Application of TOPSIS in Environmental Impact Assessment of Oil Refineries (Case Study: Khouzestan Super Heavy Oil Refinery)

Khouzestan super Heavy oil refinery, 7 km north of Abadan in Khouzestan province was chosen as a case study, in assessing the environmental impacts, by Delphi method and the TOPSIS, (a multicriteria decision models). The advantage of TOPSIS in the environmental impacts assessment is ranking positive and negative effects by using different criteria. Appropriate method to assess the effects must have standards and guidelines for determining and ranking the intensity, range, and so on. By using this method in environmental impact assessment, infinitely alternative (the impacts of a specific plan) can be ranked based on the infinitely criteria. High accuracy and use of spreadsheet software are other advantages of this method. Present research is a step towards the introduction of new methods of environmental impact assessment and its application in the EIA process in Iran,which, however selecting the appropriate methodology has a long way to go (for lack of standards).