D13 the Marine Environment Development Consent Order
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ENERGY WORKING FOR BRITAIN FOR WORKING ENERGY Wylfa Newydd Project 6.4.13 ES Volume D - WNDA Development D13 - The marine environment PINS Reference Number: EN010007 Application Reference Number: 6.4.13 June 2018 Revision 1.0 Regulation Number: 5(2)(a) Planning Act 2008 Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 Horizon Internal DCRM Number: WN0902-JAC-PAC-CHT-00045 [This page is intentionally blank] Contents 13 The marine environment .................................................................................. 1 13.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 13.2 Study area ....................................................................................................... 1 13.3 Wylfa Newydd Development Area baseline environment ................................ 2 Conservation designations .............................................................................. 3 Water quality .................................................................................................... 9 Sediment quality ............................................................................................ 13 Phytoplankton and zooplankton ..................................................................... 15 Marine benthic habitats and species .............................................................. 18 Marine fish ..................................................................................................... 28 Marine mammals ........................................................................................... 36 Seabirds ........................................................................................................ 43 Summary of receptors ................................................................................... 55 Evolution of the baseline ................................................................................ 55 13.4 Disposal Site baseline environment ............................................................... 57 Site description .............................................................................................. 58 Conservation designations ............................................................................ 59 Water quality .................................................................................................. 60 Seabed characteristics .................................................................................. 62 Phytoplankton and zooplankton ..................................................................... 63 Marine benthic habitats and species .............................................................. 63 Marine fish ..................................................................................................... 66 Marine mammals ........................................................................................... 68 Seabirds ........................................................................................................ 70 Summary of receptors ................................................................................... 70 Evolution of the baseline ................................................................................ 71 13.5 Design basis and activities ............................................................................ 71 Construction................................................................................................... 72 Operation ....................................................................................................... 87 Decommissioning .......................................................................................... 92 13.6 Assessment of effects for Wylfa Newydd Development Area ........................ 92 Construction................................................................................................... 95 Operation ..................................................................................................... 181 Decommissioning ........................................................................................ 256 13.7 Assessment of effects for the Disposal Site ................................................. 259 Construction................................................................................................. 259 Operation ..................................................................................................... 279 Decommissioning ........................................................................................ 281 Transboundary effects ................................................................................. 281 13.8 Additional mitigation ..................................................................................... 283 Construction................................................................................................. 283 Operation ..................................................................................................... 287 Decommissioning ........................................................................................ 288 Page i 13.9 Residual effects ........................................................................................... 288 13.10 References .................................................................................................. 289 Page ii Wylfa Newydd Power Station Chapter D13 The marine environment Development Consent Order 13 The marine environment 13.1 Introduction 13.1.1 This chapter describes the assessment of potential marine environment effects resulting from the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Power Station, other on-site development as described in chapter A1 (introduction) (Application Reference Number: 6.1.1) of this Environmental Statement), Marine Works and the Site Campus within the Wylfa Newydd Development Area. It also considers potential effects at the Disposal Site of Holyhead North. 13.1.2 Please refer to chapter B13 (the marine environment) (Application Reference Number: 6.2.13) for the technical basis for the assessment including a summary of legislation, policy and guidance; key points arising in consultation that have guided the marine environment assessment; and assessment methodologies and criteria. 13.1.3 The assessment herein supports the Development Consent Order application and also the application for a Marine Licence to cover Licensable Marine Activities, required separately under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. 13.2 Study area 13.2.1 This section describes the study area relevant to the marine environment assessment for the Wylfa Newydd Development Area and the Disposal Site. 13.2.2 Since 2010, surveys to determine the marine ecology baseline have focused on an area 5km from the Wylfa Newydd Development Area. This survey area is termed the ‘central study area’ in this chapter (see figure D13-1, Application Reference Number: 6.4.101). 13.2.3 The spatial extent of the central study area was defined based on an understanding of the tidal excursion along the north coast of Anglesey and the results of preliminary hydrodynamic modelling, which provided an initial indication of the dispersion of the Cooling Water discharge from the Power Station. As a worst case, it was considered that potential effects were most likely to occur within the central study area. 13.2.4 For certain marine receptors, additional data and/or information have been gathered from outside the central study area to further characterise the marine ecology baseline. This included mobile receptors such as marine mammals, seabirds and fish to allow the potential effects on populations to be assessed. 13.2.5 The term ‘wider study area’ is used to describe the full spatial extent of baseline survey data and information considered within the assessment of effects for the Wylfa Newydd Development Area (if greater than the 5km central study area). The spatial extent of the wider study area is receptor-specific and has been described under the relevant headings within section 13.3. Page D13-1 Wylfa Newydd Power Station Chapter D13 The marine environment Development Consent Order 13.2.6 The marine environment assessment also considers effects on marine receptors at the Disposal Site and a further study area has been defined specific to this assessment. The ‘Disposal Site study area’, much like the wider study area, encompasses the spatial extent of all baseline survey data and information considered within the assessment of effects. The spatial extent of the Disposal Site study area is receptor-specific and has been described under the relevant headings in section 13.4. 13.2.7 It is acknowledged that marine receptors will exhibit a degree of connectivity between the two study areas delineated. Consequently, characterisation of the baseline environment for the Wylfa Newydd Development Area (section 13.3) and the Disposal Site (section 13.4) marine assessments may have drawn upon the same survey data and information where appropriate. 13.3 Wylfa Newydd Development Area baseline environment 13.3.1 This section provides a summary of the baseline conditions for the marine environment within the central study area described in section 13.2. Where a wider study area has been defined to characterise the baseline for a particular receptor, further description is provided below. 13.3.2 The environmental baseline data within this section (13.3) are supported by the following appendices