GROUSEMOUNT WIND FARM County Kerry

Transcription

1 GROUSEMOUNT WIND FARM County Kerry ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT VOLUME 1 - NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY & EIS TEXT ESB WIND DEVELOPMENT Report No. QR GK0715-R01

2 ESB WIND DEVELOPMENT LIMITED GROUSEMOUNT WIND FARM COUNTY KERRY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT VOLUME 1 of 3 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY & EIS TEXT Report QR GK0715-R01 Stephen Court, 18 / 21 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. Telephone: Fax:

3 - Volume 1 of 3 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION...1 THE PROJECT...2 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT...5 CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION SCOPE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FORMAT OF EIS CONSULTATION DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT OVERVIEW THE DEVELOPER PLANNING HISTORY WIND FARM SITE DESCRIPTION OF SCHEME COMPARISON OF PERMITTED AND PROPOSED ARRANGEMENTS OPERATION, MAINTENANCE AND DECOMMISSIONING MITIGATION OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS COOMATAGGART 110 KV SUBSTATION GRID CONNECTION OTHER DEVELOPMENTS DURATION OF PERMISSION PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT CONSTRUCTION TEMPORARY SITE FACILITIES TURBINE ACCESS AND CRANEPADS WIND TURBINES ANEMOMETER MASTS UNDERGROUND SERVICES BORROW PITS TREE FELLING ACCESS COOMATAGGART 110 kv SUBSTATION GRID CONNECTION CONSTRUCTION WASTE REINSTATEMENT MITIGATION OF IMPACTS SCHEDULE Page i/vii

4 4. POLICY & PLANNING CONTEXT INTRODUCTION ENERGY POLICY EUROPEAN CONTEXT ENERGY POLICY NATIONAL CONTEXT REGIONAL PLANNING GUIDELINES PLANNING POLICY KERRY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN CONCLUSIONS ALTERNATIVES DO-NOTHING SCENARIO ALTERNATIVE ELECTRICITY GENERATION PROCEED WITH PERMITTED DEVELOPMENTS ALTERNATIVE SITES ALTERNATIVE CONFIGURATIONS AND LAYOUTS WIND ENERGY GUIDELINES HUMAN ENVIRONMENT RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS NOISE & VIBRATION RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS SHADOW FLICKER RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSION AQUATIC ECOLOGY WIND FARM RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS AQUATIC ECOLOGY CABLE 11.1 Page ii/vii

5 11.1 RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSION LANDSCAPE INTRODUCTION RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMAPCT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS ATMOSPHERIC EMISSIONS & AIR QUALITY RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS GEOLOGY & SOILS RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS HYDROLOGY, HYDROGEOLOGY & WATER QUALITY RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS ROADS & TRAFFIC RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS MATERIAL ASSETS TOURISM ENERGY SUPPLY AIR NAVIGATION TELEVISION AND COMMUNICATIONS SIGNALS CULTURAL HERITAGE INTRODUCTION HISTORY ARCHAEOLOGY ARCHITECTURE Page iii/vii

6 18.5 CONCLUSIONS INTERACTION OF IMPACTS INTRODUCTION INTERACTION EPA GUIDANCE CONCLUSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY VOLUME 2 of 3 VOLUME 3 of 3 APPENDICES A - L ZTV MAPS & PHOTOMONTAGES Page iv/vii

7 List of Figures Figure 1.1 Figure 2.1 Figure 2.2 Figure 2.3 Figure 2.4 Figure 2.5 Figure 2.6 Figure 3.1 Figure 3.2 Figure 3.3 Figure 3.4 Figure 3.5 Figure 3.6 Figure 4.1 Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2 Figure 5.3 Figure 5.4 Figure 5.5 Figure 6.1 Figure 6.2 Figure 6.3 Figure 6.4 Figure 6.5 Figure 7.1 Figure 7.2 Figure 8.1 Figure 9.1 Figure 9.2 Figure 9.3 Figure 9.4 Figure 9.5 Figure 9.6 Figure 9.7 Figure 9.8 Figure 9.9 Site Location Site Layout Route of Coomataggart Ballyvouskill Underground Cable View of Wind Turbine View of Nacelle Coomataggart 110 kv Substation Other Wind Farm Developments Wind Turbine Foundation Crane for Wind Turbine Er3ection Assembly of Wind Turbine Blades Wind Turbine Erection Typical 110 kv Cable Installation Wind Farm Construction Schedule Wind Development Zones, Co. Kerry Global Wind Power Installation Growth in Wind Energy Generation in Ireland European Wind Resources Wind Farm Planning Applications Trend in Wind Turbine Sizes Townlands at Wind Farm Site National & Local Trends in Population Growth Historical Trends in Population Growth Wind Industry Investment Costs by Category Irish Wind Jobs by Category Noise Monitoring Locations Location of Houses Noise Analysis Location of Houses Shadow Flicker Analysis Sites of Nature Conservation Importance Habitat Map Wind Farm General View of Site Heath Vegetation Dominated By Purple-Moor Grass Area of Relatively Intact Blanket Bog at Knockanruddig Blanket Bog at South East Sector of the Site Exposed Siliceous Rock Roughty River - Main Channel Fields of Improved Grassland Page v/vii

