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2 REPORT Appropriate Assessment Screening Rathcoffey WWTP Submitted to: Paul Hickey Water Services Section Kildare County Council Aras Chill Dara Devoy Park Naas Co.Kildare Report Number Distribution: Kildare County Council Golder Associates Ireland

3 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION Terms of Reference Methods Stage 1: Screening Stage 2: Appropriate Assessment Stage 3: Assessment of alternative solutions Stage 4: Assessment where adverse impacts remain STAGE 1: SCREENING Brief description of project Water Quality FURTHER ACTION DATA COLLECTION CONSULTATIONS... 6 TABLES Table 1: Consultations... 6 FIGURES Figure 1 Screening Flow Chart (DOE, 2008)... 2 Figure 2: Ballynafagh Bog and Ballynafagh Lake SACs... 4 Figure 3 Ground Water Quality ( 5 APPENDICES No table of contents entries found. Report No i

4 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Terms of Reference This report is an Appropriate Assessment Screening of the waste water discharges to groundwater from Rathcoffey WWTP Moortown Drive estate, Rathcoffey, Co.Kildare, in accordance with the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC). Articles 6(3) and 6(4) of this Directive state the following: 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. 6(4). 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 and/or 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 environment or, further to an opinion from the Commission, to other imperative reasons of overriding public interest. 1.2 Methods This report has been prepared with reference to the following documents: Assessment of plans and projects significantly affecting Natura 2000 sites: Methodological guidance on the provisions of Article 6 (3) and (4) of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC (European Communities, 2002) Managing Natura 2000 sites: the provisions of Article of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EC Circular L8/08 Water Services Investment and Rural Water Programmes Protection of Natural Heritage and National Monuments Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Notes on Appropriate Assessment for the purposes of the Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations, 2007 (S.I. 684 of 2007) Environmental Protection Agency ( Appropriate Assessment is carried out in stages, as recommended by the Guidance Documents. There are four stages as follows: Stage 1: Screening This initial stage aims to identify the likely impacts of the project on a Natura 2000 site, either alone or in combination with other projects or plans. The impacts are examined to establish whether these impacts are likely to be significant. Assessment of the significance of effects is carried out in consultation with the relevant nature agencies. The following flow diagram from Circular L8/08 referred to above and shown in Fig 1 below will be completed as part of the screening process. Report No

5 Figure 1 Screening Flow Chart (DOE, 2008) Report No

6 The remaining 3 stages of the AA process do not form part of this project but are outlined briefly below Stage 2: Appropriate Assessment The aim of this stage is to identify the conservation objectives of the site and to assess whether or not the project, either alone or in combination with other projects or plans will result in adverse effects on the integrity of the site, as defined by the conservation objectives and status of the site. Stage 2 is carried out in consultation with the relevant nature agencies. Where it cannot be demonstrated that there will be no adverse effects on the site, it is necessary to devise mitigation measures to avoid, where possible, any adverse effects Stage 3: Assessment of alternative solutions This stage examines alternative ways of implementing the project that, where possible, avoid any adverse impacts on the integrity of the Natura 2000 site. If alternative solutions have been identified that will either avoid any adverse impacts or result in less severe impacts on the site, it will be necessary to assess their potential impact by recommencing the assessment at Stage One or Stage Two as appropriate. However, if it can be reasonably and objectively concluded that there is an absence of alternatives, it will be necessary to proceed to Stage Four of this assessment methodology Stage 4: Assessment where adverse impacts remain For sites that host priority habitats and species, it is necessary to consider whether or not there are human health or safety considerations or environmental benefits flowing from the project. If such considerations do exist, then it will be necessary to carry out the Stage Four assessments of compensatory measures. If no such considerations exist, then establish whether there are other imperative reasons of overriding public interest (IROPI) before carrying out the Stage Four assessments. Where IROPI exist, an assessment to consider whether compensatory measures will or will not effectively offset the damage to the site will be necessary before the project or plan can proceed. 2.0 STAGE 1: SCREENING This section follows the screening flow chart presented in Figure 1. Q1. Is the development in a nature conservation site? No Q2. Is the development in the ground water catchment of a nature conservation site (or part of such a site)? No, the Rathcoffey WWTP does not occur in the groundwater catchment (or within 5km) of a nature conservation site. Ballynafagh Bog SAC and Ballynafagh Lake SAC occur ca 7km southwest of Rathcoffey (Fig 2). Q3. If yes, are the qualifying habitats and species of the site water dependent? N/A Q4. Is the development within the surface or groundwater catchment of other water dependent Annex II species or other rare or protected species or salmonid waters? No, there are no known water dependent Annex II species or other rare or protected species within the groundwater catchment of the Kildare groundwater body which has been assessed as Good ( Water Framework Directive). Report No

