Combining Public Health Issues and EIA – a Case Study of an Austrian Rural Road Traffic Project

Background Since 1994 it has been mandatory in Austria to conduct environmental impact assessment (EIA) for certain infrastructure projects according to its EIA Act. The health issue is not explicitly addressed in this federal law, only “human beings” are considered as one of the factors to be protected. In 2010, the Austrian Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Action plan and in 2011, a national HIA Support Unit (2011) were established in order to foster the implementation of HIA in Austria on a voluntary basis. The development of tools and methods in order to perform HIAs and to test them in certain areas are of strategic importance for human health and necessary. Aim: Since there are few experiences in the conduction of HIA projects available in Austria, a comprehensive pilot HIA of a road traffic project has been carried out showing how HIA can be applied into transport planning. The objectives of the pilot project were (i) to examine the potential health and well-being impacts of the road traffic project at local level as its starting point to undertake further HIAs in the transport sector, and (ii) to cooperate with the regional transport department on how HIA can be implemented and used within EIA. Methods A steering group comprising representatives from central agencies, municipalities, research organizations, HIA experts and affected people has submitted valuable comments during the course of the project. A participation concept has been developed to promote involvement of affected inhabitants and relevant companies within the project. In order to achieve the objectives, a mix of methods has been applied: (a) a literature survey; (b) a survey, which was sent to all households in the affected area; (c) two focus groups with affected individuals and representatives of local SME's; (d) qualitative interviews; and (e) workshops on scoping, appraisal recommendations involving national and regional opinion leaders and stakeholders. Results A number of potential health impacts were considered using a range of sources of information. As a main result, ten recommendations have been drafted, discussed and derived for the proponent and local politicians. Through the development of a participation concept the needs of particular groups of the population were systematically addressed. Conclusion This case study, concerning a road traffic project, represents the first (voluntary) HIA in transport sector in Austria and shows how a HIA can supplement an EIA process in order to give priority to both environmental and social sustainability. This case study is in particular interesting for practitioners, but there are scientific lessons learnt too.