. Turkey has adopted legislation similar to EU legislation and carried out its applications in EIA and other environmental legislation in compliance with EU legislation for the European Union (EU) membership. Thus, in Turkey, being sensitive to the environment, EIA for mining is carried out under a tighter audit and more controlled way compared to EU countries locally and no mining projects that do not comply with the environment are approved and current activities are halted. However, bureaucracy has increased in EIA assessments, permitting processes have been prolonged, and mining investments have become difficult. This situation can be observed with the decline of Turkey in the worldwide rank regarding the mining investment attractiveness index (IAI) category and the other categories determining it, or with the fact that Turkey doesn't have a steady progress when compared to the EU member states. For the solution of the problems in Turkey, it was suggested that legislation which would enable projects with EIA Positive decisions to be carried out by being subjected to only one law and being obtained from one institution was made. Also, it is beneficial to take account of the suggestion which says each mineral group shall be subject to different processes in terms of EIA due to the fact that each may have a significantly different environmental effect. According to the survey conducted, majority of mining sector agrees with this view. •Turkey realizes a similar application with EU in the environmental legislation in compliance with EU legislation.•Frequent amendments in the EIA legislation negatively affect the mining enterprises that are in the permit period.•Frequent amendments in EIA legislation, and the bureaucracy during the permit process negatively affect mining enterprises.•Ranks of Turkey and other EU Countries were compared in investment attractiveness index categories of the Fraser Institute.•According to survey conducted, majority of mining enterprises ask for different EIA applications based on mineral groups.