Volume 1 – Non-Technical Summary
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CONSULTANTS IN ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & PLANNING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (EIAR) FOR THE PROPOSED CROAGHAUN WIND FARM, CO. CARLOW VOLUME 1 – NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Prepared for: Coillte Date: December 2020 Core House, Pouladuff Road, Cork T12 D773, Ireland T: +353 21 496 4133 | E: [email protected] CORK | DUBLIN | CARLOW www.fehilytimoney.ie TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Requirement for EIAR ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 EIAR Structure ....................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Permission Period ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.4 Difficulties Encountered ....................................................................................................................... 4 2. SITE SELECTION AND ALTERNATIVES ...................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Need for the Development ................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Alternatives........................................................................................................................................... 6 3. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................... 8 3.1 Proposed Development ........................................................................................................................ 8 3.2 Wind Turbines ...................................................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Turbine Transport ................................................................................................................................. 9 3.4 Connection to the National Grid. ....................................................................................................... 10 3.5 Tree Felling and Replant Lands. .......................................................................................................... 10 3.6 Recreational Amenity Trail ................................................................................................................. 10 3.7 Construction ....................................................................................................................................... 10 3.8 Operation, Maintenance and Decommissioning/Reinstatement ...................................................... 11 4. POLICY ................................................................................................................................................. 12 5. EIA SCOPING, CONSULTATION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................... 14 6. AIR AND CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................ 15 6.1 Air ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 6.2 Climate ................................................................................................................................................ 16 7. NOISE AND VIBRATION ........................................................................................................................ 17 9. LAND, SOILS AND GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 21 10. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ..................................................................................................... 23 11. POPULATION, HUMAN HEALTH AND MATERIAL ASSETS ...................................................................... 25 11.1 Population .......................................................................................................................................... 25 11.2 Socio-Economics ................................................................................................................................. 25 11.3 Land Use ............................................................................................................................................. 26 P1913 www.fehilytimoney.ie i / ii 11.4 Recreation, Amenity and Tourism ...................................................................................................... 26 11.5 Human Health ..................................................................................................................................... 28 11.6 Renewable Resources, Non-Renewable Resources and Utility Infrastructure .................................. 29 12. SHADOW FLICKER ................................................................................................................................ 31 13. TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT ................................................................................................................... 33 14. ARCHAEOLOGY, ARCHITECTURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE ............................................................... 36 15. LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL ..................................................................................................................... 38 15.1 Receiving Environment ....................................................................................................................... 38 15.2 Landscape Impact Assessment ........................................................................................................... 39 15.3 Visual Impact Assessment .................................................................................................................. 39 15.4 Cumulative Impact Assessment .......................................................................................................... 40 16. TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND AVIATION ............................................................................................. 41 16.1 Telecommunications .......................................................................................................................... 41 16.2 Aviation ............................................................................................................................................... 42 17. INTERACTIONS OF THE FOREGOING ..................................................................................................... 43 P1913 www.fehilytimoney.ie ii / ii CLIENT: Coillte PROJECT NAME: Croaghaun Wind Farm, Co. Carlow SECTION: Volume 1 – Non-Technical Summary 1. INTRODUCTION Fehily Timoney & Company (FT) has prepared the environmental impact assessment report (EIAR) on behalf of Coillte CGA. Coillte intends to apply to Carlow County Council for planning permission to construct the proposed Croaghaun. The proposed project will primarily consist of a wind farm of up to 7 no. wind turbine generators (WTG’s) and 1 no. substation compound along with ancillary civil and electrical infrastructure. The project shall also include infrastructure for community use in the form of walking trail enhancements. The wind farm site is located at Croaghaun Hill on the northern slopes of the Blackstairs Mountains, approximately 1.5km south east of the village of Myshall and approximately 5.5 km west of Bunclody. The proposed project consists of four main elements: • The wind farm; • Turbine delivery route (TDR); • Grid connection route (GCR); • Replant Lands. The proposed Croaghaun Wind Farm project will consist of up to 7 no. wind turbine generators (WTG’s) and 1 no. on site substation along with ancillary civil and electrical infrastructure. The project shall also include infrastructure for community use in the form of walking trail enhancements. The turbines will have a maximum tip height of up to 178m and a maximum rotor diameter of up to 138m. The final turbines chosen may vary but will not exceed theses dimensions. Throughout the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, consideration of environmental impacts of the proposed development is based on the largest possible size of development i.e. assessment of the worst-case scenario. The potential output of the project is approximately 38.5 megawatts (MW). The associated grid connection route (GCR) will consist entirely of underground 38kV cable and will connect the on-site substation to the existing 110/220kV substation at Kellistown, within the townland of Kellistown East. The GCR will be ca. 21.5 km in length, with ca. 20.3 km to be constructed primarily within the existing road corridor. The 38kV grid connection cable will primarily follow public roads and shall feature horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at up to 8 no. locations to cross existing watercourses and the N80 National Road. An off site substation will be required adjacent to the existing Kellistonw substation to accommodate the proposed project. The works will allow the voltage from the wind farm grid connection to be ‘stepped up’ to 110kV. The works will comprise a substation compound which will be self-contained and positioned in a neighbouring field to that of the existing Kellistown substation. Two locations