ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL ESIA REPORT Bucharest 21 Constantin Daniel Street, Building A, Sector 1, 010631 Chirnogeni Wind Farm Bucharest Romania Constanta County, Romania T: +40 (0) 31 405 1680 F: +40 (0) 31 405 1681 E: [email protected] http://www.erm.com Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report for: Chirnogeni Wind Farm 80 MW August 2011 Administrators/Board Peter Temesvary Prepared for: Dr. Walter Heinz Martin Gundert EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL 16 Albinelor Street, Chirnogeni Commune Nr. de ordine în registrul comertului: Constanţa County J40/11533/14.06.2007 Romania Codul de Înregistrare Fiscală (C.I.F.) RO21931265 Please remit to UniCredit Ţiriac Bank, Branch Rosetti, Bucuresti RON account: IBAN RO14 BACX 0000 0001 3825 3001 EUR account: IBAN RO84 BACX 0000 0001 3825 3002 SWIFT: BACXROBU PROJECT NO. 0093210 Member of the Environmental Resources Management Group ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL This report has been prepared by ERM Environmental Resources Management S.R.L. (ERM) with all reasonable skill, care and diligence within the terms of the Contract with the client, incorporating Environmental Resources Management’s General Terms and Conditions of Business and taking account of the manpower and resources devoted to it by agreement with the client. ERM Environmental Resources Management S.R.L. Bucharest, August 2011 Peter Temesvary Dana Afrenie Managing Partner Senior Consultant P0093210, EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL ESIA REPORT AUGUST 2011 CHIRNOGENI WIND FARM, CONSTANŢA, ROMANIA 2 ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 1 GENERAL INFORMATION 18 1.1 INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE AND APPROACH 18 1.1.1 Introduction 18 1.1.2 Purpose of this document 18 1.1.3 Scope and approach 19 1.1.4 Evaluation of Significance 20 1.1.5 Cumulative Impacts 22 1.2 INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE 22 1.2.1 Kyoto Protocol 22 1.2.2 European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) 23 1.2.3 EU Renewable Energy Directive 23 1.2.4 Romania Renewable Energy Targets 23 1.2.5 Romania Action Plan for Climate Change 24 1.3 NATIONAL LEGISLATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 25 1.4 INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE 39 1.5 SCOPING AND CONSULTATION 41 1.5.1 Introduction 41 1.5.2 Technical Scope 43 1.5.3 Temporal Scope 43 1.5.4 Spatial Scope of the ESIA 44 1.5.5 Mitigation and Management 44 1.5.6 Public Consultation and Disclosure 45 1.6 STRUCTURE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 46 1.7 INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT DEVELOPER 48 1.8 INFORMATION ON THE CERTIFIED AUTHOR OF THE ESIA REPORT 49 1.9 PROJECT NAME 50 1.10 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 50 P0093210, EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL ESIA REPORT AUGUST 2011 CHIRNOGENI WIND FARM, CONSTANŢA, ROMANIA 3 ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL 1.10.1 Information on production 51 1.10.2 Information on the raw materials, chemical substances or compounds 51 1.10.3 Information on the physical and biological pollution resulting from the activity 51 1.11 SCHEDULE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION 51 1.12 DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN ALTERNATIVES STUDIED BY THE DEVELOPER 52 1.13 DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE 54 1.13.1 Identification and address, local topography 54 1.13.2 Information on