Cross Shannon 400 Kv Cable Project Screening Statement for Appropriate Assessment and Natura Impact Statement
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Cross Shannon 400 kV Cable Project Screening Statement for Appropriate Assessment and Natura Impact Statement Produced by AQUAFACT International Services Ltd On behalf of Mott MacDonald July 2020 AQUAFACT International Services Ltd., 12 Kilkerrin Park, Galway. www.aquafact.ie [email protected] Tel: +353 (0) 91 756812 Cross Shannon 400 kV Cable Project Mott MacDonald Screening Statement for AA and NIS July 2020 Document Control/ Approval Sheet Client Mott MacDonald Report Title Cross Shannon 400 kV Cable Project - Screening Statement for AA and NIS Job Number JN1408 Report Status Final Issue Date 30/07/2020 Rev Status Issue Date File Name Author(s) Approved By 1 Draft 02/06/2020 JN1408 Cross James Forde Brendan O’Connor Shannon Cable Project NIS 2 Draft 19/06/2020 JN1408 Cross James Forde Brendan O’Connor Shannon Cable Project NIS 2 Final 30/07/2020 JN1408 Cross James Forde Brendan O’Connor Shannon Cable Project NIS Cross Shannon 400 kV Cable Project Mott MacDonald Screening Statement for AA and NIS July 2020 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................. 1 1.2. REQUIREMENT FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................... 1 1.3. STRUCTURE OF THIS REPORT ................................................................................................................... 2 1.4. GUIDANCE .......................................................................................................................................... 3 1.5. CONSULTATION .................................................................................................................................... 3 2. SCREENING FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................... 8 2.1. MANAGEMENT OF EUROPEAN SITE(S) ....................................................................................................... 8 2.2. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.2. Onshore Activities .................................................................................................................. 11 2.2.3. Submarine / River Shannon Crossing ...................................................................................... 23 2.2.4. Construction Phase Activities ................................................................................................. 48 2.3. CHARACTERISTICS OF EUROPEAN SITE(S) .................................................................................................. 57 2.3.1. Source-Pathway-Receptor and Impact Assessment ................................................................ 57 2.3.2. Plans or Projects That Might Act In Combination .................................................................... 91 2.4. SCREENING OUTCOME ......................................................................................................................... 95 3. NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT ............................................................................................................. 101 3.1. SUMMARY OF SCREENING OUTCOME .................................................................................................... 101 3.2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ............................................................................................... 102 3.3. DESCRIPTION OF RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................ 102 3.3.1. Lower River Shannon SAC .................................................................................................... 102 3.3.2. Qualifying Interest Annex I Habitats ..................................................................................... 104 3.3.3. Qualifying Interest Annex II Species ...................................................................................... 112 3.3.4. River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA. .................................................................... 117 3.4. IMPACT PREDICTION ......................................................................................................................... 118 3.4.1. Lower River Shannon SAC – Marine Habitats ........................................................................ 119 3.4.2. Lower River Shannon SAC - Bottlenose Dolphin and Diadromous Fish Species ....................... 129 3.4.3. River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA - Bird Species ................................................ 131 3.4.4. River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA - Wetlands .................................................... 133 3.5. POTENTIAL FOR ADVERSE EFFECTS ON SITE INTEGRITY ............................................................................... 135 3.6. MITIGATION.................................................................................................................................... 138 3.6.1. Prevention of release sediment, chemical or other waste material pollution ......................... 138 3.6.2. Biosecurity and Pollution Prevention Controls ...................................................................... 140 3.6.3. Noise Mitigation Measures .................................................................................................. 142 i JN1408 Cross Shannon 400 kV Cable Project Mott MacDonald Screening Statement for AA and NIS July 2020 3.7. OUTCOMES ..................................................................................................................................... 143 4. REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................ 144 List of Tables Table 2.1: Approximate Dimensions of The Control Building And Over Ground Structures ............................ 17 Table 2.2: Burial Assessment along the proposed submarine cable route corridor ........................................ 25 Table 2.3: Indicative Construction Schedule for onshore works ..................................................................... 49 Table 2.4: Qualifying Interests of Lower River Shannon SAC (NPWS 20121, 20132). ....................................... 64 Table 2.5: Special Conservation Interests of River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA (NPWS 20123, 20134). ........................................................................................................................................................... 65 Table 2.6: General Site Character of Lower River Shannon SAC and River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA (Natura 2000 - Standard Data Form6). ..................................................................................................... 67 Table 2.7: Threat, pressures and activities affecting Lower River Shannon SAC and River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA (Natura 2000 - Standard Data Form7). .......................................................................... 68 Table 2.8: Annex I marine/ coastal habitats of the Lower River Shannon SAC (Site code 002165) - Source- Pathway-Receptor assessment of potential significant effects. Potential significant effects to Qualifying Interests are highlighted in bold. ................................................................................................................... 73 Table 2.9: Annex I terrestrial/ freshwater aquatic habitats of the Lower River Shannon SAC (Site code 002165) - Source-Pathway-Receptor assessment of potential significant effects. Potential significant effects to Qualifying Interests are highlighted in bold. .................................................................................................. 77 Table 2.10: Annex II marine mammal species and diadromous fish species - Source-Pathway-Receptor assessment of potential significant effects. Potential significant effects to Qualifying Interests are highlighted in bold. .......................................................................................................................................................... 78 Table 2.11: Annex II freshwater aquatic species of the Lower River Shannon SAC (Site code 002165) - Source- Pathway-Receptor assessment of potential significant effects. Potential significant effects to Qualifying Interests are highlighted in bold. ................................................................................................................... 81 Table 2.12: Special Conservation Interest Habitat of the River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA (Site code 004077) - Source-Pathway-Receptor assessment of potential significant effects. Potential significant effects to Special Conservation Interests are highlighted in bold. .................................................................. 84 Table 2.13: Special Conservation Interest Species of the River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPA (Site code 004077) - Source-Pathway-Receptor assessment of potential significant effects. Potential significant effects to Special Conservation Interests are