A critical assessment of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Croxley Rail Link1) Discuss the extent to which environmental considerations have shaped the planning and design of the Croxley Rail Link .IntroductionEnvironmental impact assessment (EIA) has been broadly defined as an evaluation process in which the environmental considerations of a development proposal are taken into account in the decision-making process. In its official definition, the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) describes EIA as: "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating biophysical, social and other effects relevant development proposals before major decisions are made and commitments made” ( IAIA, 2009). Similarly, Glasson et al (2012) define EIA as a systematic process that assesses in advance the environmental consequences of the development process, with emphasis on preventive measures. While the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), in its EIA guidance, defines the objectives of EIA as: “to prevent, reduce or compensate for significant adverse environmental effects and to enhance positive effects” (DCLG, 2006). These definitions of EIA all emphasize the need to involve the environment in the process of planning developments. The outline of the EIA process, as shown in Figure 1, in the words of Glasson et al (2012), provides planners with a systematic, holistic and multidisciplinary framework for assessing the impacts of development on the environment. . middle of document ......d desire to reinstate the old Croxley green rail link on which development has focused (Mouchel, 2011b). As such, three key objectives of the proposal have been set out (Mouchel, 2011b): • improve sustainable travel links within Watford • improve local travel connectivity within Watford • provide a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to travel by car, with a specific objective the emphasis is placed on reducing noise and greenhouse gas emissions. Based on these stated objectives, it appears that environmental concerns, in terms of sustainable use of transport and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, have been taken into account in the proposal. However, this does not necessarily indicate whether the environment was definitively considered in the proposal design process, or whether it reflects social and economic influences on the proposal..