Granville Energy from Waste Centre. Non Technical Summary of Environmental Statement

Transcription

1 Granville Energy from Waste Centre Non Technical Summary of Environmental Statement September 2008

2 Produced by Adams Hendry Consulting Ltd

3 Granville Energy from Waste Centre Non Technical Summary of Environmental Statement Introduction 1. SITA UK Ltd (subsequently referred to as SITA) is seeking planning permission to develop an Energy from Waste (EfW) Centre on land adjacent to the existing Granville Landfill Site, 4km north-east of Telford town centre as shown on Figure SITA s proposals are to provide an Energy from Waste Centre that will deal with around 62,000 tonnes of mainly municipal waste each year. Energy produced from the thermal treatment of the waste will be harnessed in the form of electricity and heat. The EfW plant will generate approximately 17 MW of energy, which can be converted into electricity or used to supply combined heat and power (CHP) to local businesses. 3. A planning application for the new facility has been submitted to Telford and Wrekin Council. 4. As required by the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999, the planning application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES). 5. SITA agreed the scope of the ES with Telford and Wrekin Council. The ES has been prepared using the results of studies by specialist consultants covering a range of topics. It sets out the results of an assessment of the likely impact of the proposals on the environment and human beings. It also explains why the EfW Centre is needed, the consideration given to alternative courses of action and describes measures proposed to reduce any environmental impacts. 6. This document summarises the findings and conclusions of the Environmental Statement in nontechnical language. Need for the EfW Centre 7. The Energy from Waste Centre assists in significantly reducing reliance on landfill and provides a sustainable local solution for dealing predominantly with Telford s waste. The proposals are part of a waste management solution for the local area that reflect national, regional, strategic and local planning guidance and strategies 8. In the absence of a Waste Development Plan Document for the Borough, account has been taken of the policies in the Regional Spatial Strategy, which identifies the need for significant treatment capacity. These policies reflect the objectives for waste management in the Borough. Regard has also been had to the policies and proposals of the Adopted Structure Plan and the Adopted Wrekin Local Plan. The planning policy context for the development proposals is shown on Figure Landfill is not acceptable as the sole long-term option for the disposal of municipal waste. The waste hierarchy, set out in the Waste Strategy for England 2007, establishes reduction and re-use as the primary means of dealing with waste, followed by recovery of value from waste which cannot be effectively managed by those activities. Energy from waste represents an effective form of further treatment in order to recover value. These proposals will assist Telford and Wrekin Council in

4 Figure 1: Lo c a tio n P la n Drawn By: Adams Hendry Consulting Ltd Proposed Granville Energy from Waste Centre Scale. 1: Based upon the Ordnance Survey 1: scale map with the permission of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown Copyright N meeting their requirements to divert increasing tonnages of municipal waste from landfill under the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. Alternatives 10. As part of the scheme development and assessment of need, consideration was given to alternative means of dealing with the waste and alternative sites for the location of such a facility. 11. In terms of alternative technologies, various other processes were considered including mechanical biological treatment and pyrolyisis. Energy from waste, over and above the other technologies, will provide a proven technology with a reliable process and a known residue that has an established means of management. 12. Having established the need for an EfW development of this type, a site selection / appraisal exercise was undertaken in accordance with a set of criteria. The results of this exercise concluded that there are few sites within the Borough that are suitable for EfW but of these Granville is considered to offer the most benefits in terms of: proximity to the adjacent landfill and civic amenity sites; relatively remote location away from the built up area of Telford and residential properties; and the site has good access to the primary and strategic road network. Description of the Proposals 13. The proposed development comprises a number of key elements and planning permission is sought for: Access from Granville landfill and Civic Amenity site access road;

