April 2019 Site Condition Report, Attachment- 4-8-4 REGAN IE Licence Application LA003566 ʹ Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. Togher, Portlaoise, Co. Laois MALONE O MALONE Site Condition Report, Attachment-4-8-4 April 2019 IE Licence Application LA003566 Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. Site Condition Report, Attachment-4-8-4 IE Licence Application LA003566 Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. Togher, Portlaoise, Co. Laois CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1 Report Objective ...................................................................................... 1 Scope of Works ....................................................................................... 1 2 SITE OVERVIEW ........................................................................... 2 Site Location ............................................................................................ 2 Overview of Existing Site and Context .................................................. 2 Site History .............................................................................................. 2 3 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ........................................................ 4 Topography .............................................................................................. 4 Hydrology ................................................................................................. 4 Geology and Subsoils ............................................................................. 5 Hydrogeology .......................................................................................... 6 Surface Water .......................................................................................... 8 Air Quality ................................................................................................ 9 Noise......................................................................................................... 9 4 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING .............................................. 10 Groundwater Monitoring ....................................................................... 10 Noise Monitoring ................................................................................... 11 5 CURRENT SITE CONDITION ...................................................... 13 E1513 - Malone O’Regan Environmental i Site Condition Report, Attachment-4-8-4 April 2019 IE Licence Application LA003566 Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. FIGURES Figure 2-1: Glanbia Cheese Proposed Facility Site Location ................................................. 2 Figure 3-1: Hydrology ............................................................................................................ 4 Figure 3-2: Soils .................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 3-3: Bedrock Geology ................................................................................................ 6 Figure 3-4: Groundwater Aquifers ......................................................................................... 7 Figure 3-5: Groundwater Vulnerability ................................................................................... 7 Figure 3-6: Identification of Land Drains, relative to Site and future Toger Road ................... 8 Figure 4-1: Location of Groundwater Wells onsite ............................................................... 10 Figure 4-2: NM and NSL Locations ..................................................................................... 11 TABLES Table 3-1: Portlaoise Air Quality Indicators ........................................................................... 9 th th Table 4-1: Daytime Ambient Acoustic Levels (17 and 18 May 2018) ............................... 12 E1513 - Malone O’Regan Environmental ii Site Condition Report, Attachment-4-8-4 April 2019 IE Licence Application LA003566 Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. 1 INTRODUCTION Malone O'Regan Environmental (MOR) was commissioned by Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. the Client (hereinafter referred to as ‘Glanbia Cheese’) to prepare this Site Condition Report for the proposed Mozzarella Processing Facility located in Togher, National Enterprise Park, Portlaoise, Co. Laois (the site). This report is to be included as Attachment-4-8-4 of Industrial Emissions (IE) Licence Application LA003566. Report Objective The main objective of this Site Condition Report is to assist the Client in assessing the existing environmental conditions at the Site prior to development. Scope of Works The scope of works comprised the following: 1.2.1 Initial Desk-based Study A detailed review of the following published information was undertaken: • Site history and development to determine the historical use of the Site using historical Ordnance Survey maps; • Review of available geological and hydrogeological map data including bedrock geology, quaternary deposits, River Basin District (RBD), sub-soils, aquifer classification and groundwater vulnerability; and • Search of Local Authority, Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) records for relevant information. 1.2.2 Site Inspections Several separate site inspections and monitoring surveys were undertaken by MOR personnel throughout 2018 in order to establish the existing conditions at the Site prior to the development of the proposed facility. These Site inspections include: • Inspection of drainage ditches and nearby surface water locations on 7th of March and 5th of April 2018; • Ambient Noise Survey conducted on 17th and 18th of May 2018; • Groundwater Monitoring conducted on 29th of November 2018; and • Site Visit in February 2019. 1.2.3 Data Assessment and Reporting All available information from the Site visits and desk-based studies have been evaluated and the findings are presented in this report and in the EIAR which is included as Attachment-6-3- 6 in the IE Licence Application. E1513 - Malone O’Regan Environmental 1 Site Condition Report, Attachment-4-8-4 April 2019 IE Licence Application LA003566 Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. 2 SITE OVERVIEW Site Location The Site is located in the townland of Togher, within the National Enterprise Park adjacent to the M7 south of Portlaoise. To the north, east and west of the Site are other greenfield areas currently under agricultural use. Immediately to the south of the Site lies the M7 motorway. The area is under the jurisdiction of Laois County Council. Refer to Figure 2-1. Figure 2-1: Glanbia Cheese Proposed Facility Site Location Overview of Existing Site and Context The Site is a greenfield site and comprises c. 5 hectares of agricultural land, with internal hedgerow and drainage ditches. The M7 motorway forms the southern boundary of the Site. The Site, and the adjoining land is zoned for industrial, enterprise, employment uses. The Site forms part of the larger ‘National Enterprise Park’ of Portlaoise, a c. 300ha development lot. There are industrial and commercial activities to the north within Clonminham and the M7 motorway to the south. Site History The Site is located to the southwest of Portlaoise Town, within an historically agricultural area. In 1997 the M7 was opened to the south of the Site (Junction 16 to 18) while in 2010 the M7/M8 was opened to the southwest of Portlaoise (Junction 18-21) (Irish Motorway Info, n.d.), replacing the original N7 road to the north (re-designated as R445 regional road). These changes to road infrastructure have placed the Site adjoining one of the primary intercity road routes in the country. In May 2018 Laois County Council approved, under Part VIII process, the development of the industrial road that will connect the Site to both Clonminham Industrial Estate to the north and northwest, and to the M7 via Junction 17 to the east. E1513 - Malone O’Regan Environmental 2 Site Condition Report, Attachment-4-8-4 April 2019 IE Licence Application LA003566 Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. A review of the OSI database was undertaken to determine the historic use of the Site. According to the Historic 6-inch (1840s), 25-inch (1890s) and Cassini Maps (1940s), as well as historic satellite data from 1995 and 2005, there were no significant activities onsite and in the vicinity of the Site apart from agriculture prior to 2010. E1513 - Malone O’Regan Environmental 3 Site Condition Report, Attachment-4-8-4 April 2019 IE Licence Application LA003566 Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd. 3 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Topography The Site is relatively flat with a general elevation of 107 metres above Ordnance Datum (maOD). The Site at its lowest point is 105maOD in an isolated area within its mid portion where land slopes down towards a drainage ditch. Hydrology The Site and associated waterbodies are located within the Barrow catchment (Catchment ID: 14) and the Barrow subcatchment (subcatchment ID: 14_11) under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (EPA, 2018). The Site and associated waterbodies are within the South Eastern River Basin District (SERBD). Refer to Figure 3-1. The streams / rivers in the locality of the Site comprise the Triogue waterbody. The ecological status of the Triogue waterbody was considered to be poor under the WFD 2010 – 2015 (EPA, 2018). The waterbody was considered at risk of not meeting the objectives of the WFD to protect all high-status waters, prevent further deterioration of all waters and to restore degraded surface and groundwater to good status by 2015. In response to the requirements of the WFD, a number of water bodies, or parts of water bodies, which must have extra controls on