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+\section{Introduction}
+
+According to the International Association for Impact Assessment,
+public participation and transparency are two of the basic principles
+applying to all stages in the impact assessment
+process \parencite{principles}. As the ultimate purpose of
+environmental impact assessment (EIA) is to inform decision-making in
+a way that promotes `sustainable development'\footnote{The actual
+meaning of the fuzzy term \emph{sustainable development} is the
+subject of continuing debate. In this essay it is used to describe
+economic development that neither compromises ecosystem services nor
+discounts shared community values. For a discussion of the term
+\emph{sustainable development} see
+\url{http://elephly.net/ecology/TODO}.}, it must ensure that the
+public has access to all information relating to a proposal and ought
+to allow the public to participate in the decision-making process.
+
+In New Zealand, EIA is performed through the Resource Management Act
+1991 (RMA), a comprehensive environmental management framework
+governing the allocation and utilisation of natural resources and
+controling adverse effects on the social, natural and constructed
+environment.  According to \textcite{sadler}, environmental assessment
+under the RMA ``operates within the statutory planning and consent
+system rather than as a separate procedure [and] applies explicitly to
+projects'' \parencite[p 31]{sadler}. The consent system requires
+project planners to submit an environmental impact statement (in New
+Zealand this is called an Assessment of Environmental Effects or AEE)
+in order to be able to obtain the resource consents needed for the
+implementation of the project. As the AEE is prepared by the project
+proponents (or assessors hired by them), the review of the scope,
+accuracy and level of detail of a given AEE is of great importance to
+ensure that decision-makers in the council have sufficient information
+to make decisions that are sound from a socio-economic and
+environmental point of view.
+
+% TODO: introduce Grinlinton; where did he make this statement?
+
+\begin{quote}
+  Councils often do not have the inclination to challenge an AEE,
+  particularly if the development may bring benefits to the region. It
+  therefore often falls to individuals or public interest groups to
+  grasp the thorn and challenge
+  them. \parencite[][pp. 110-111]{grinlinton}
+\end{quote}
+
+% TODO:
+% - provide outline for the essay
diff --git a/assignment3/references.bib b/assignment3/references.bib
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@@ -21,6 +21,20 @@
   url={http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/rma/everyday/consent-consultation/}
 }
 
+@report{principles,
+  title={Principles of {E}nvironmental {I}mpact {A}ssessment best practice},
+  author={{International Association for Impact Assessment in cooperation with Institute of Environmental Assessment}},
+  year={1999}
+}
+
+@techreport{sadler,
+  title={Environmental assessment in a changing world: evaluating practice to improve performance},
+  author={Sadler, B.},
+  type={International study of the effectiveness of environmental assessment},
+  year={1996}
+  %notes={EAE_10E.pdf}
+}
+