JBA Consulting Report Template 2015
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Office of Public Works Arterial Drainage Maintenance Works - Maine Arterial Drainage Scheme 2019-2023 Stage 2: Natura Impact Statement December 2018 Office of Public Works Templemungret House Mungret Co. Limerick JBA Project Manager Tom Sampson 24 Grove Island Corbally Limerick Ireland Revision History Revision Ref / Date Issued Amendments Issued to V0.3 Internal review T Slattery (JBA) V0.5 Internal review N Burke (JBA) V1.0 / 04 Dec 2018 First issue to client Tony Brew (OPW) V2.0 / 18 Dec 2018 Updates following client Tony Brew (OPW) review Contract This report describes work commissioned by Helena Fagan, on behalf of the Office of Public Works, by a letter dated 6 June, 2018. The Office of Public Works representative for the contract was Tony Brew. Joe Freijser, Malin Lundberg and Tanya Slattery of JBA Consulting carried out this work. Field survey work was carried out by Independent Ecologist Ross Macklin. Prepared by .................................................. Joe Freijser BA MSc Ecologist Reviewed by ................................................. Niamh Burke BSc (Hons) PhD CEnv MCIEEM Senior Ecologist Tanya Slattery BSc MSc MSc (Res) Ecologist Purpose This document has been prepared as a Final Report for the OPW. JBA Consulting accepts no responsibility or liability for any use that is made of this document other than by the Client for the purposes for which it was originally commissioned and prepared. JBA Consulting has no liability regarding the use of this report except to the OPW. Copyright © Jeremy Benn Associates Limited 2018 Carbon Footprint A printed copy of the main text in this document will result in a carbon footprint of454g if 100% post- consumer recycled paper is used and 577g if primary-source paper is used. These figures assume the report is printed in black and white on A4 paper and in duplex. JBA is aiming to reduce its per capita carbon emissions. 2018s0768 - Office of Public Works - NIS Maine V2.0.docx Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Legislative context .............................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Appropriate Assessment Process ...................................................................................... 4 1.4 Methodology....................................................................................................................... 5 2 Project Description ................................................................................................. 9 2.1 Arterial Drainage Maintenance ........................................................................................... 9 2.2 Drainage Maintenance Activities ........................................................................................ 9 2.3 The Maine Arterial Drainage Maintenance Scheme ........................................................... 16 2.4 Drainage Maintenance Works Proposed for the Maine Arterial Drainage Scheme ............ 16 3 Screening Assessment Results ............................................................................. 17 3.1 Surface Water Pathways .................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Land and air pathways ....................................................................................................... 21 3.3 Groundwater pathways ...................................................................................................... 26 3.4 Screening assessment conclusion ..................................................................................... 30 4 Existing Environment ............................................................................................. 32 4.1 General .............................................................................................................................. 32 4.2 Ecology - Overview ............................................................................................................ 32 4.3 Ecological walkover survey results ..................................................................................... 33 4.4 Flora ................................................................................................................................... 42 4.5 Fauna ................................................................................................................................. 42 5 Natura 2000 sites within the Zone of Influence of the works/scheme ................... 44 5.1 Castlemaine Harbour SAC (000343) .................................................................................. 44 5.2 Castlemaine Harbour SPA (004029) .................................................................................. 46 6 Appropriate Assessment........................................................................................ 48 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 48 6.2 Identification of Potential Sources of Impact ...................................................................... 48 6.3 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................ 50 6.4 Impact Evaluation ............................................................................................................... 53 7 Avoidance and Mitigation Measures ...................................................................... 65 7.1 Site specific mitigation measures ....................................................................................... 65 7.2 Mitigation for Bridge/Sluice/Structural Works ..................................................................... 66 8 Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 68 References.......................................................................................................................... 70 Appendices ......................................................................................................................... I A Conservation objectives......................................................................................... I B Protected Fauna ............................................................................................................................... XVI II C Non-native Invasive Species ............................................................................................................................... XX X D Environmental Drainage Maintenance Manual ............................................................................................................................... XX XI E Foreman's Bridge Inspection Report ............................................................................................................................... XX XII 2018s0768 - Office of Public Works - NIS Maine V2.0.docx Contents F Environmental Risk Assessment Form ............................................................................................................................... XX XIII G Ecological Survey Extent ............................................................................................................................... XX XIV H Channels, Embankments, Bridges and Sluices screened into assessment and pathways of impact ............................................................................................................................... XX XV 2018s0768 - Office of Public Works - NIS Maine V2.0.docx List of Figures Figure 1-1: The Appropriate Assessment Process (from: Appropriate Assessment of Plans and Projects in Ireland - Guidance for Planning Authorities, DoEHLG, 2009).. 5 Figure 1-2: Screening assessment process ...................................................................... 7 Figure 2-1 Extent of Maine Arterial Drainage Scheme ....................................................... 16 Figure 3-1 Channels of the Maine Scheme with potential impacts via surface water pathways (JBA 2014a) ...................................................................................... 18 Figure 3-3 Channels and embankments with potential impacts via ground water pathways (JBA 2014a) ...................................................................................................... 26 Figure 4-1 Otter spraint and Badger sett found along the survey area of the River Maine 33 Figure 4-2 Japanese knotweed on west bank of channel D43A ........................................ 33 Figure 4-3 Sea wall protecting bank providing habitat for otter .......................................... 35 Figure 4-4 Reed and large sedge swamps FS1 mainly showing common reed (Phragmites) ........................................................................................................................... 36 Figure 4-5 Channel running through wet grassland ........................................................... 38 Figure 4-6 Shingle shore on west facing peninsula south of Fybagh ................................. 39 Figure 4-7 Mud shore showing elevated mudflat................................................................ 40 Figure 4-8 Treeline alongside a drainage channel ............................................................