Water Services Authority: Meath County Council Slane Agglomeration, Slane Wastewater Treatment Plant, Main Street, Sianecastie Demesne, Slane, County Meath WASTEWATER DISCHARGE LICENCE APPLICATION APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT October, 2009 For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. ; ; TOBIN Pa trick J. Tobin & Co. Lt d. Meath County Council TOBIN Consulting Engineers County Hall Market Square Navan Castle bar County Meath County Mayo Tel: 046·9097000 Tel: 094·9021401 Fax: 046·9097001 Fax: 094·9021534 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] EPA Export 26-07-2013:16:33:13 ~ TOBIN il lllll:10..1 Tr,l;m .c, Co Ltfl SLANE AGGLOMERATION WASTE WATER DISCHARGE LICENCE APPLICATION APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT PROJECT: Slane Waste Water Treatment Plant & Agglomeration Waste Water Discharge Licence Application CLIENT: Water Services Authority Meath County Council County Hall Navan Co. Meath For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. COMPANY: TOBIN Consulting Engineers Market Square Castlebar County Mayo Tel: 094-9021401 Fax: 094-9021534 email: [email protected] www.tobin.ie EPA Export 26-07-2013:16:33:13 P3 Design Control Fo rm DCO 0032 Form 3.2 Rev c Effective Date 14/02/07 DOCUMENT AMENDMENT RECORD Client: Meath County Council Project: Slane Waste Water Treatment Plant & Agglomeration Waste Water Discharge Licence Application Title: Appropriate Assessment For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. PROJECT NUMBER: 5270 DOCUMENT REF: 5270 Appropriate Assessment Slane B Issued to Meath Co. Co. RMeN 08/09/09 ES 22/10109 ES 22/10109 A Issued to Meath Co. Co. RMeN 08/09/09 ES 29/09/09 ES 29/09/09 Revision Description & Rationale Originated Date Reviewed Date Authorised Date TOBIN Consulting Engineers ~ TO~IN (i) EPA Export 26-07-2013:16:33:13 Slane Agglomeration Waste Water Discharge Licence Application '~ TOBIN Appropriate Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION .. ... ................... .... ....... .. .......................... .................. ....................... 2 2.0 AP PROPRIATE ASSESSMENT - LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT & METHODOLOGY ... 3 2. 1 LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT .. .. ...... ..... ..... ... .. .... .... ...... .. ... .... ..... ... ..... ....... ..... .............. .. .. ....... 3 2.2 GU IDANCE ...... ................. ................. .............. ........ ..... ..... ....................... .. .. .... .. .. .. ...... .. .. 4 3.0 STAGE 1 - SCREENING ........................................................................ .................... 7 3.1 INTROD UCTI ON .... .. .......... .. ..... .. .......................... .. .... .. .. ..... .... .. .. .. .. ....... ........... .. ...... .. .. .. 7 3.2 STEP 1 - MANAGEMENT OF THE SITE ... .. ...... .. .. .. ......................... .. .. ............. .. .... .. .. ... .. 7 3.3 STEP 2 - DESCRIPTION OF SLANE SEWERAGE SCHEME .... ......... .. .... .. .. .. ... .. .... ......... 7 3.4 STEP 3 - CHARACTERISTI CS OF THE SITE ................ ................................ .. ....... .. .. ..... 7 3.5 STEP 4 - ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE .. .. .. ....... .. .... .. .................................. .. ..... .. ... 8 4.0 STAGE 2 - APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT.. ....................... ..................................... 9 4.1 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT STEP ONE -INFORMATION REQUIRED .... .................. 9 4.2 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT STEP TWO AND THREE - IMPACT PREDICTION AND MITIGATION .... ......... ...... .. .......... ......... ..... ........... ... .... ..... .... .. .... ......... .... .... .... ... .. ..... ..... ..... .. .... 11 5.0 OUTCOMES ...... .... .... .... ...... ... .. .. .......... ....................... ....... ........... .... .. ... ..... ............. 12 APPENDICES Appendix A River Boyne and River Blackwater For inspection purposes SAC only. - Site Description Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. Appendix B Conservation Objectives River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC (i) EPA Export 26-07-2013:16:33:13 Slane Agg lomeration Waste Water Discharge Licence Application --.; TOBIN Appropriate Assessment 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Appropriate Assessment report is to provide the requirements of the Habitats Directive. Requirements for this report include: , A description of existing ecology and baseline water quality; , A description of existing treated waste water discharge quality; , Assessment of assimilative quality of the River Boyne at this location; .. Potential and likely impacts of the treated waste water discharge; .. Propose mitigation (if required). The development is an existing waste