Preliminary methodology for the assessment of the global impact of a production site: a study case

A new methodology has been recently devised for the assessment of the global impact of an industrial installation on the surrounding environment. The difference with respect to previous approaches lies in the fact that not only specific aspects of the problem are taken into consideration, but all the main issues characterizing the interaction, in a broad sense, between the plant and the territory are simultaneously analyzed. This involves a significant effort both in terms of data acquisition and assessment. Furthermore, a modified definition of the environmental vulnerability has been adopted, more appropriate for the combination with the developed indices. In the present paper an example of application of the procedure to a real medium-size petroleum refinery will be illustrated. It is expected this will help in the comprehension of some critical steps where some analyst’s personal judgment is required.