所謂環境影響評估,係指:針對開發行為或政府政策對於環境可能造成影響之程度及範圍,事前以具備科學、客觀、綜合性質之調查、預測、分析及評定等方式,提出環境管理之計畫,並公開說明審查之。其所界定的環境範圍,則包括生活環境、自然環境、社會環境及經濟、文化、生態等人文環境。環境影響評估法,則係就環評程序所為之相關規定,其中對於民眾參與,法規條文雖有明文規範,惟礙於前述諸多事實面或法制面因素,致使其規範密度不足而無法達到其立法意旨。就此而言,民眾(包括當地居民、相關團體)參與環境影響評估,雖然已經依照相關明文規定而具體施行,卻仍有許多相關的衍生問題,亟待我們找出問題癥結所在,並嘗試謀求較為完滿的解決之道。 基於以上所述,本文的研究角度,是從民眾參與環境影響評估的憲法地位出發,並在探究其他相關的法律規範之後,鳥瞰環境影響評估程序,藉以了解民眾參與機制在環評過程中所預期扮演的角色,以及應有的功能,並進一步探究若違反環評中民眾參與等程序規定時,其法效性如何,應如何救濟?最終又該要如何改進,使民眾參與制度能在環境影響評估程序中獲得落實,均為本文探討重點所在。 因此,本文就有關民眾參與環境影響評估之研究著作、法院判決、相關法令等資料進行分析與討論。探討環境影響評估法中之民眾參與制度的正當性依據,並適當介紹其關於此部分之實際運作過程,再據以檢視我國法制上之缺失與不足,除了提出相關之問題點之外,並嘗試:在符合我國法理依據及實務見解之前提下,尋找妥適之解決方法,期使民眾參與環境影響評估制度,更切合我國國情及實際需要,且得以有效發揮其功能,並符合憲法上之兼籌並顧條款與相關原理原則。
Environmental impact assessment is: By possessing ways such as the investigation, prediction, analysis of science, objective, comprehensive property and evaluating in advance, on intensity and range of influence that the economic development activities or government policy may cause to the environment, propose the plan of environmental management, disclose the explanation and examine it. The environmental range defined by it, include humane environments such as living environment, natural environment, social environment and economy, culture, ecology, etc… Environmental Impact Assessment Act is the regulation of standardizing appraisal procedure of environmental impact. As to the part related to citizen participation, although regulation clause has norm proclaimed in writing, because the factor including various facts or legal system, cause it to standardize density insufficiently and unably to reach its legislative intention. As regards this, the people (including the local, relevant groups) participate in environmental impact assessment, though already according to expressing regulations relevantly and implementing specifically. But there are still a lot of relevant derivation questions, demanding us urgently and find out the very crux of the question. We should try to seek the comparatively satisfactory solution. This text studies the environmental impact assessment in terms of constitution, probe into relevant legal norm first. And then taking a bird's-eye view of the procedure of environmental impact assessment to let us realize the due function what the citizen participation's mechanism in environmental impact assessment should has and understand what the legal effects have while .the government violating the procedure. Finally, finding out the way improves the question and making citizen participation system practicable in environmental impact assessment legal system.