water treatment plant (WWTP) on the banks of the Boyne River in Slane, Co Meath. No changes to the existing water quality discharge are proposed as part of the new EPA Waste Water Discharge Licence. The existing facility treats waste water from Slane town to a standard, which provides for the requirements of relevant water quality legislation including European Union (SI293/1988) (Quality of Salmonid Waters) and other relevant national legislation. Treatment systems at the plant have improved in the past 2 years with the addition of a biological treatment component. Following treatment of sewage material, the treated waste water is discharged is to the Boyne River at the primary discharge point. The River Boyne is part of the River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC. Sensitive ecological receptors within the River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC include: For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. .. Habitats: alluvial fens and alluvial forests; .. Species: Atlantic Salmon (Sa/mo safar); • Species: River Lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis); .. Species: Otter (Lutra futra). This Appropriate Assessment considers all specific ecological features of the SAC and its conservation objectives and where the potential for impacts may arise; appropriate mitigation is detailed. ~ T~. B. I~ Page 2 EPA Export 26-07-2013:16:33:13 Slane Agglomeration Waste Water Discharge Licence Application -.:.; TOBIN Appropriate Assessment 2.0 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT & METHODOLOGY 2.1 LEGISLATIVE CO NTEXT Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - 'The Habitats Directive', has been transposed into Irish law by The European Community (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997 (S.1. No. 94/1997). The 1997 Regulations were updated in 1998 by The European Communities (Natural Habitats) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 (S.1. No. 233/1998) to include Council Directive 97/62/EC which served to update Council Directive 92/43/EEC, adapting it to technical and scientific progress made in the intervening years. The 1997 Regulations were again updated in 2005, by The European Communities (Natural Habitats) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (S.1. No. 378/2005). This amendment served to consolidate the main nature conservation legislation enacted in Ireland, meaning The Wildlife Act 1976, The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, The European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997, The European Communities (Natural Habitats) (Amendment) Regulations 1998, and to draw direct reference upon Council Directive 79/409/EC on the conservation of wild birds - 'The Birds Directive'. The Birds Directive seeks to protect birds of special importance by the designation of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) whereas the Habitats Directive does the same for habitats and other species groups with Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). It lists certain rare habitats (Annex I) and species (Annex II) whose conservation is of community interest. It is the responsibility of each member state to designate SPAs and SACs, both of which will form part of Natura 2000, a network of protected areas throughout For inspection purposes only. the European Community. Article 6,Consent paragraphs of copyright owner3 and required 4 offor anythe other Habitats use. Directive state that: 6(3) Any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, shall be subject to appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site's conservation objectives. In the light of the conclusions of the assessment of the implications for the site and subject to the provisions of paragraph 4, the competent national authorities shall agree to the plan or project only after having ascertained that it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site concerned and, if appropriate, after having obtained the opinion of the general public. If, in spite of a negative assessment of the implications for the site and in the absence of alternative solutions, a plan or project must nevertheless be carried out for imperative reasons of overriding public interest, including those of a social or economic nature, the Member State shall take all compensatory measures necessary to ensure that the overall coherence of Natura 2000 is protected. It shall inform the Commission of the compensatory measures adopted. Where the site concerned hosts a priority natural habitat type andlor a priority species, the only considerations which may be raised are those relating to human health or public safety, to beneficial consequences of primary importance for the Page 3 EPA Export 26-07-2013:16:33:13 Slane Agglomeration Waste Water Discharge Li cence Application -..; TOBIN Appropriate Assessment environment or,