5 Development of a building housing the Energy from Waste plant, including workshops, turbine building, waste reception hall, waste crusher, waste bunker, ash bunker and subsequent operation of the plant in the process hall; Integral offices including a Visitors Centre; Access and circulation roads; Associated car parking; A single in and out weighbridge; Erection of air cooled condensers; Oil storage tank; Rainwater / process water storage; Water storage; Attenuation pond; and Landscaping proposals including bunding along the western boundary of the site (temporary and permanent) and a wildlife pond. 14. Figures 3, 4 and 5 provide further details of the proposed development. 15. The EfW plant will operate on a 24 hour basis throughout the year apart from planned and unplanned shutdowns. However waste and deliveries will only be received and ash removed on a controlled basis between the hours of Mondays to Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays. Construction Programme 16. Construction of the EfW Centre will take around 2 years and will be followed by a period of commissioning of up to 4 months. 17. The construction works are proposed to be undertaken between the hours of 0700 to 1900 Monday to Friday and from 0700 to 1600 on Saturdays. Noisy activities such as piling would not take place on Saturday afternoon. Should there be a need for extended working hours during the evening or at night, this will be agreed in advance to ensure that all appropriate measures are in place to mitigate any disruption to local residents. Working on Sundays will be subject to reasonable notice and for temporary periods. 18. A Construction Environmental Management Plan will be prepared to confirm the exact construction methodologies to be used. The Environmental Issues 19. From an analysis of the environmental context and baseline studies, as well as views and information gained from consultation, it was decided that the environmental assessment should examine the effects of the proposals with respect to the following issues: Air quality Landscape and Visual Impact Ecology Noise Traffic and Transport Socio-economic Water Environment Ground Conditions Agriculture and Soils Archaeology Impacts Assessed Air Quality 20. The air quality impact of the proposed development has been assessed with reference to relevant air quality standards. The methodology used in this assessment of the impact on air quality of the proposed EfW Centre makes use of a number of conservative assumptions. These include the following: It is assumed that the EfW Centre will continually operate at the maximum daily emission limits allowed under the Waste Incineration Directive. In practice, this will not be the case and actual emissions will be less than the limits. For heavy metals, emission limits for individual metals have been taken as the maximum limit for the group of metals to which the individual metals belong. This will tend to further overestimate the emissions of these metals. The maximum ground level concentrations are considered in each case. These concentrations occur in small areas; in general, the concentration will be much lower. In particular, the concentration at sensitive receptors is below the maximum predicted concentration. 21. Even with the conservative assumptions listed above, no breaches of air quality objectives or guidelines are predicted. 22. The impact of atmospheric emissions on nearby sensitive environmental receptors, in particular the closest receptor, Muxton Marsh Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), has been evaluated and has been found to be insignificant.

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7 Figure 2: Planning Policy Context Drawn By: Adams Hendry Consulting Ltd The Site Borough boundary Built up area of Telford Green network Green belt Wildlife sites Local nature reserve Housing areas already built or committed for development over 1 hectare Employment areas already built or committed for development over 1 hectare Scheduled ancient monuments Listed building Source: Telford and Wrekin Local Plan, 2000 Bridgnorth District Local Plan, Adopted July 2006 Cotswold Archaeology Scale. 1: Based upon the Ordnance Survey 1: scale map with the permission of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown Copyright N 23. The impact on human health has been evaluated in a number of ways: A health risk assessment was carried out for dioxins and furans. This concluded that the contribution from the EfW Centre would be 0.2% of the Tolerable Daily Intake for a local adult. Contrasted against a hypothetical individual with maximum exposure this intake would rise to only 1.63% of the Tolerable Daily Intake. A similar assessment was carried out for heavy metals. This concluded that the intake was insignificant and that the overall lifetime carcinogenic risk was around 1 in a million. 24. The potential for emissions from the Ironbridge Power Station and the landfill site to combine with emissions from the proposed EfW plant has been considered and no breaches of air quality objectives are predicted. 25. It can therefore be concluded that the impact of emissions from the proposed EfW Centre on the general population, the local community and environment will be acceptable. Landscape and Visual Impact 26. The EfW Centre lies within the Estates Farmland Character Area but is more typical of the adjacent Coalfields Landscape Character Area. The Coalfields area is characterised by upstanding rolling plateau, dispersed pattern of small farms and cottages and coal mining remains. This character area runs along the western application site boundary and extends northwards around the site. South east of the site, some 0.8 km away lies green belt land and there is an area of special landscape character some 4.4 km away to the north west. Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty lies some 6.7km away to the south west. 27. The proposals will have a slight/moderate impact on the surrounding landscape, mainly through aesthetic and perception changes to the local landscape as a result of the building. The impacts would largely be localised. 28. Given the scale and size of the proposed buildings the design is successful in minimising the extent and degree of adverse landscape and visual impacts to within acceptable levels overall.

8 SITA UK Ltd, Granville Energy from Waste Centre Wildlife pond Water storage pond Proposed planting Rainwater / process water storage Oil tank Air cooled condensers Roof layout Proposed planting Figure 3: Proposed Site Layout Drawn By: RPS Group Plc (see also landscape drawing Figure 5) Attenuation pond Existing trees Car Park to external walls Energy from Waste Centre Flue stack Landfill Site Area of easement Civic Amenity Site Weighbridge 147.2m Existing trees Perimeter fencing Cottage Kennels Site Entrance Dawes Bower Proposed Screen Mound Pond 145.4m Line of existing below ground pipe Existing hedgerow gaps to be infilled N GRANGE LANE Existing Scrub Not to Scale =100m Based upon the Ordnance Survey scale map with the permission of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown Copyright