7 Donadea woods Ballynafagh Lake SAC Ballynafagh Bog SAC Rathcoffey WWTP NPWS Copyright Ordnance Survey Ireland, 2006 Figure 2: Ballynafagh Bog and Ballynafagh Lake SACs Report No

8 2.1 Brief description of project The waste water treatment works serves Moortown Drive estate, Rathcoffey, County Kildare. The sewerage network serves approximately 35 houses. Sewage from the houses reaches the treatment plant by gravity. Waste water is wholly domestic in origin and flows to the adjacent waste water treatment plant. The treatment plant was constructed within the last decade. The plant has the following sequence settlement tank 1 settlement tank 2 pumps 1 peat bed pumps 2 percolation area in green area adjacent to treatment plant. Owing to problems with the peat bed effluent is not directed to it at present and hence there is no discharge to the percolation area. Instead material is brought away by tanker three times a week. The plant is inspected several times a week. There are no plans at present for additional treatment at the site. The possibility of connecting the sewerage scheme to the Lower Liffey Valley Regional Sewerage Scheme by pumping is being examined but there are no definite proposals at present. 2.2 Water Quality The Rathcoffey WWTP is located in an area where the aquifer is rated as high to extreme vulnerability. The subsoil comprises till derived chiefly from limestone. The effluent discharge from Rathcoffey WWTP is currently not affecting the Kildare groundwater body as there is currently no discharge to groundwater due to problems with the peat bed of the WWTP. The status of the Kildare groundwater body, has been assessed as Good as shown in Figure 3 ( Water Framework Directive), this would indicate that the when the WWTP was discharging it is not affecting the groundwater quality significantly. Rathcoffey Figure 3 Ground Water Quality ( Report No

9 3.0 FURTHER ACTION If the WWTP returns to operation, an assessment should be carried out to establish the movement of effluent from the percolation area and assess the risk of deterioration in the quality of groundwater and any potential links to surface waters in the area. In order to protect the current good status of the Kildare groundwater body and as the WWTP is currently not operating, the possibility of connecting the sewerage scheme to the Lower Liffey Valley Regional Sewerage Scheme should be given immediate consideration. No further action is required in relation to the Appropriate Assessment. 4.0 DATA COLLECTION The assessment was carried out by: Senior Ecologist Anne Murray, Golder Associates Ireland Sources of Data: Existing information from NPWS EPA Waste Water Discharge Application files WFD Reports Level of assessment completed: Desktop study and Screening report 5.0 CONSULTATIONS Table 1: Consultations Name Date Organisation Contact details Response Karen Creed 15/06/10 18/06/10 EPA Phone calls and Response on 01/07/10. EPA suggested the use of Q values for areas where data is lacking in relation to assimilative capacity. Ciara Flynn 16/06/10 NPWS District Conservation Officer, Kildare Phone call Referred to Aine O Conor Aine O Conor 17/06/10 21/06/10 NPWS Freshwater Biologist HQ Phone calls NPWS suggested that the Q values for each receiving waters would be most useful in determining significant impacts where information for Assimilative capacity calculations are not available Report No

10 Naomi Kingston 18/10/10 NPWS HQ Data coordinator Phone calls and . Data request form for protected species was completed and ed Data files received 23/06/10 Report No

11 Report Signature Page VAT NO.: W Anne Murray Senior Ecologist AM/CW/am Conor Wall Principal Registered in Ireland Registration No Town Centre House, Dublin Road, Naas, Co. Kildare Directors: M. Gilligan, M. L. J. Maher, G.F. Parker, C. Wall, Domenico Andreis (Italy) VAT No.: W e:\9. working notes\groundwater discharge plants\wwtp\rathcoffey moortown drive\rathcoffey final report\aa screening rathcoffey.docx Report No

12 Golder Associates Ireland Town Centre House Dublin Road Naas Co. Kildare Ireland T: