1. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) shall be carried out for all pipelines or groups of pipelines.
2. EIA is a process for identifying the possible impact of a project on the environment, for determining the significance of those impacts, and for designing strategies and means to eliminate or minimise adverse impacts.
3. An EIA should consider the interaction between the pipeline and the environment during each stage of the pipeline life cycle.
4. The characteristics of the environment may affect pipeline design, construction method, reinstatement techniques, and operations philosophy.