DECISION (Unofficial Translation) No 53/2018/2 Document No ESAVI
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DECISION (Unofficial translation) Southern Finland No 53/2018/2 Document No ESAVI/9101/2017 Issued after publication 12 April 2018 SUBJECT Construction of two natural gas pipelines in the Finnish exclusive economic zone and authorisation for preparation APPLICANT Nord Stream 2 AG REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY FOR SOUTHERN FINLAND / ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS DEPARTMENT │ [email protected] tel. +358 29 501 6000 Hämeenlinna Office Birger Helsinki office fax +358 3 570 8002 Jaarlin katu 15 Ratapihantie 9 [email protected] PO Box 150, FI-13101 PO Box 110, FI-00521 Helsinki www.avi.fi/etela Hämeenlinna 2 (110) FILING OF THE APPLICATION .......................................................................................................... 4 GROUNDS FOR APPLYING FOR THE PERMIT AND THE PERMIT AUTHORITY’S COMPETENCE ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) ............................................................................. 4 PERMITS AND DECISIONS CONCERNING THE PROJECT AND PROTECTED AREAS ................ 5 Permits and decisions ....................................................................................................................... 5 Natura 2000 sites ............................................................................................................................... 5 Seal sanctuaries................................................................................................................................. 5 Cultural heritage sites ....................................................................................................................... 5 CONTENTS OF THE PERMIT APPLICATION .................................................................................... 6 Purpose and overview of the project ................................................................................................ 6 Information about the waters in the area ......................................................................................... 6 Water resources and marine resources management plans and status of waters ....................... 9 Use of the sea area .......................................................................................................................... 10 Works and structures ...................................................................................................................... 11 Agreements and consents relating to the project ......................................................................... 23 Property details ................................................................................................................................ 23 Impacts of the project ...................................................................................................................... 23 Measures to prevent or reduce losses ........................................................................................... 31 Benefits and losses resulting from the project .............................................................................. 34 Monitoring ........................................................................................................................................ 37 Application for authorisation for preparation ................................................................................ 38 NATURA 2000 SITES ....................................................................................................................... 40 Natura 2000 screening studies ....................................................................................................... 40 Natura 2000 assessments ............................................................................................................... 45 Opinions issued on account of the Natura assessments and screening studies ....................... 47 PUBLICITY OF THE APPLICATION ................................................................................................. 50 STATEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 50 OBJECTIONS AND OPINIONS ......................................................................................................... 64 ADDITIONS TO THE APPLICATION AND THE APPLICANT’S RESPONSES ................................ 67 Additions to the application (19 January 2018) concerning munitions clearance and alternative clearance techniques 67 Applicant’s responses ..................................................................................................................... 68 ADDITIONS TO THE APPLICATION (5 FEBRUARY 2018) CONCERNING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS MONITORING PROGRAMME .......................................................................................... 78 ADDITIONS TO THE APPLICATION (12 MARCH 2018) .................................................................. 82 NOTE ................................................................................................................................................. 82 DECISION OF THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY ............................................ 83 3 (110) Permit decision ................................................................................................................................ 83 Permit provisions ............................................................................................................................. 83 Grounds ............................................................................................................................................ 91 Factoring in environmental impact assessments .......................................................................... 98 Factoring in statements given by countries pursuant to the environmental impact assessment procedure in a transboundary context ........................................................................................... 99 Applicable legal provisions ........................................................................................................... 104 Authorisation for preparation ....................................................................................................... 104 Grounds .......................................................................................................................................... 104 Applicable legal provisions ........................................................................................................... 106 Responses to statements and objections .................................................................................... 106 PROCESSING FEE AND GROUNDS ............................................................................................. 107 RECIPIENTS OF THE DECISION ................................................................................................... 107 NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES .................................................................................. 108 APPEALS ........................................................................................................................................ 110 4 (110) FILING OF THE APPLICATION Nord Stream 2 AG filed an application with the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland on 19 September 2017 and subsequently supplied additions to the application concerning a permit for the construction of two natural gas pipelines in the Finnish exclusive economic zone and authorisation for commencing preparations for the implementation of the project prior to the decision becoming legally enforceable. GROUNDS FOR APPLYING FOR THE PERMIT AND THE PERMIT AUTHORITY’S COMPETENCE Finnish Water Act, Chapter 3, Sections 2 and 3(4) and Chapter 1, Section 7(1) Finnish Act on the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone, Section 18 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) An environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the Nord Stream 2 project was completed on 3 April 2017. The Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, which acts as the coordinating authority, issued a statement on the assessment report on 26 July 2017, according to which the assessment report complies with the content requirements for assessment reports laid down in Section 10 of the Finnish Decree on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure. Transboundary environmental impacts were also taken into account in the EIA procedure pursuant to Sections 14, 15 and 22 of the Finnish Act on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure. Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Russia and Estonia were consulted in the course of the procedure. The procedure factored in the obligations laid down in the Espoo Convention (Finnish Treaty No 67/1997). In its statement, the coordinating authority concluded that the assessment report had been drawn up appropriately and that it was sufficient considering the stage of the EIA procedure. According to the EIA report, the most important harmful impacts of the project will occur during the construction phase and affect marine mammals that are the basis for the protection of Natura 2000 sites. Any available measures must be taken to mitigate the harmful impacts of the project. The statement stipulates that the project’s deleterious impacts on Natura 2000 sites must be evaluated in more detail