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Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Department of Civil Engineering

CVL300: Environmental Science and Impact Assessment

Tutorial #7 Draft TOR of Hwy 407 East Extension 2004

1. The planning horizon for the Highway 407 east extension is 30 years. Is it too short or too
long? What should be considered when selecting a planning horizon?
Answer:
- The planning horizon should be consistent with the growth (e.g. population and economic),
trade, tourism and recreation and transportation plan and municipal official plans where
future population and employment have been projected and allocated.
- Selection of planning horizon should strike a balance between the need for longer planning
horizon and the need to have reliable forecasts for future growth patterns.
- Life cycle analysis and cost and benefit analysis depends on the planning horizon. For life
cycle analysis, the planning horizon affects the rebuilding cost. For benefit cost-benefit
analysis, the planning horizon will determine the net benefits.

2. Table 4.1 shows the minimum factors and criteria for assessing the alternatives. For the
environmental factors, does it cover the environment defined under the Ontario EAA?
Answers: Yes. Both physical/natural environment as well as human and man-made
environment (e.g. social, economic, and cultural condition that influence, buildings, structures).

3. How will the study area be generated? Will the study area limit the evaluation of environmental
impacts?
Answers: The study area is defined as the geographic area where alternative methods will be
generated and is shown in Exhibit 2.1. No. The study area does not limit the potential to
examine environmental impacts and effects outside of its boundaries

4. Two evaluation methods will be used to select the preferred alternatives (i.e. Reason
argument/tradeoff method and Arithmetic evaluation method). What the main difference
between these two methods?
Answers: Reason argument method is based on non-numerical evaluation and project team
expertise while the arithmetic method is based on a comparison of numerical scores.