PENTLAND EAST CABLE REPLACEMENT Environmental Supporting Information Report Global Offshore Ref No : 2742-GO-G-RD-0017 REVISION DATE ISSUE DETAILS PREPARED CHECKED APPROVED 01 15-11-2019 Issue for Review Intertek GMSL GMSL Updated following Review 02 22-11-2019 Intertek GMSL GMSL Workshop 03 13-12-2019 Re-issued for use Intertek GMSL GMSL 04 20-12-2019 Re-issued for use Intertek GMSL GMSL Environmental Supporting Information Report : 2742-GO-G-RD-0017 Version Number: 04 Date: 20 DECEMBER 2019 AUTHOR/S REVISION SECTION PAGES BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CHANGES OF CHANGE GLOBAL MARINE Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted | 19 December 2019 Intertek Energy & Water Consultancy Services Prospect Business Centre, Dundee Technology Park, Dundee DD2 1TY, United Kingdom Global Marine Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information DOCUMENT RELEASE FORM Global Marine P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information Author/s Project Manager Authoriser Rev No Date Reason Author Checker Authoriser Rev 0 30/09/2019 Template for Client Review CC EH EH Rev 0a 15/11/2019 Working draft for Client Inputs CC PA/EH - Rev 1 21/11/2019 Incorporate workshop comments EH/PA PA - Rev 2 11/12/2019 Addressing Client comments CC PA Rev 3 19/12/2019 Addressing Client comments CC EH EH Intertek Energy & Water Consultancy Services is the trading name of Metoc Ltd, a member of the Intertek group of companies. I P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted | 19 December 2019 Global Marine Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information CONTENTS DOCUMENT RELEASE FORM I GLOSSARY X 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Purpose of this document 1 1.2 Overview of the project 1 1.3 Consent requirements and relevant legislation 2 1.4 Objectives and scope of the Environmental Supporting Information (ESI) report 5 1.5 Environmental assessment methodology 6 1.6 Work done to date 6 2. PROJECT AREA OVERVIEW AND ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES 9 2.1 Overview of Project area 9 2.2 Environmental overview 19 3. PHYSICAL PROCESSES 26 3.1 Introduction 26 3.2 Data collection, sources and methodology 26 3.3 Physical processes description 27 3.4 Potential impacts and zones of influence 34 4. BENTHIC AND INTERTIDAL ECOLOGY 36 4.1 Introduction 36 4.2 Data sources 36 4.3 Site characteristics 36 4.4 Potential Impacts to benthic and intertidal ecology 71 4.5 Significance assessment 78 4.6 Management and mitigation measures 87 5. FISH AND SHELLFISH 89 5.1 Introduction 89 5.2 Data sources 89 5.3 Fish and shellfish description 89 5.4 Potential impacts and zone of influence 94 II P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted | 19 December 2019 Global Marine Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information 5.5 Mitigation 94 5.6 Impact assessment 94 6. MARINE MAMMALS 96 6.1 Introduction 96 6.2 Data sources 96 6.3 Marine mammal description 96 6.4 Potential impacts and zone of influence 101 6.5 Mitigation 101 6.6 Impact assessment 102 7. PROTECTED SITES AND SPECIES 103 7.1 Introduction 103 7.2 Data sources and method 103 7.3 Protected sites and species 103 7.4 Potential impacts and zones of influence 108 7.5 Mitigation 108 7.6 Impact assessment 109 8. MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY 112 8.1 Introduction 112 8.2 Sources of Information 112 8.3 Assessment methodology 113 8.4 Site characterisation 117 8.5 Mitigation 122 8.6 Potential impacts 122 9. HUMAN HEALTH 124 9.1 Introduction 124 9.2 Data sources 124 9.3 Dounreay nuclear power station and the nearby environment 124 9.4 Potential impacts and zones of influence 125 9.5 Impact assessment 125 10. SHIPPING AND NAVIGATION 126 10.1 Introduction 126 III P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted | 19 December 2019 Global Marine Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information 10.2 Data sources and methodology 126 10.3 Shipping and navigation description 126 10.4 Potential impacts and zones of influence 128 10.5 Mitigation 129 10.6 Impact assessment 129 11. COMMERICAL FISHING 131 11.1 Introduction 131 11.2 Data sources 131 11.3 Commercial fisheries description 131 11.4 Potential impacts and zones of influence 132 11.5 Mitigation 132 11.6 Impact assessment 133 12. TOURISM AND RECREATION 134 12.1 Introduction 134 12.2 Data sources 134 12.3 Tourism and recreation description 134 12.4 Potential impacts and zones of influence 137 12.5 Mitigation 137 12.6 Impact assessment 138 13. