Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project Habitats Directive Assessment Natura Impact Statement Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project Natura Impact Statement DOCUMENT CONTROL SHEET Client: Dublin Port Company Project Title: Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Document Title: Habitats Directive Assessment – Natura Impact Statement Document No: D01 DCS TOC Text No. of Appendices List of Figures List of Tables This Document Comprises: 1 1 69 5 1 1 rpsgroup.com/ireland Alexandra Basin Redevelopment & Capital Dredging Natura Impact Statement TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ............................ 1 1.2 OVERVIEW OF DUBLIN PORT COMPANY AND THE REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL .................. 2 1.3 LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT ..................................................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Appropriate Assessment Requirements and Methodology .............................. 4 1.4 CONSULTATION................................................................................................................ 8 2 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT SCREENING OF THE PROJECT ....................................... 11 2.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ...................................................................................... 11 2.1.1 Site location and layout .................................................................................. 11 2.1.2 Overview of the project elements – works phase ........................................... 11 2.1.3 Operational Phase .......................................................................................... 18 2.2 SCREENING OF THE NATURA 2000 SITES WITHIN THE STUDY AREA ................................... 18 2.2.1 Natura 2000 Sites within the study area of the proposal ............................... 19 2.2.2 Identification of Natura 2000 sites potentially affected by the project ............ 24 2.2.3 Overview of the Natura 2000 sites potentially affected .................................. 28 2.3 IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ....................................................... 33 2.3.1 Direct, Indirect or Secondary Impacts ............................................................ 33 2.4 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION OF THE SCREENING STAGE .............................................. 36 3 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................. 37 3.1 STAGE 2 ........................................................................................................................ 37 3.2 IMPACT PREDICTION FOR NATURA 2000 SITES ................................................................. 37 3.2.1 Potential impacts affecting the North Dublin Bay cSAC ................................. 37 3.2.2 Potential impacts affecting the South Dublin Bay cSAC ................................ 40 3.2.3 Potential impacts affecting the Rockabill to Dalkey Island cSAC ................... 42 3.2.4 Potential impacts affecting the North Bull Island SPA.................................... 45 3.2.5 Potential impacts affecting the South Dublin Bay & Tolka Estuary SPA........ 47 3.3 POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON THE CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES OF THE NATURA 2000 SITES .... 51 3.3.1 Potential effects on the Conservation Objectives of the North Dublin Bay cSAC .............................................................................................................. 51 3.3.2 Potential effects on the Conservation Objectives of the South Dublin Bay cSAC .............................................................................................................. 52 3.3.3 Potential effects on the Conservation Objectives of the Rockabill to Dalkey Island cSAC .................................................................................................... 52 3.3.4 Potential effects on the Conservation Objectives of the North Bull Island SPA . ........................................................................................................................ 53 3.3.5 Potential effects on the Conservation Objectives of the South Dublin Bay & Tolka Estuary SPA ......................................................................................... 54 3.4 MITIGATION MEASURES FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURA 2000 SITES .............................. 55 3.4.1 Mitigation measures for the North Dublin Bay cSAC ..................................... 55 D01 i Rev F01 Alexandra Basin Redevelopment & Capital Dredging Natura Impact Statement 3.4.2 Mitigation measures for the South Dublin Bay cSAC ..................................... 56 3.4.3 Mitigation measures for the Rockabill to Dalkey Island cSAC ....................... 56 3.4.4 Mitigation measures for the North Bull Island SPA ........................................ 58 3.4.5 Mitigation measures for the South Dublin Bay & Tolka Estuary SPA ............ 58 3.5 ASSESSMENT OF IN COMBINATION EFFECTS WITH OTHER PLANS OR PROJECTS .................. 58 3.6 RESIDUAL EFFECTS ON THE CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES OF NATURA 2000 SITES ............ 61 3.6.1 Conservation objectives of the North Dublin Bay cSAC ................................ 61 3.6.2 Conservation objectives of the South Dublin Bay cSAC ................................ 62 3.6.3 Conservation objectives of the Rockabill to Dalkey Island cSAC .................. 62 3.6.4 Conservation objectives of the North Bull Island SPA ................................... 63 3.6.5 Conservation objectives of the South Dublin Bay & Tolka Estuary SPA ....... 63 4 NIS CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 67 5 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 69 D01 ii Rev F01 Alexandra Basin Redevelopment & Capital Dredging Natura Impact Statement List of Figures Figure 1.1 Dublin Port Company Land Holdings ..................................................................................... 2 Figure 2.1 Overview of the proposed works areas within the Alexandra Basin and Navigation Channel & Dispoal Site ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Figure 2.2 Overview of the proposed Works in Alexandra Basin West ................................................ 13 Figure 2.3 Dredge Material Locations within Alexandra Basin and the Liffey Channel ........................ 15 Figure 2.4 Overview of the proposed Berth 52 / 53 Works ................................................................... 16 Figure 2.5 Natura 2000 sites located within 15km of Alexandra Basin Redevelopment, including proposed channel dredging and disposal site. ...................................................................................... 23 Figure 2.6 Natura 2000 sites within the zone of influence of the proposed redevelopment works at Alexandra Basin and the associated capital dredging scheme and disposal site. ................................ 29 List of Tables Table 1.1 Consultees which formed part of the statutory consultation ................................................ 9 Table 2.1 Natura 2000 sites within the study area of the proposed Alexandra Basin Redevelopment and Capital Dredging Scheme ........................................................................................... 20 Table 2.2 Identification of Natura 2000 sites potentially affected by the proposed Alexandra Basin Redevelopment, Capital Dredging Scheme and disposal of dredge material at the Burford Bank ................................................................................................................................... 25 Table 2.3 Qualifying Interests of the North Dublin Bay cSAC ........................................................... 30 Table 2.4 Special Conservation Interests of the North Bull Island SPA ............................................ 31 Table 2.5 Special Conservation Interests of the South Dublin Bay & Tolka Estuary SPA ................ 32 Table 2.6 Potential Direct, Indirect and Secondary Impacts of the Port Development and Operations on Natura 2000 Sites ......................................................................................................... 35 Table 3.1 Special Conservation Interests of the North Bull Island SPA and the frequency of occurrence within the Dublin Port Shipping Channel ............................................................................................... 46 Table 3.2 Special Conservation Interests of SPAs and the frequency of occurrence within the Dublin Port Shipping Channel ........................................................................................................................... 47 Table 3.3 Summary of the potential impacts, mitigation and residual impacts identified for the Natura 2000 designations within the zone of influence of the proposed Alexandra Basin Redevelopment and associated capital dredging. ................................................................................ 64 D01 iii Rev F01 Alexandra Basin Redevelopment & Capital Dredging Natura Impact Statement D01 iv Rev F01 Alexandra Basin Redevelopment & Capital Dredging Natura Impact Statement Appendices Appendix A AVIAN IMPACT ASSESSMENT (NAIRN, 2014) Appendix B MARINE MAMMALS IMPACT ASSESSMENT