N22N22 Baile Bhuirne - Macroom (Baile(Baile Bhuirne to Coolcour) Environmental Impact Statement EnvironmentalVolume Impact 2: Statement Main Text Volume 1: Non-TechnicalOctober Summary 2009 October 2009 Cork County Council Comhairle Chontae Chorcai Bringing Y ou Closer McCarthy Hyder Consultants Consulting Engineers in association with P.J. Tobin & Co. This scheme is being financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2007 - 2013 and part financed bythe European Union N22 Baile Bhuirne to Coolcour EIS McCarthy Hyder Consultants N22 BAILE BHUIRNE – MACROOM (Baile Bhuirne to Coolcour) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT VOLUME 2 MAIN TEXT Document Title: Environmental Impact Statement Document Ref(s). : NE02426/R9/1 Date Edition/Rev Status Originator Checked Approved October R9 Final LC TC TC 2009 This report has been prepared for Cork County Council, in association with the National Roads Authority, in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment for consulting engineering services in connection with proposed national roads project N22 Baile Bhuirne – Macroom (Baile Bhuirne to Coolcour). McCarthy Hyder Consultants cannot accept any responsibility for any use of or reliance on the contents of this report by any third party. Cork County Council McCarthy Hyder Consultants County Hall Nutgrove Office Park Cork Rathfarnam Dublin 16 Volume 2 – Main Text N22 Baile Bhuirne to Macroom EIS McCarthy Hyder Consultants EIS Structure Volume 1 – Non-Technical Summary Volume 2 – Main Text Volume 3 – Figures Volume 4A – Technical Reports and Appendices (Part 1) Volume 4B – Technical Reports and Appendices (Part 2) I) VOLUME 2 – MAIN TEXT CONTENTS II ) ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF PLACENAMES WITHIN THE GAELTACHT III ) ABBREVIATIONS IV ) GLOSSARY 1.0 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................1-1 1.2 PROGRESSION OF THE ROAD DEVELOPMENT ..................................................1-1 1.3 NEED FOR THE ROAD DEVELOPMENT.................................................................1-1 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE ROAD DEVELOPMENT.......................................................1-2 1.5 PREPARATION OF THE EIS ....................................................................................1-2 2.0 BACKGROUND TO THE EIS................................................................................................2-1 2.1 REQUIREMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) ..............2-1 2.2 SCOPE OF EIS..........................................................................................................2-1 2.3 METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................2-2 2.4 STRUCTURE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT .........................2-2 2.5 CONSULTATIONS ....................................................................................................2-2 3.0 TRAFFIC...................................................................................................................................1 3.1 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1 3.2 METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................1 3.3 PREDICTED TRAFFIC FLOWS ...................................................................................2 3.4 EFFECT OF THE ROAD DEVELOPMENT ..................................................................2 4.0 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND OUTLINE OF ALTERNATIVES......................................4-1 4.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................4-1 4.2 CONSTRAINTS STUDY STAGE...............................................................................4-1 4.3 ROUTE CORRIDOR SELECTION STAGE ...............................................................4-1 4.4 PRELIMINARY DESIGN STAGE...............................................................................4-5 5.0 PROPOSED ROAD - DESCRIPTION....................................................................................5-1 5.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................5-1 5.2 DESCRIPTION ..........................................................................................................5-1 5.3 PROPOSED ROAD DEVELOPMENT LAND-TAKE/EXTINGUISHMENTS ..............5-9 5.4 CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROPOSED ROAD DEVELOPMENT.........................5-10 5.5 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.....5-12 5.6 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE........................................................................5-14 6.0 PLANS AND POLICIES.........................................................................................................6-1 6.1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY .................................................................6-1 6.2 CONCLUSIONS.........................................................................................................6-1 7.0 SOCIO - ECONOMICS ..........................................................................................................7-1 7.1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY .................................................................7-1 7.2 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.......................................................................................7-2 7.3 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS...................................................................................7-3 October 2009 i-1 Volume 2 – Table of Contents N22 Baile Bhuirne to Macroom EIS McCarthy Hyder Consultants 7.4 MITIGATION MEASURES.........................................................................................7-6 7.5 CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................7-6 8.0 AGRICULTURAL LAND........................................................................................................8-1 8.1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY .................................................................8-1 8.2 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.......................................................................................8-1 8.3 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS: CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION .....................8-2 8.4 MITIGATION PROPOSALS.......................................................................................8-3 8.5 CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................8-4 9.0 LANDSCAPE AND AESTHETICS ........................................................................................9-1 9.1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY .................................................................9-1 9.2 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.......................................................................................9-2 9.3 ASSESSMENT ..........................................................................................................9-5 9.4 MITIGATION PROPOSALS.......................................................................................9-7 9.5 SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT.................................................................................9-8 10.0 SURFACE WATER QUALITY AND DRAINAGE................................................................10-1 10.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................10-1 10.2 METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................10-1 10.3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.....................................................................................10-2 10.4 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS: CONSTRUCTION..................................................10-4 10.5 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS: OPERATION..........................................................10-6 10.6 MITIGATION PROPOSALS...................................................................................10-11 11 ECOLOGY (HABITATS, FLORA, FAUNA AND FISHERIES)............................................11-1 11.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................11-1 11.2 METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................11-1 11.3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.....................................................................................11-4 11.4 POTENTIAL IMPACTS..........................................................................................11-12 11.5 MITIGATION..........................................................................................................11-24 11.6 PREDICTED RESIDUAL IMPACTS ......................................................................11-30 11.7 COMPENSATION MEASURES.............................................................................11-32 12.0 CULTURAL HERITAGE ......................................................................................................12-1 12.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................12-1 12.2 METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................12-1 12.3 BACKGROUND ENVIRONMENT............................................................................12-1