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS 139 13.1 Introduction 139 13.2 Projects within/in vicinity of the cable corridor 139 13.3 Cumulative effects 141 13.4 Mitigation 142 14. MITIGATION SUMMARY 143 15. SUMMARY OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT 147 15.1 Introduction 147 15.2 Physical processes 147 15.3 Benthic and intertidal ecology 147 15.4 Fish and shellfish 147 15.5 Marine mammals 147 IV P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted | 19 December 2019 Global Marine Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information 15.6 Protected sites and species 148 15.7 Marine archaeology 148 15.8 Human health 148 15.9 Shipping and navigation 148 15.10 Commercial fishing 149 15.11 Tourism and recreation 149 16. COMPLIANCE WITH MARINE PLANS 150 17. CONCLUSIONS 152 REFERENCES 153 APPENDIX A Project Description A-1 APPENDIX B Fisheries Liaison Mitigation Action Plan (FLMAP) B-1 APPENDIX C EPS Risk and Protected Sites and Species Assessment C-1 APPENDIX D Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) Report D-1 APPENDIX E Draft (Offshore) Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) E-1 V P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted | 19 December 2019 Global Marine Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Tables Table 1-1 Supporting documents for the Marine Licence application 6 Table 2-1 Breeding seasons of bird species found in Protected Sites that intersected the installation corridor (Scottish-wide averages) (SNH 2014, 2017) 15 Table 3-1 Data quality 27 Table 3-2 Potential impacts and zone of influence 34 Table 3-3 Sediment settling and zone of influence following disturbance 35 Table 4-1 Key biotopes identified at Rackwick Bay (Hoy) 38 Table 4-2 Key habitats identified at Murkle Bay, Caithness (Mainland) 42 Table 4-3 Summary of subtidal habitats 54 Table 4-4 Protected subtidal habitats and species identified within the installation corridor 68 Table 4-5 Potential impacts and Zone of Influence / Footprint - intertidal 71 Table 4-6 Potential impacts and Zone of Influence / Footprint – subtidal 72 Table 4-7 Sensitivity of intertidal habitats within the installation corridor at Rackwick Bay, Hoy to the Potential impacts of Penetration, physical change and invasive species 80 Table 4-8 Sensitivity of intertidal habitats within the installation corridor at Murkle Bay, Caithness to the potential impacts of Penetration, physical change and invasive species 80 Table 4-9 Sensitivity of subtidal habitats within the installation corridor between Murkle Bay, Caithness and Rackwick Bay, Hoy to the potential impacts; penetration, abrasion, physical change, smothering and invasive species 85 Table 4-10 Summary of impacts on subtidal and intertidal ecology 87 Table 5-1 Potential impacts and zone of influence 94 Table 5-2 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for basking sharks 94 Table 6-1 Cetacean’s recorded in the Pentland Firth (Reid, Evans and Northridge, 2003; Evans, Baines and Coppock, 2010; Hammond et al., 2017) 97 Table 6-2 Auditory bandwidths estimated for hearing groups of cetaceans (Southall et al., 2009; Marmo et al., 2013; NFMS, 2018) 99 Table 6-3 Potential pressure(s) and Zone of Influence 101 Table 6-4 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for marine mammals 101 Table 6-5 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for otters 102 Table 7-1 Potential impacts and zone of influence 108 Table 7-2 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for seabirds 108 Table 8-1 Definitions of importance of archaeological and historical sites 115 VI P2291_R4837_Rev3 Redacted | 19 December 2019 Global Marine Pentland Firth East Cable Replacement - Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting information Table 8-2 Definitions of level of potential of geophysical contacts / anomalies 116 Table 8-3 Definitions of magnitude of adverse impact 116 Table 8-4 Significance of effect matrix 117 Table 8-5 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for marine archaeology 122 Table 9-1 Potential impacts and zone of influence 125 Table 9-2 Murkle Beach particle finds (Dounreay, 2016b) 125 Table 10-1 Potential impacts and zone of influence 129 Table 10-2 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for shipping and navigation 129 Table 11-1 Potential impacts and zone of influence 132 Table 11-2 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for commercial fishing 132 Table 12-1 Potential impacts and zone of influence 137 Table 12-2 Overview of proposed mitigation measures for commercial fishing 137 Table 13-1 Activities found in the Pentland Firth/north of Scotland and their distance to the cable corridor 139 Table 14-1 Mitigation measures - project design 143 Figures Figure 1-1 Overview of the proposed replacement cable installation corridor 2 Figure 2-1 Protected sites in the vicinity of the installation corridor 10 Figure 3-1 Velocity magnitude in the vicinity of the Pentland Firth at mid-depth (Goward-Brown et al., 2017) 28 Figure 3-2 Three emissions scenarios against the relative sea level rise in the UK and Ireland, with further detailed (Palmer et al, 2018) 30 Figure 3-3 Seabed profile and slope (MMT 2019b) 31 Figure 3-4 Seabed sediment classification along installation corridor (MMT, 2019) 32 Figure 4-1 Aerial image of Rackwick Bay (Hoy) (Drawing Number: P2291-LOC-003-A) 37 Figure 4-2 Distribution of intertidal habitats at Rackwick Bay (Drawing Number: P2291-HAB- 002-A) 39 Figure 4-3 Habitat photographs from Rackwick Bay (Hoy) showing; (a) Coralline crust- dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools, MNCR: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor and (b) Fucus vesiculosus and barnacle mosaics on moderately exposed mid eulittoral rock, MNCR: LR.MLR.BF.FvesB.