Wexford County Council Revised Appropriate Assessment for A0255--01 Tellorought and Environs Revised Appropriate Assessment for A0255-01 Tellorought and Environs Table of contents Management of Site ............................................................................................... 2 Project Description ................................................................................................ 2 Assessment of Significance ................................................................................. 5 Stage 2 Assessment ................................................................................................... 6 Characteristics of Site (Bannow Bay and its designation status) ................... 6 Special Protected Area ......................................................................................... 6 Special Area of Conservation .............................................................................. 7 National Heritage Area ......................................................................................... 8 European Communities (Quality of Shellfish Waters) Regulations ............ 8 Qualifying Interests (Habitats/Species) ............................................................. 8 Habitats: ................................................................................................................... 8 Species – Flora/Fauna ............................................................................................ 9 Flora ........................................................................................................................... 9 Fauna ........................................................................................................................ 10 Site Conservation Objects ..................................................................................... 11 For inspection purposes only. Background data ...................................................Consent of copyright owner required for any................................................. other use. 12 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 15 Impact prediction ..................................................................................................... 17 Direct Impacts ...................................................................................................... 17 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 20 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................ 24 Predicted effect of mitigation measures:. ..................................................... 27 Designated Shellfish Waters ............................................................................ 29 Appendix ..................................................................................................................... 30 NPWS Site Synopsis ............................................................................................ 30 Draft Bannow Bay Pollution Reduction Programme-Characterisation Report Number 11 (extract) .............................................................................. 34 WFD Ballyteige Bannow Water Management Unit Action Plan .................. 38 Page 1 of 41 EPA Export 27-07-2013:00:21:30 Wexford County Council Revised Appropriate Assessment for A0255--01 Tellorought and Environs Management of Site The St Bridget’s agglomeration and its discharge are neither directly connected nor necessary to the management of the Bannow Bay Nature conservation sites. Project Description A description of the waste water works and the activities carried out therein: The St Bridget’s Terrace Agglomeration which consists solely of the LA Housing Estate St Bridget’s Terrace which is serviced by St Bridget’s Terrace Waste Water Treatment Plant. The plant solely treats the Waste Water generated within the St Bridget’s Terrace Estate, which is domestic in nature. The level of treatment provided is to Primary standard. For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. The sources of emissions from the waste water works: There is one single discharge from the St Bridget’s Terrace Waste Water Treatment Plant which is the Primary Discharge point (GW1), which discharges treated effluent to a Percolation area. There are no recorded complaints of either noise or odour in relation to plant. Page 2 of 41 EPA Export 27-07-2013:00:21:30 Wexford County Council Revised Appropriate Assessment for A0255--01 Tellorought and Environs The nature and quantities of foreseeable emissions from the waste water works into the receiving aqueous environment as well as identification of significant effects of the emissions on the environment: The St Bridget’s Terrace plant solely discharges treated effluent. The Plant is not equipped with flow measurement, based on calculated plant PE, the estimated dry weather flow is 4 cubic meters/day based on 24 P.E. at 167 l/h/d. There are no plans to increase the current plant beyond its current size. The proposed technology and other techniques for preventing or, where this is not possible, reducing emissions from the waste water works: There are currently no proposals with regard to above. Further measures planned to comply with the general principle of the basic obligations of the operator, i.e., that no significant pollution is caused: For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. It is Wexford County Councils intention to continue to operate and maintain the existing plant to ensure that the above obligations are met. Measures planned to monitor emissions into the environment: The discharge from St Bridget’s Terrace plant is currently not routinely monitored, due to plant and discharge to percolation. Plant Process and Design Capacity The raw sewage enters the site at manhole No 1, from Manhole 1, the flow enters the inlet of the primary settlement tank, where gross solids are allowed Page 3 of 41 EPA Export 27-07-2013:00:21:30 Wexford County Council Revised Appropriate Assessment for A0255--01 Tellorought and Environs to settle (settled sludge is removed and disposed by a tanker, approximately every 26 weeks). This settlement process removes approximately 40% of the Total Suspended Solids and 30% of the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) loading. From the primary settlement tank, liquor flows by gravity to the Percolation area. Summary of Plant Results There is no routine monitoring conducted at this site, due to discharge to percolation and size of agglomeration This application is being made under the Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations 2007 and is solely for the pre-existing Discharge Point (GW1), which discharges Secondary treated effluent to the local land drains some 3.4Km upstream of the Bannow Bay Nature conservation Site. For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. This application does not propose nor seek approval for any additional civil works (excavation, construction, intrusion works etc) nor modification of the treatment process or site activities, nor expansion of the discharge beyond its current capacity and committed loading. Therefore, the only potential source of any possible impact on Bannow Bay Nature Conservation Site is solely from the discharge to the aquatic environment. Additionally, the discharge, as outlined above, is pre-existing, with the original discharge (primary treated) installed in the late 1970’s and the existing upgraded treatment level in place since 1995. Therefore, it would be Page 4 of 41 EPA Export 27-07-2013:00:21:30 Wexford County Council Revised Appropriate Assessment for A0255--01 Tellorought and Environs fair to infer that, as the discharge preceded the site designation (and indeed issuing of father directive) the requirements for knowledge of the existence of the development by, and consultation with, all interested parties have been meet. Assessment of Significance Screening under Circular Letter L8/08 Appendix 1: 1 Is the development in a nature conservation site? No. 2a. Is the development in the surface catchment of a nature conservation site? N/A Discharge GW 1 is to ground via percolation area 2b. Is the development in the groundwater catchment or within 5Km of a nature conservation site? .Yes Discharge to ground is about 4.5 Km from Ballykell Marsh NHA, however, discharge is down gradient of the designated area of Ballykell Marsh NHA and natural gradient is in the direction of Bannow Bay, some 15km from the discharge point. For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. Therefore Bannow bay is considered to be Nature Conservation Site of First Instance 3 Are the qualifying habitats and species of the site water dependant? Yes. 4 Not applicable 5 Is there a WFD sub-basin plan for the site or its protected habitats/species? Yes. WFD Ballyteige Bannow Water Management Unit Action Plan Page 5 of 41 EPA Export 27-07-2013:00:21:30 Wexford County Council Revised Appropriate Assessment for A0255--01 Tellorought and Environs 6 Does this plan cover all potential receptors (habitats / Species) Yes Conclusion Based on L8/08 further assessment is required at this stage, based on WFD Plan. Stage 2 Assessment Characteristics of Site (Bannow Bay and its designation status) Bannow Bay is located on the South East Coast of County Wexford