Page 143 - DMGT501_OPERATIONS_MANAGEMENT

Unit 5: Facility Location

5.5.2 Impact Planning Notes

Any facility will create an impact on the environment. This is also called an ecological footprint.
Theoretically, the size of the ecological footprint should be minimized. Impact planning is the
integration of commercial and practical environmental objectives to produce the optimum
benefit for business and the environment.
The following features need to be protected and the impact on these also needs to be considered:
1. Vegetation/Tree cover

2. Wetlands, Swamps, Mangroves
3. Protected Areas
4. Lakes
5. Rivers and creeks
6. Sea coast
The impacts on these specific elements should be within the parameters of the environmental
laws that protect environs of the site.
In addition, the topography, soil mixture and drainage must be suited to the type of building
required. The soil must be capable of providing it with a proper foundation. It should not be a
low-lying area. Ingress of excess water during monsoons should not disturb operations. Land
improvements or piling and concrete rafting to provide protection and the required strength to
the foundations always prove expensive. Even when the price of land is low, it may not prove to
be economical to build on such sites.
In India we have laws to protect the air, water, and ground. Both air and water are impacted by
the wastes that are produced and the manner in which wastes are disposed of. Will the plant be
situated in a smoke-free zone? Can water and oil be discharged directly or must it be transported
from the plant? What local agencies are available to provide solutions?
Recently there were news reports that oil seepage from an oil storage depot of Indian Oil
Corporation in Bihar, had found its way into the water table. Water supply in the area has
become unfit for human consumption. This raises questions of various threats to the environment
from factory operations.
The legal requirements of the Government of India and the types of impacts that need to be
controlled to meet environmental and local laws include the following:
1. Air pollution 2. Water pollution
3. Waste treatment 4. Solid waste disposal
5. Hazardous chemicals 6. Disposal of sludge
7. Noise 8. Dust
9. Radiation 10. Toxic chemicals
11. Industrial accidents 12. Chemical or fuel spills
13. Soil contamination 14. Water supply
15. Disease vectors 16. Smog
17. Acid precipitation 18. Ozone depletion
19. Global warming 20. Loss of biodiversity
21. Animal deaths 22. Visual impact
23. Landscaping

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 137