以民眾觀點探討環境影響評估制度

The Research of Environmental Impact Assessment from the Viewpoint of Citizen Participation

環境影響評估制度的最主要功能是要解決經濟發展與環保抗爭的衝突，然而實施多年之後，可以感受的到上述目標仍然沒有能夠達成，環保抗爭仍然充斥於我們的社會，土地的開發依舊是荊棘滿佈。為什麼會如此呢？本文於深入探討之後，主張問題的關鍵乃是在於目前的環境影響評估制度依然是建基於科技決定論的意識型態，一般民眾仍然是沒有實質參與的機會。然而，經濟開發及環境影響評估皆應該是屬於公共政策制訂的範疇，在此開發過程之中，民眾的參與應該扮演著非常重要的角色。尤其是政策的制訂通常是一種主觀的價值選擇，而不是猶如科技決定論者所謂的客觀事實的認定。因此，在一個民主社會裡，選擇的權力應該是保留在民眾的手中，也唯有經由民主的參與才可以促進理性目標的達成。本文由此立論出發，在理論建構及實務評估之後，認為目前環境影響評估制度最主要的缺失乃是缺乏民眾的參與，並提出五點改進的意見：（一）納入「社會影響評估」或是「環境正義評估」；（二）轉移環境影響評估報告書製作的權責單位；（三）賦權予地方進行環境影響評估；（四）重組環境影響評估審查委員會；（五）公民訴訟制度的引進，希望上述意見的提出能夠讓大家一起來省思環境影響評估制度未來可能的改進方向。本文認為透過民主參與制度的引進，或將可以解決目前的衝突景象，並使環境影響評估制度真正的落實。 The key objective of the institution of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to resolve the conflict between economic development and environmental protest. Ironically, the protest activities do not decrease because of the implementation of the EIA in Taiwan. The development for industrial zones still causes violent protests coming from local communities. Why the EIA does not work? The paper argues that it is because the EIA is still based upon the ideology of technological determinism, and local communities are excluded from the EIA institution. Land development and the EIA should be in the domain of public policy decision, and citizens' participation is therefore very important in this sense. The choice of public policy is usually related with subjective value, never restricted only within objective facts. Thus, power of choice should be kept in the hands of citizens. Citizens and local communities should be empowerment to own a relative autonomous position related to the state government and business conglomerates. Nowadays, the major shortcoming of the EIA is lacked of democratic participation, which is the best way for the success of the EIA. The paper maintains that local communities should have the power for the preparation of the EIA reports. In addition, many other suggestions are also submitted in the paper. Above all, the authors believe that with the inclusion of citizens in the institution of EIA the conflicts within economic development and environmental protection could be resolved.