Monitoring

Impact assessment must always include a monitoring plan for assessing environmental impacts; this is required by legislation. The aim of monitoring is to ensure the possibility to take the necessary measures to mitigate or reduce adverse environmental impacts. Monitoring can be conducted so that the monitoring plan is revised and updated periodically. The monitoring of environmental impacts of PLJ 2002 and PLK 2007 was conducted in this way. 

In HLJ, the aim has been to developed impact assessment so that the monitoring of traffic related impacts as well as impacts on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions would be a continuous process. Comprehensive monitoring has been an integral part of the preparation of HLJ, and efforts have been made to combine the monitoring of the implementation of the plan and its impacts efficiently. For example, during the HLJ 2011 process, key goals were set for the plan as a whole and possible environmental risks emerging from the changing operating environment were identified in the assessment.