Copyright Acknowledgements Ordnance Survey Ireland Data reproduced under OSI Licence number 2010/17 CCMA / Mayo County Council. Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland, 2010 Geological Survey Ireland Data reproduced under GSI Licence / Mayo County Council Soils and Subsoils data generated by Teagasc, using GSI data as input, under the EPA Soils and Subsoils Mapping project, completed May 2006 National Parks and Wildlife Service, Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Government National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Government ESB Electricity network data generated by and copyrighted to ESB and reproduced under ESB Licence dated 15/09/2010 Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland - SEAI / ESBI Fishery and Nursery Spawning Grounds data reproduced under Marine Institute Licence Agreement Number: 2010/197 Local Authorities who provided data: Galway County Council – GIS Section Roscommon County Council - GIS Section Sligo County Council – GIS Section. SEA CARRIED OUT BY MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL SEA TEAM ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT COMPILED BY FORWARD PLANNING SECTION DECEMBER 2010 Environmental Report Draft Renewable Energy Strategy for County Mayo Table of Contents Non Technical Summary..........................................................................................................i Section 1 SEA Introduction & Context ................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) ...............................................................................1 1.3 Legislative Context..........................................................................................................................1 1.4 Content of the Environmental Report.........................................................................................2 1.5 Implications for Mayo County Council and the Elected Members.........................................2 Section 2 SEA Methodology ................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................3 2.2 Screening...........................................................................................................................................3 2.3 Scoping and Consultation ..............................................................................................................3 2.4 Establishing the Environmental Baseline ....................................................................................5 2.5 Consideration of Alternatives........................................................................................................6 2.6 The Environmental Report............................................................................................................7 2.7 The SEA Statement.........................................................................................................................7 2.8 Difficulties Encountered in Compiling the Required Information..........................................7 2.9 Undertaking the SEA Process .......................................................................................................8 Section 3 Context of the Draft Renewable Energy Strategy ................................................ 9 3.1 Content and Main Objectives of the Draft Renewable Energy Strategy ................................9 3.2 Relationship of Draft RES with other relevant Plans and Programmes...............................11 Section 4 The Baseline Environment..................................................................................16 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................16 4.2 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna ...............................................................................................17 4.3 Population and Human Health ...................................................................................................29 4.4 Soils and Geology..........................................................................................................................33 4.5 Water ...............................................................................................................................................42 4.6 Air Quality and Climatic Factors.................................................................................................62 4.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................................77 4.8 Cultural Heritage............................................................................................................................92 4.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................................100 4.10 Interrelationships between Environmental Factors ...............................................................104 4.11 Overlay Mapping of Environmental Sensitivities and Outcomes........................................104 4.12 Consideration of Impacts of the RES on Adjoining Authorities.........................................104 Section 5 Environmental Protection Objectives...................................................................108 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................108 i Environmental Report Draft Renewable Energy Strategy for County Mayo 5.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna: EPOs, Targets and Indicators .............................................108 5.3 Population and Human Health: EPOs, Targets and Indicators...........................................110 5.4 Soils and Geology: EPOs, Targets and Indicators .................................................................110 5.5 Water: EPOs, Targets and Indicators.......................................................................................111 5.6 Air and Climatic Factors: EPOs, Targets and Indicators......................................................114 5.7 Material Assets: EPOs, Targets and Indicators.......................................................................115 5.8 Cultural Heritage: EPOs, Targets and Indicators...................................................................117 5.9 Landscape: EPOs, Targets and Indicators...............................................................................119 Section 6 Alternative Scenarios..........................................................................................120 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................120 6.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy Production .....................................120 6.3 Environmental Considerations relating to RE Developments.............................................122 6.4 The Alternatives...........................................................................................................................126 6.5 Evaluation of Scenarios..............................................................................................................127 6.6 Evaluation of Alternative Scenarios against EPOs ................................................................144 Section 7 Evaluation of the Draft RES Policies and Objectives .......................................149 7.1 Outline of Renewable Energy Strategy ....................................................................................149 7.2 Evaluation of Policies and Objectives – Methodology..........................................................150 Section 8 Mitigation Measures ..........................................................................................156 8.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................156 8.2 SEA Recommendation ...............................................................................................................156 8.3 Mitigation Measures ....................................................................................................................156 8.5 Incorporation of Mitigation Measures into the Renewable Energy Strategy .....................164 Section 9 Monitoring Measures.........................................................................................168 9.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................168 9.2 Indicators and Targets ................................................................................................................168 9.3 Sources ..........................................................................................................................................168 9.4 Reporting and Monitoring .........................................................................................................168 Appendices............................................................................................................................177