9 Stack AOD m Epoxy painted steel light grey m Process Hall Waste Bunker 68.65m 10.80m Reception Hall 25.45m Workshop Turbine Hall Office 20.05m 28.00m 26.00m External mechanical plant exhaust & attenuators m shown indicatively Curtain walling system Polyester powder coated aluminium framed windows HPS200 Merlin Grey HPS200 Hamlet Translucent GRP panels Proposed site boundary Translucent GRP panels F.F.L +0.00m (AOD m) Polyester powder coated aluminium external door HPS200 Merlin Grey HPS200 Olive Green Translucent GRP panels HPS200 Moorland Green F.F.L +3.50m Proposed screen mound F.F.L +2.50m Indicative position of hedgerow Industrial door North Elevation HPS200 Olive Green Air cooled condenser (shown dashed) HPS200 Goosewing Grey Car parking area Cycling shelter (shown dashed) 1:20 Access ramp Indicative size and position of existing underground fuel pipeline Stack AOD m Epoxy painted steel light grey m Waste Bunker Reception Hall 36.50m 10.80m HPS200 Hamlet Process Hall 68.65m Translucent GRP panels m Ash Bunker 26.50m HPS200 Olive Green Proposed site boundary Translucent GRP panels F.F.L +3.50m F.F.L +0.00m (AOD m) Proposed screen mound Indicative size and position of existing underground fuel pipeline South Elevation HPS200 Olive Green HPS200 Moorland Green Louver bank to Boiler Hall Fuel oil Water storage tank (shown dashed) (shown dashed) Cladding panels HPS200 Olive Green Industrial door Indicative position of hedgerow Figure 4a: Building Elevations North and South Drawn By: RPS Group Plc Notes: Finished floor level is +0.00m at Process Hall Slab, AOD (Above Ordnance Survey Datum) All dimensions to external wall =50m All louvers subject to ventilation study

10 Stack AOD m Epoxy painted steel light grey m Office 8.15m Reception Hall 55.10m m Roof cladding on purlins Screen Proposed site boundary Full height glazing F.F.L +3.50m Roof cladding on purlins Indicative position of hedgerow Water storage pond West Elevation 1:20 access ramp Translucent HPS200 Moorland Green GRP panels HPS200 Olive Green Existing ground level Stack AOD m Epoxy painted steel light grey m Ash Bunker 19.55m Process Hall 27.10m 6.00m Workshop m HPS200 Olive Green Translucent GRP panels HPS200 Moorland Green Proposed site boundary F.F.L +3.50m F.F.L +0.00m (AOD m) F.F.L +2.50m Proposed site boundary Existing ground level Industrial door East Elevation HPS200 Olive Green Louver bank to Process Hall External mechanical plant exhaust & attenuators shown indicatively Figure 4b: Building Elevations East and West Drawn By: RPS Group Plc Notes: Finished floor level is +0.00m at Process Hall Slab, AOD (Above Ordnance Survey Datum) =50m All dimensions to external wall 10m SCALE 1:500 All louvers subject to ventilation study

11 Figure 5: Landscape Mitigation Scheme Drawn By: SLR Consulting Ltd N Not to Scale

12 29. Visually the site is well screened by adjacent landforms, concentrating the main visual impacts into a small visually contained area. In view of the past and current range of land uses in this area, including the former colliery, the current adjacent landfill and the new industrial estates, nearby this site is considered to be able to accommodate the proposed development more easily than other character areas in the Borough. Ecology 30. Assessment of the ecological value of the site identified potential for impacts on badgers, bats, dormice, reptiles and Great Crested Newts. No evidence of these species was detected during initial surveys, though potential disturbance to bat roosts and potential for further Great Crested Newts in the ephemeral pond were identified. Further survey work confirmed that Great Crested Newts were not present within the site. 31. Surveys confirmed that trees on the site are not currently used as bat roosts, however the surveys did confirm that bats use the hedgerows for both commuting and foraging. 32. Landscape proposals, including a new wildlife pond and retention of the majority of the boundary features will provide a valuable opportunity for habitat creation and management and minimise disturbance to bat flight lines and foraging habitat. In addition, the proposed lighting scheme for the site has been designed to maximise the probability of bats continuing to use the site. 33. The only potentially significant residual impacts are loss of other habitat but these are restricted to site level. Noise noise receptor points were identified within the locality and noise monitoring was undertaken at 9 locations selected to be representative of the noise environment at these points. 35. The assessment showed that the ambient noise residual impact would be in the main negligible, though this impact rises to medium at the nearest property at the Cottage Kennels. 36. The proposed development includes mitigation measures to reduce the impact of noise and vibration. This includes preparation of a Construction Environmental Management Plan, controls over times of working during construction and temporary and permanent landscape bunding adjacent to the Cottage Kennels to reduce noise and vibration impacts to acceptable levels. Traffic 37. The traffic and transportation impacts of the proposed development have been assessed. During construction and operation access to and from the site will be via Grange Lane to the A The facility will operate 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, although waste imports will be restricted as will construction access. 39. The EfW Centre would initially have a very limited impact on transportation in terms of traffic flows, as the adjacent Granville Landfill site already attracts the waste to be imported to the EfW. The proposed development would divert a proportion of this waste to the EfW Centre. Some of the residual waste not suitable for burning would be diverted back to the landfill. 40. There would be an increase in vehicle movements associated with the proposed development should current rates of infilling at the landfill site resume once the EfW Centre is operational. However, this potential level of increase is considered to be within the existing day-today variations in traffic associated with the existing landfill operation and therefore would not be significant. 41. Dependant upon the availability of end uses, bottom ash from the EfW facility will either be exported for re-processing or diverted to the adjacent landfill for disposal. Air pollution control residues (fly ash) would be exported for treatment off site. 42. A comparison of existing and proposed traffic flows revealed that the development would have a continuous but insignificant impact. 43. It is proposed to implement a Green Travel Plan to encourage and facilitate more sustainable transportation by staff. Socio-economic 44. The scheme would have a moderate positive socio-economic impact which will start from construction and continue throughout the operational life of the EfW Centre. Water Environment 45. The surface and groundwater regimes at the site have been assessed with reference to information held by the Environment Agency, Local Authorities and others,

