Acceptable Risks: An Appraisal Analysis of Environmental Impact Statements

Environmental impact statements assess the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a proposed project and outline measures to minimize any adverse impacts. These documents form a core component of development approval processes for major infrastructure and resource projects, and are generally written by consultants hired by the project proponent. Environmental activists and researchers have raised questions as to the reliability of these documents, their capacity to fulfill their apparent purpose of protecting the environment, and whether they may be used for political purposes. In Australia, it is highly unlikely that a project will be rejected on the basis of an environmental impact statement. This study uses the appraisal framework to analyze sections from seven Australian environmental impact statements, providing insight into the stance created by interpersonal language choices. The findings indicate that appraisal resources frame the technical findings of the study in ways that align the reader to view the proposed project in a positive light and therefore encourage approval of the project. These findings illuminate the discourse of documents that operate at the junction of scientific and administrative domains, and that have significant influence over environmental outcomes.