Abstract
This study, focusing on the area expansion of limestone mines, identifies the problems of Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) and what impact the current problems exert on another mines developing process. The legal relations analysis reveals that the Management of Mountainous Districts Act and other related laws effect on EIA process, especially the case of area expansion of limestone mines excluded from EIA. However, these problems can create mismatch with the policy goal of EIA system and have a negative impact on the environment in the future. A series of indepth interviews with managers in related agencies found that those agencies have been unaware of the seriousness of the problem. Without any strategy, negative result made by development activities would get more serious and sustainable development may not be possible at all. In order to solve these problems, government should modify the current interdependent legal provision and create the incentive structure to participate actively related agency in the EIA system.
