Westland Horticulture Ltd. Volume I

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Westland Horticulture Ltd. Volume I Westland Horticulture Ltd. Peat Harvesting Operations at Lower Coole, Mayne, Ballinealoe & Clonsura, near Coole and Finnea, County Westmeath Volume I Environmental Impact Statement of Westland Peat Harvesting Operations July 2013 OES Consulting FBD House, Fels Point, Building 1000, City Gate Unit 10D Southern Link Business Park Tralee, Co. Kerry Mahon, Cork, Naas, Co Kildare LoCall 1890 130 007 www.oes.ie Control Sheet Environmental Impact Document Title: Statement of Westland Peat Revision 01 Harvesting Operations 31/07/2013 Document No: 1182_06 Issue Date: Prepared By: Approved By Westland Horticulture Ltd. Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of Westland Peat Harvesting Operations at Lower Coole, Mayne, Ballinealoe & Clonsura, near Coole and Finnea, County Westmeath. Contents Volume I Non-Technical Summary Chapter One – General........................................................................................... 1 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Brief Description of the Activity ................................................................. 1 1.2 Peat Harvesting Chronology and Legislative Context .......................... 2 1.3 Overview of Existing Site ............................................................................. 2 1.4 Consultation & Scoping for the Environmental Impact Statement ..... 4 1.5 The Environmental Impact Statement ................................................... 11 1.6 Guide to the Document .......................................................................... 15 Chapter Two – Description of the Activity ............................................................ 17 2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................... 17 2.1 Description of the Activity ........................................................................ 17 2.2 Site Operations .......................................................................................... 17 2.3 Structures on Site and Services ............................................................... 19 2.4 Access and Traffic Generation ............................................................... 19 2.5 Bog Maintenance Operations ................................................................ 20 2.6 Drainage and Pollution Control Arrangements .................................... 20 2.7 Environmental Management System ..................................................... 21 2.8 Rehabilitation/Closure Plan ..................................................................... 21 Chapter Three – Alternatives Considered ............................................................ 22 3.0 Introduction ............................................................................................... 22 3.1 Guidance on Assessing Alternatives ...................................................... 22 3.2 Alternative Processes ................................................................................ 23 3.3 Alternative Rehabilitation Strategies ...................................................... 23 3.4 The ‘Do Nothing’ Alternative ................................................................... 23 Chapter Four – Impacts ......................................................................................... 24 4.0 Introduction ............................................................................................... 24 4.1 Human Beings – Socio Economics .......................................................... 24 4.2 Terrestrial Ecology ..................................................................................... 32 4.3 Aquatic Ecology ....................................................................................... 46 4.4 Soils, Geology and Hydrology ................................................................. 61 4.5 Noise and Vibration .................................................................................. 88 4.6 Air Quality ................................................................................................... 95 4.7 Climate ..................................................................................................... 102 4.8 Cultural Heritage ..................................................................................... 110 4.9 Landscape and Visual .......................................................................... 120 4.10 Traffic ....................................................................................................... 