13 and by the consideration of site specific investigation and monitoring data. 46. The application site is located on the minor aquifer of the Keele Beds in the upper reaches of the River Strine catchment. The proposed development comprises redistribution of overburden and bedrock, and the construction and operation of an Energy from Waste facility with ash storage area. 47. The potential impacts of the proposed development upon the water environment have been identified and assessed. 48. Due to the proposed method of working and site restoration, potential impacts to both water quality and water resources have been identified. A number of appropriate mitigation measures have been identified, including good site practice and inclusion of attenuation lagoons for surface water runoff. In addition, a surface water quality monitoring programme should be undertaken to assess any possible effects on the local surface water regime and allow remedial action to be taken if appropriate. 49. Overall, it is concluded that, with respect to the water environment, there are no significant residual impacts or cumulative effects associated with the proposed development, after consideration of the identified mitigation measures. Ground Conditions 50. The baseline conditions at the site have been drawn from widely available published materials, previous technical reports relating to the neighbouring landfill and recent ground investigations. 51. The application site is located on the Keele Beds and Enville Beds and all soils on site have been judged to be natural. There is no evidence of the presence of made ground or colliery spoil. The proposed development will disturb the natural topsoil, a silty-clay stratum and the underlying bedrock. 52. Two forms of assessment have been carried out. The first, a land quality assessment, takes account of the proposal to construct commercial buildings and introduce humans to this mixed agricultural and waste management site. The second, the development impact assessment, discusses the potential impacts of the proposed development on soils and near surface geological deposits via erosion, disaggregation, compaction and pollution. Appropriate mitigation measures are identified where predicted impacts during construction and operation are significant. In this case, given the absence of hazardous ground conditions, the mitigation measures are restricted to good construction practices designed to minimise and mitigate the impacts of the proposed construction on soil quality thus protecting its physical properties and contaminant-free status. 53. Overall, it is concluded that, with respect to geology, ground conditions and land quality, there are no significant residual impacts or cumulative effects associated with the proposed development, after consideration of the identified mitigation measures. Agriculture 54. An assessment of the impact of the proposed development on agricultural land has been undertaken. Only a small area of agricultural land will be permanently removed from potential agricultural use and impact on nearby agricultural receptors is deemed to be insignificant. Loss of soils will be minimised through implementation of a soil management strategy and use of the soils within the temporary and permanent landscape schemes. Archaeology 55. There are no recorded cultural heritage features within the site. There is little recorded prehistoric activity in the wider study area, although in the Roman period Watling Street was constructed to the south, with an associated camp and small town settlement. During the medieval period the site lay within a wooded deer park, and a grange attached to the Abbey of Lilleshall was situated south of the site. The local area was widely exploited for coal in the later post-medieval and modern periods, and Grange Colliery (established 1864) was situated on the opposite side of Grange Lane to the site. 56. There are no known direct physical impacts from the proposed development upon cultural heritage features. There will be a slight non-physical visual effect of development upon three Nationally Significant Scheduled Monuments, a moderate non-physical visual effect on one Listed building within the study area, and a slight/neutral non-physical visual effect upon the Locally Significant Grange Colliery. 57. Geophysical survey and archaeological evaluation trenches 200m to the southeast of the site found no significant archaeological remains. Proposed mitigation for the site comprises an archaeological watching brief which could be included in a condition on any planning permission granted.

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