Environmental Assessment
Volume B-5.2
Mine
Cultural Property
Ambatovy Project
355
January 2006
The key questions for cultural resources are:
Key Question AR-1
What Effect Will the Project Have on
Archaeological Sites?
Key Question SE-8
Will the Project Lead to Cultural or Social
Conflicts Between Local Residents and
Outsiders?
Key Question SE-10 What Effect Will Resettlement From the Project
Within the Area of Direct Impact Have on
Inhabitants?
5.2.5
Impact Assessment
5.2.5.1 Assessment Methods
Assessment methods consisted of identifying which cultural resources discovered
during the fieldwork phase would be directly impacted by construction activities.
Potential secondary impacts relating to hydrologic or soil erosion effects off of
the project footprint were evaluated based on impacts predicted in the hydrology
and soils EA sections (Volume B, Sections 3.8 and 3.3).
Cultural resources may suffer tertiary impacts (through increased visitation to the
area by non-local residents following construction of the project). These impacts
are difficult to predict, but can be mitigated.
5.2.5.2 Assessment Criteria
The assessment criteria used for cultural resources are presented in Table 5.2-2.
Table 5.2-2 Impact Description Criteria for Cultural Resources
Direction
Magnitude
Geographic Extent
Duration
Reversibility
Frequency
neutral:
no
effect on
cultural
resources
negative:
cultural
resources are
destroyed
negligible:
no
measurable effect
on cultural
resources
moderate:
tertiary
impact on cultural
resources
high:
primary
impact on cultural
resources
local:
effect restricted
to the mine site
footprint
regional:
effect
extends beyond the
mine site footprint
(secondary impact)
medium term:
3 to 30 years
long term:
>30 years to
permanent
reversible or
irreversible
low:
occurs
once
medium:
occurs
intermittently
high:
occurs
continuously