the existing documents / regulations regarding the land planning / land use in the area of the project site 56 1.13.3 History of the site 57 1.13.4 Information on the proposed means of connection to existing infrastructure 57 2 TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES 58 2.1 TECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION PROCESSES 58 2.1.1 Overview of the Project Components 58 2.1.2 Access Roads 58 2.1.3 Turbines 59 2.1.4 Foundations 61 2.1.5 80 MW Project Substation 20/110 kV 61 2.1.6 Existing Chirnogeni Substation 110/20 kV 63 2.1.7 Underground Electrical Cables 63 2.1.8 Underground Transmission Lines 64 2.1.9 Construction Management 64 2.2 DECOMMISSIONING ACTIVITIES 68 3 WASTE AND CHEMICALS 70 3.1 WASTE 70 3.1.1 Waste generation 70 3.1.2 Waste management 70 3.2 TOXIC AND DANGEROUS CHEMICALS 71 4 SOILS, GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES 73 P0093210, EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL ESIA REPORT AUGUST 2011 CHIRNOGENI WIND FARM, CONSTANŢA, ROMANIA 4 ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL 4.1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE 73 4.2 METHODOLOGY 73 4.3 BASELINE ENVIRONMENT 74 4.3.1 Topography 74 4.3.2 Soils 74 4.3.3 Geology 75 4.3.4 Seismicity 78 4.3.5 Groundwater 79 4.3.6 Surface Water 81 4.4 CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS 82 4.4.1 Assessment of Impacts to Soils 82 4.4.2 Assessment of Impacts to Groundwater 84 4.4.3 Assessment of Impacts to Surface Water and Drainage Patterns 85 4.5 OPERATIONAL IMPACTS 86 4.5.1 Assessment of Impacts to Soils 86 4.5.2 Assessment of Impacts to Groundwater 86 4.5.3 Assessment of Impacts to Run-Off Rates and Drainage Patterns 87 4.5.4 Assessment associated with Natural Hazards 88 4.5.5 Assessment of geotechnical aspects 89 5 AIR QUALITY 91 5.1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE 91 5.2 SOURCES OF INFORMATION 91 5.3 METHODOLOGY 91 5.3.1 Assessment Methodology 91 5.4 BASELINE ENVIRONMENT 92 5.4.1 Surrounding Environment 92 5.4.2 Climate 92 5.4.3 Ambient Air Quality 95 5.5 CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS 97 5.5.1 Introduction 97 P0093210, EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL ESIA REPORT AUGUST 2011 CHIRNOGENI WIND FARM, CONSTANŢA, ROMANIA 5 ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL 5.5.2 Dust from Construction Traffic 97 5.5.3 Combustion Emissions from Traffic 99 5.5.4 Dust Mitigation 100 5.6 OPERATIONAL IMPACTS 100 5.6.1 Potential Impacts 100 5.6.2 Mitigation 101 5.7 REDUCING THE IMPACTS OF OTHER ENERGY PRODUCTION 101 5.7.1 Avoidance of Emissions 101 5.7.2 Impact Assessment 102 6 NOISE AND VIBRATION 103 6.1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE 103 6.2 METHODOLOGY 103 6.2.1 Noise Standards 103 6.2.2 Evaluation of Impact Significance 104 6.2.3 Operational Noise Prediction Model 109 6.3 BASELINE ENVIRONMENT 110 6.4 CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS 112 6.4.1 Potential Impacts 112 6.5 OPERATIONAL IMPACTS 113 6.5.1 Potential Impacts from Wind Turbine Noise 113 6.5.2 Results of Wind Turbine Noise Predictions 115 6.5.3 Operational Vibration and Low Frequency Noise / Infrasound 119 6.5.4 Results of Road Traffic Noise Assessment 120 6.6 MITIGATION 120 6.6.1 Mitigation during Construction 120 6.7 ASSESSMENT OF RESIDUAL IMPACTS 120 6.8 SUMMARY 121 7 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT 122 7.1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE 122 7.2 METHODOLOGY 122 P0093210, EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL ESIA REPORT