8 Figure 10.1 Figure 10.2 Figure 10.3 Potentially Affected Watercourses Biological Water Quality Assessment Sites Assessment Sites - Fish Habitat & Chemical Water Quality Figure 10.4 Results of Mussel Survey Figure 10.5 Figure 10.6 Watercourses & Drain Crossings Continuous Online Monitoring of Suspended Solids Figure 11.1 Cable Route Aquatic Ecology (1) Figure 11.2 Cable Route Aquatic Ecology (2) Figure 11.3 Cable Route Aquatic Ecology (3) Figure 12.1 Figure 12.2 Figure 12.3 Figure 12.4 Figure 12.5 Figure 12.6 Kerry Renewable Energy Strategy - Wind Deployment Zones Cork County Development Plan - Policy Considerations for Wind Energy Projects Cork County Development Plan - Wind Energy Strategy Map Topography of The Roughty River Valley Design Response to Key Influences in the Landscape Viewpoint Locations Figure 13.1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector Figure 13.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector Figure 13.3 Figure 13.4 Figure 14.1 Figure 14.2 Figure 14.3 Figure 14.4 Figure 14.5 Figure 14.6 Figure 14.7 Figure 14.8 Figure 14.9 Figure Figure Figure 15.1 Figure 15.2 Air Quality Zoning Map Air Quality Monitoring Network Bedrock at Grousemount Soils at Grousemount Recorded Landslides and Geological Heritage Sites Peat Stability Flowchart Rockfill Peat Repository on an Existing ESB Wind Farm Turbine Excavation Trimmed Back to a Stable Temporary Side Slope Rockfill Berm Around an Area of Deep Peat at an ESB Wind Farm Template - Peat Stability Risk Assessment Peat Stability Risk Assessment Turbines Peat Stability Risk Assessment Access Tracks Peat Stability Risk Assessment Other Infrastructure Regional Hydrology Map Local Hydrology Map Figure 15.3 Existing Site Drainage Map 1 Figure 15.4 Existing Site Drainage Map 2 Figure 15.5 Existing Site Drainage Map 3 Figure 15.6 Figure 15.7 Bedrock Aquifer Map Local Designated Sites Figure 15.8 Hydrological Constraints Map 1 Page vi/vii

9 Figure 15.9 Hydrological Constraints Map 1 Figure Hydrological Constraints Map 1 Figure Figure 16.1 Figure 16.2 Figure 16.3 Figure 16.4 Figure 16.5 Figure 16.6 Figure 16.7 Figure 16.8 Figure 17.1 Figure 17.2 Figure 17.3 Figure 17.4 Figure 17.5 Figure 18.1 Figure 18.2 Figure 18.3 Cumulative Impacts Map Local Road Network & Potential Turbine Delivery Routes Typical Delivery of Wind Turbine Tower Components Typical Delivery of Wind Turbine Blades Unloading of Wind Turbine Blade Temporary Bridge at Ballyvourney Temporary Bridge Typical View Temporary Bridge Typical Installation Road Improvement Locations Kerry Way Walking Route Wind Farm Impact on Sightseeing Impact of Wind Farms on Decision to Visit Ireland Annual Electricity Demand Electricity Demand Forecast Cultural Heritage Sites Wind Farm Cultural Heritage Sites Cable Route Site CH1 House Platform Figure 18.4 Site CH1 Remains of Field Boundary (1) Figure 18.5 Site CH1 Remains of Field Boundary (2) Figure 18.6 Figure 18.7 Field Boundaries Grousemount Overgrown Former Trackway Grousemount Page vii/vii