124 Attachments Attachment 1 – Figures Figure 1.1 – Site location Figure 1.2 – Topographical Survey – Coole Figure 1.3 – Topographical Survey – Clonsura Figure 2.1 – Location of Stock Piles – Coole Figure 2.2 – Location of Stock Piles – Clonsura Figure 2.3 – Location of Sedimentation Basins - Coole Figure 2.4 – Location of Sedimentation Basins – Clonsura Figure 2.5 – Local Roads and Access Arrangements - Coole Figure 2.6 – Local Roads and Access Arrangements - Clonsura Figure 2.7 – Location of Proposed Bergerhoff Dust Gauges - Coole Figure 2.8 – Location of Proposed Bergerhoff Dust Gauges - Clonsura Figure 4.4.1 – Clonsura Subsoils Figure 4.4.2 – Coole Subsoils Figure 4.4.3 – Coole Peat Depth Map Figure 4.4.4 – Clonsura Peat Depth Map Figure 4.4.5 – Regional Bedrock Geology Map Figure 4.4.6 – Regional Hydrology Map Figure 4.4.7 – Clonsura Drainage Mapping Figure 4.4.8 – Coole Drainage Mapping Figure 4.4.9 – Designated Site Map Figure 4.4.10 – Proposed Hydrological Monitoring - Coole Figure 4.4.11 – Proposed Hydrological Monitoring - Clonsura Figure 4.5.1 – Noise Monitoring Locations and NSLs - Coole Figure 4.5.2 – Noise Monitoring Locations and NSLs - Clonsura Figure 4.8.1 – Location of Togher Figure 4.9.1 – Extract from Westmeath County Development Plan, Countywide Designations (Ref. 8.3.4) Attachment 2 – Plates Plate 1.1 – Aerial Photograph of Coole Plate 1.2 – Aerial Photograph of Clonsura Plate 2.1 – Milling/Harrowing Plate 2.2 – Ridging Plate 2.3 – Collection Plate 2.4 – Stockpiling Plate 2.5 – Access road through Clonsura site Plate 2.6 – Access area at Coole Plate 2.7 – Access area at Clonsura Plate 2.8 – Sedimentation basin at Clonsura Plate 2.9 – Sedimentation basin at Coole Plate 2.10 – Weir located at sedimentation basin at Coole Plate 4.6.1- Localised dust generation during harrowing Plate 4.9.1- View over Coole site from higher ground at Coole Plate 4.9.2 – View west of peat stockpiles along the R395 at Coole site Plate 4.9.3 – View east over Coole site from alongside the R395 Plate 4.9.4 – View south over Coole site from the R395 Plate 4.9.5 – View south from R395 (Float Bridge) along Inny River corridor Plate 4.9.6 – View of other peat workings to the west of the Inny River Plate 4.9.7 – View of Clonsura site Plate 4.9.8 – View No. 2 of Clonsura site Plate 4.9.9 – View of peat stockpiling at Clonsura site Plate 4.10.1 - Main Entrance into Coole site, looking east Plate 4.10.2- Main Entrance into Coole site, looking west Plate 4.10.3 - Entrance road into Clonsura site Plate 4.10.4 – Access Point 1 Plate 4.10.5 - Access Point 2 Plate 4.10.6 - Access Point 4 Plate 4.10.7 - Access Point 5 Attachments Continued Volume II Attachment 3 – Consultation Responses Attachment 4 – Wetland Surveys Ireland Report Attachment 5 – Conservation Services Report Attachment 6 – Water Monitoring Results Attachment 7 – Noise Monitoring Graphs Attachment 8 – Dr. Maurice Hurley Report Attachment 9 –Abacus Transportation Surveys NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY where no planning permission/EIA is required, which is the position in this case, ,WHL commissioned this EIS to INTRODUCTION facilitate the IPPC licencing process This Environmental Impact Statement and having regard to Section 83(2A) (EIS) has been prepared by OES of the EPA Acts 1992 – 2012. Consulting on behalf of Westland Horticulture Ltd. (WHL) for peat This EIS has been prepared in harvesting operations currently accordance with the EPA Advice undertaken on lands at Lower Coole, Notes and Guidelines for the Mayne, Ballinealoe and Clonsura near preparation of EISs. Consultation with the villages of Coole and Finnea, a number of bodies was completed as County Westmeath. part of the assessment process. The total land area covered by the PROJECT DESCRIPTION operation is approx. 252ha. The land mainly comprises existing drained Peat is harvested from the lands during cutaway bog. the drier months of April through to September, weather permitting. The WHL applied to the Environmental operation is similar to agricultural Protection Agency (EPA) for an IIPPC activities and the process comprises of Licence for both sites (IPPC Licence four main operations including Ref No. P0914-01) in March 2010. As breaking up of the surface layer with a part of that application, the EPA1 tractor and harrow, turning of the asked WHL to prepare this loosened peat to facilitate drying, Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) ridging and drawing followed by for the activity. stockpiling on site for subsequent transportation off site during the A screening exercise carried out by months of January through to June for the EPA in January 2013 determined processing at WHL’s facility in that the activity fell within a particular Dungannon, Co. Tyrone. class2 of development, namely “Peat extraction which would involve a new Sedimentation basins are used for or extended area of 30 hectares or treatment of surface water run-off more” and because it purportedly fell from the activity
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