Environmental Scoping Report Westray South Tidal Array

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Environmental Scoping Report Westray South Tidal Array Environmental Scoping Report Westray South Tidal Array October 2011 Rev 0.1 Prepared JRT & IH Checked FT, AD, FF, RB Approved RB & JT Date of October By By By Issue 2011 Page 2 of 259 Scoping report - Westray South CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 13 1.1 The Developer ...................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Project Overview and Agreement for Lease .......................................................... 13 1.3 Development Process ........................................................................................... 15 1.4 Pre-scoping consultation ....................................................................................... 20 2 PROJECT BOUNDARIES, APPROACH TO EIA AND CONSENTING PROCESS ...... 21 2.1 Geographical boundaries ...................................................................................... 21 2.2 Technical boundaries ............................................................................................ 22 2.3 Approach to EIA – Rochdale Envelope ................................................................. 23 2.4 Consenting approach ........................................................................................... 24 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................... 26 3.1 Offshore infrastructure .......................................................................................... 27 3.2 Onshore Infrastructure .......................................................................................... 30 3.3 Installation of offshore components ....................................................................... 33 3.4 Construction of onshore infrastructure .................................................................. 36 3.5 Operation and maintenance .................................................................................. 37 3.6 Decommissioning.................................................................................................. 38 4 KEY POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES ......................................................... 40 4.1 Renewable Energy Policy in Scotland ................................................................... 40 4.2 Marine and Terrestrial Planning Policy .................................................................. 41 4.3 Marine (Scotland) Act ........................................................................................... 42 4.4 The Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 42 4.5 Consents & Licensing ........................................................................................... 44 Page 3 of 259 Scoping report - Westray South 4.6 Conservation regulations ...................................................................................... 46 5 POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT ........................................... 48 5.1 Local communities and socio-economics .............................................................. 49 5.2 Commercial fisheries ............................................................................................ 53 5.3 Shipping and Navigation ....................................................................................... 58 5.4 Ports and harbours ............................................................................................... 63 5.5 Utilities .................................................................................................................. 67 5.6 Disposal sites ........................................................................................................ 70 5.7 Land use ............................................................................................................... 71 5.8 Landscape and Seascape ..................................................................................... 75 5.9 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage ....................................................................... 79 5.10 Ministry of Defence (MOD) areas ...................................................................... 84 5.11 Aviation ............................................................................................................. 86 5.12 Recreation ......................................................................................................... 87 5.13 Tourism ............................................................................................................. 91 5.14 Other renewables .............................................................................................. 94 5.15 Onshore Traffic.................................................................................................. 97 5.16 Questions ........................................................................................................ 100 6 POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON THE ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ............................... 101 6.1 Birds ................................................................................................................... 102 6.2 Marine mammals and reptiles ............................................................................. 117 6.3 Fish and Shellfish resource ................................................................................. 125 6.4 Coastal and terrestrial ecology ............................................................................ 131 6.5 Seabed communities .......................................................................................... 138 6.6 Questions ........................................................................................................... 142 7 POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ..................................... 143 7.1 Physical processes ............................................................................................. 144 Page 4 of 259 Scoping report - Westray South 7.2 Air and climate .................................................................................................... 149 7.3 Water and Sediment quality ................................................................................ 152 7.4 Geology, Soils and Hydrology ............................................................................. 156 7.5 Questions ........................................................................................................... 161 8 CUMULATIVE AND IN-COMBINATION EFFECTS .................................................... 162 9 PRELIMINARY HAZARD ANALYSIS – SUMMARY ................................................... 164 10 PROPOSED EIA METHODOLOGY ....................................................................... 166 10.1 EIA Process .................................................................................................... 166 10.2 Environmental Statement ................................................................................ 168 11 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................... 172 12 SCOPING QUESTIONS ......................................................................................... 179 13 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 180 APPENDIX A Responses received APPENDIX B Identification of Natura interests which may be affected by the proposals APPENDIX C Preliminary Hazard Analysis Westray South Page 5 of 259 Scoping report - Westray South SSE RENEWABLES – REQUEST FOR SCOPING OPINION – WESTRAY SOUTH SSER is seeking a Scoping Opinion for the proposed Westray South tidal array from the Scottish Ministers under Section 7 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment)(Scotland) Regulations 2000. Comment is also sought and welcomed from other stakeholders with an interest in the proposed development. This Scoping Report has been produced by Royal Haskoning and Aquatera in line with relevant guidance and recent consultation with Marine Scotland, its advisory bodies and other key stakeholders. A description of the proposed development along with SSER’s proposed approach to the EIA and NRA is provided. Further queries relating to the project should be directed to: Robin Burnett Westray South Project Manager [email protected] Tel: 01463 861227 Mob: 07810 858264 Page 6 of 259 Scoping report - Westray South Glossary of terms Agreement for Lease The Agreement for lease is granted by The Crown Estate for a limited time period and grants a developer exclusive rights to investigate the possibility of a development (with respect to wave and tidal energy projects) within a defined area. Area of Search Area covered within the scoping report Array A number of tidal energy converter devices that are positioned within close proximity of each other Benthic Communities Species that live on the seabed Cable landfall area of Area in which cables that span the marine and terrestrial search environment may be installed. Cumulative effects The overall effects of a number of different proposals of the same type of development. Environmental Impact Process to facilitate the identification and assessment of Assessment the potential environmental impacts associated with the project. Environmental Statement A statutory document (containing the findings of the environmental impact assessment) which is required as part of the consent
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