Hinkley Point C Pre-Application Consultation
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HINKLEY POINT C PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION APPENDICES A.1 Environmental Status Report A.2 Hinkley Point C Indicative Project Programme A.3 Preliminary Works Description A.4 Public Consultation to Date A.5 Public Consultation Questions A.6 Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations HINKLEY POINT C PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTAtion – CONTENTS Appendix A.1 ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS REPORT HINKLEY POINT C PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION – STAGE 1 | 107 CONTENTS GLOSSARY 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose 1.2 Environmental Impact Assessment 1.3 Consultation on the EIA 1.4 Overview of Data Collection 2 STATUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND ISSUES 3 HINKLEY POINT C BUILT DEVELOPMENT AND SOUTHERN CONSTRUCTION AREAS 3.1 Geology, Soils and Land Use 3.2 Land Contamination and Waste 3.3 Hydrogeology 3.4 Hydrology, Drainage and Flood Risk 3.5 Fresh Water Quality 3.6 Marine Water and Sediment Quality 3.7 Hydrodynamics and Coastal Geomorphology 3.8 Terrestrial Flora and Fauna 3.9 Marine and Coastal Flora and Fauna 3.10 Transportation 3.11 Noise and Vibration 3.12 Air Quality 3.13 Radiological Effects 3.14 Landscape and Visual Amenity 3.15 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 3.16 Amenity and Recreation 3.17 Socio-economics 4 OFF-SITE ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Socio-economics 4.3 Cannington Bypass 4.4 Cannington 4.5 M5 Junction 23 4.6 M5 Junction 24 4.7 Bridgwater 4.8 Combwich Wharf 4.9 Williton 5 OTHER ISSUES 5.1 Appropriate Assessment 5.2 Cumulative Assessment 5.3 Environmental Management 5.4 Decommissioning 108 | HINKLEY POINT C PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION – STAGE 1 GLOSSARY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS REPORT Agricultural Land Classification (ALC): A classification of agricultural land in England and Wales according to its quality and agricultural versatility. The classifications range from Grade 1 (the best and most versatile), through Grades 2, 3a, 3b, 3c and 4, down to Grade 5 (the least versatile). Ancient Woodlands: Ancient woodlands are considered to be those which have had continuous woodland cover since at least 1600AD to the present day. Clearance at some time for underwood or timber production does not exclude a wood from this category. Appropriate Assessment (AA): A process required by the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC to avoid adverse effects of plans, programmes and projects on Natura 2000 sites and thereby maintain the integrity of the Natura 2000 network and its features. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): AONBs were formally designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 to protect areas of the countryside of high scenic quality that cannot be selected for National Park status due to their lack of opportunities for outdoor recreation (an essential objective of National Parks). Further information on AONBs can be found at www.aonb.org.uk Bathymetry: The measurement of water depth within a body of water. Benthic Organisms: Organisms associated with the bottom or substratum of aquatic systems. Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP): An agreed plan for a habitat or species, which forms part of the UK’s commitment to biodiversity. For further information consult the BAP website: www.ukbap.org.uk Birds Directive: European Community Directive (79/409/EEC) on the conservation of wild birds. In the UK the Directive is implemented via the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations 1994 (as amended). For further information consult: www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1994/Uksi_19942716_en_1.htm Bivalve: Marine or freshwater mollusc whose body is enclosed between two shells hinged together by a ligament on the dorsal side of the body. British Energy (BE): British Energy delisted from the London Stock Exchange on 3 February 2009 and is now part of EDF Energy. Built Development Area (East and West): The boundary of the footprint of the proposed power station. Conservation Areas: Designated areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Contaminated Land: Land where there may be a presence on site of a noxious substance, which may give rise to a hazard. Critical Group: This group is defined as those people who, because of where they live and their habits, receive the highest radiation doses due to the operations of a nuclear operating site. Decibel (dB): A unit specifying the logarithm of the ratio between the value of a quantity and a reference value (usually used in the measurement of power and intensity). For sound HINKLEY POINT C PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION – STAGE 1 | 109 pressure level the reference quantity is 20μPa, which is the threshold of normal hearing (0 dB). 140 dB is the threshold of pain. Disturbance: A perturbation in the system (either biological, e.g. predation or physical, e.g. storms) which alters the nature of the biological community. English Heritage: A Government Agency which promotes conservation and understanding of the historic environment and advises Government on the selection of listed buildings and scheduled monuments for protection and provides grant aid for the maintenance of historic buildings and monuments. Environment Agency: A Government Agency responsible for matters relating to contaminated land, waste management, surface water drainage and discharges, flood risk management and water quality and has responsibility for ensuring that new nuclear power station designs meet high environmental standards and use the Best Available Techniques (BAT) to achieve this. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Generically, a process for predicting the effects of a proposed development on the environment that informs decision-makers in relation to planning permissions, consents, licences and other statutory approvals, as required by European Union Directive 337/85/EEC (the EIA Directive). Environmental Scoping Report: A scoping report is usually produced at an early stage in the EIA process and should contain sufficient information to support a developer’s request to a regulator for a scoping opinion. Environmental Statement: The document reporting the process and outcomes of the EIA. Epifauna: Species living on the surface of the sediment in the marine environment. Geomorphology: The scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them through an understanding of landform history and dynamics (in particular their nature, origin, processes of development and material composition). Greenfield Site: An area where development has not previously taken place. Groundwater: Water occurring below ground in natural formations (typically rocks, gravels and sands). Habitats Directive: The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora) is a European Union directive adopted in 1992 as an EU response to the Berne Convention. It is one of the EU’s two directives in relation to wildlife and nature conservation (the other being the Birds Directive). It aims to protect some 220 habitats and approximately 1,000 species listed in the Directive's Annexes. Annex I covers habitats, Annex II covers species requiring designation of special areas of conservation, Annex III covers the criteria for selecting sites eligible for identification as sites of community importance and designation as special areas of conservation, Annex IV species in need of strict protection and Annex V covers species whose taking from the wild can be restricted by European law. These are species and habitats which are considered to be of European interest, following criteria given in the Directive. The Directive led to the setting up of a network of Special Areas of Conservation which, together with the existing Special Protection Areas, form a network of protected sites across the European Union called Natura 2000. Hinkley Point C Development Site: The site of the proposed nuclear power station development (the main development). Highway Authority: The responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of the highways is split between the Highways Agency, a body responsible for the national trunk road network 110 | HINKLEY POINT C PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION – STAGE 1 (i.e. motorways and major A roads) and County Councils, who are responsible for the local highway network (i.e. other public roads). Historic Environment Record (HER): Formerly the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR). Local Authorities are required to keep a register of known archaeological sites, monuments and finds, which is called the HER. Historic Parks and Gardens: Parks and gardens identified by English Heritage as being of particular interest and quality by reasons of their historic layout, features and architectural ornaments. Like listed buildings they are graded I, II* and II. Hydrogeology: The geological study of the distribution and movement of groundwater, especially concerning the physical, biological and chemical properties of its occurrence and movement in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust. Hydrography: The measurement of physical characteristics of water bodies involving tidal, current and wave information, together with bed depth, characteristics and features as well as on-shore features for location/navigation purposes. Infauna: Species living within sediment. Informal Recreation: Leisure activities which are not undertaken on a formal, organised basis and are generally carried out by individuals or small groups on an intermittent basis with a minimal requirement for supporting facilities. Intertidal: The area of shore between