ABSTRACT
Scientists and engineers are usually comfortable with the use of quantitative extrapolation and statistical analysis to perform impact assessment; but they do not always have the insight to discover the multitudes of pathways by which environmental resources can be affected. They can readily apply quantitative models, but ™rst they need to conceptualize each of the pathways requiring application of the models. Overlooking potential impacts can be a problem in EISs, but is particularly easy in EAs, which tend to be shorter and more focused. Whereas many EISs analyze in detail potential impacts to more than ten environmental resource categories, shorter EAs may provide substantial discussion of only one or two resource categories because their proposed action clearly has no potential to affect other resources. While good EAs should not provide a detailed investigation of effects that obviously have
little potential to signi™cantly impact the environment, preparers of EAs must still consider such effects.