AUGUST 2011 CHIRNOGENI WIND FARM, CONSTANŢA, ROMANIA 6 ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL 7.2.1 Sources of Information 122 7.2.2 Assessment Methodology 122 7.3 CONSTRUCTION ACCESS ROUTE 124 7.3.1 Introduction 124 7.3.2 Baseline Traffic Flows 125 7.4 CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS 127 7.4.1 Introduction 127 7.4.2 Potential Impacts 129 7.4.3 Mitigation 130 7.4.4 Residual Impacts 132 7.5 OPERATIONAL IMPACTS 132 8 ECOLOGY AND NATURE CONSERVATION 133 8.1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE 133 8.2 METHODOLOGY 134 8.2.1 Sources of Information 134 8.2.2 Assessment Methodology 136 8.3 ECOLOGICAL BASELINE ENVIRONMENT 138 8.3.1 Protected Areas 138 8.3.2 Habitat Context 141 8.3.3 Flora 144 8.3.4 Terrestrial Fauna within the Project Footprint 150 8.3.5 Bats 153 8.3.6 Birds 156 8.3.7 Further Survey 161 8.4 CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS 162 8.4.1 Introduction 162 8.4.2 Habitats 162 8.4.3 Flora 162 8.4.4 Fauna 163 8.5 PERMANENT AND OPERATIONAL IMPACTS 164 P0093210, EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL ESIA REPORT AUGUST 2011 CHIRNOGENI WIND FARM, CONSTANŢA, ROMANIA 7 ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL 8.5.1 Introduction 164 8.5.2 Habitat 164 8.5.3 .Fauna 165 9 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACTS 170 9.1 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACTS 170 9.1.1 Introduction 170 9.1.2 Policy Context 173 9.1.3 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 173 9.1.4 ZVI and Photomontage Methods 175 9.1.5 Prediction and Evaluation of Landscape and Visual Impacts 177 9.1.6 Baseline – Visual Amenity 184 9.1.7 Baseline - Existing Landscape Character and Landscape Designations 185 9.1.8 Potential Significant Impacts 191 9.1.9 Mitigation Measures 191 9.1.10 Measures to Mitigate Impacts during Construction and Decommissioning 192 9.1.11 Assessment of Residual Construction and Other Short Term Impacts 193 9.1.12 Sources of Impact 193 9.1.13 Residual Impacts during Construction 193 9.1.14 Other Short Term Residual Impacts During Operation 194 9.1.15 Long Term Impacts on the Landscape 194 9.1.16 Long Term Visual Impacts 197 9.1.17 Impacts during decommissioning 204 9.1.18 Special requirements of RCAA() 204 10 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 207 10.1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE 207 10.2 SOURCES OF INFORMATION 207 10.3 AREA OF INFLUENCE AND BOUNDARIES 209 10.4 SOCIOECONOMIC BASELINE 210 10.4.1 Local Context 210 10.4.2 Demography 211 P0093210, EP WIND PROJECT (ROM) SIX SRL ESIA REPORT AUGUST 2011 CHIRNOGENI WIND FARM, CONSTANŢA, ROMANIA 8 ERM Environmental Resources Management SRL 10.4.3 Religion 212 10.4.4 Languages 212 10.4.5 Housing 213 10.4.6 Infrastructure 215 10.4.7 Education 216 10.4.8 Employment 217 10.4.9 Unemployment 220 10.4.10 Poverty 221 10.4.11 Health 222 10.4.12 Land Use and Property 225 10.4.13 Recreation and Community Facilities 229 10.4.14 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 229 10.5 IMPACT METHODOLOGY 236 10.5.1 Evaluation of Significance 237 10.5.2 Mitigation and Management 239 10.6 CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS 239 10.6.1 Introduction 239 10.6.2 Impacts to Land Use 239 10.6.3 Employment: Direct, Indirect and Induced 242 10.6.4 Impacts on Housing 246 10.6.5 Impact on Livelihoods 248 10.6.6 Impacts on Health 250 10.6.7 Impacts on Infrastructure 253 10.6.8 Impacts on Archaeology and Cultural Practices 256 10.7 OPERATIONAL IMPACTS 258 10.7.1 Introduction 258 10.7.2 Impacts on Land Use