Alternatives, Mitigation and Environmental Management Plans

Question 1

Types of Alternatives

Answer 1

No action 
Locations
Scales of project
Processes or equipment
Site layouts and designs
Operating conditions
-limited by commercial considerations, developed in consultation with stakeholders

Question 2

DIBDEN Alternatives

Answer 2

Primary Use: import, export and distribution of unities fright in containers. Import of aggregated, for roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo (vehicles)) and lift-on/lift-off (lo-lo) cargo.

opertational Area: 202 ha

Envt measures: 185 ha (incl planting, landscaping and nature conservation enhancements) and agriculture.

Principa; land uses within Terminal- ~1.8 km of quay providing 6 deepwater berths; cranes, storage areas, railway yards, offices, parking, landscaping

Question 3

Alternatives at Dibden

Answer 3

-increasing existing capacity-decking, change of use, efficiency
-extend existing docks- little space or scope for reclamation
-develop elsewhere-one viable- reclamation and transport links needed
Do nothing

Question 4

Dibden general

Answer 4

initial design v badly received by the local community.

Redesigns proposed with consultation

• smaller stack buildings
• more sensitive, alternative designs
• further consultation with community and statutory consulatees.

Marine 52%
-mimicking a container ship, sloping profiles, external features, echoing masts or containers.

Wave 35%
-curved soften appearance from a distance, flows between components, use of black blurs to break up visuals.

High-tech 13%
-inspired by the language of modern high tech equipped
highlights the industrial nature of the plant whilst providing an idea of the processes that take place (red for boiler house)

Community consultation- views on alt design

Question 5

Stonehenge- A303 improvements Alt routes

Answer 5

Options for alternatives:
2.1 km bored tunnel- rejected because of costs (£510m)
Northern route (£283m)
Southern Route (£246m)
Cut & Cover tunnel(£389m)
“Partial solution” (£159million)

Published scheme- expensive

Northern & southern -cheaper- potential damage on landscape and heritage, 9m high embankment

partial solution some traffic improvements and improvements to setting

2009- visitors Centre to be relocated to Airmans Corner (now open)
A344 now closed- grassland being restored

Question 6

Changed in directive 2014

Answer 6

Requirements should be clearer:
‘a description of the reasonable alternatives studied by the developer, which are relevant to the project and its specific characteristics’,
instead of
‘an outline of the main alternatives studied by the developer’.

Question 7

Mitigation Approaches

Answer 7

Meaures envisaged to avoid, reduce and if poss remedy sig adverse effects
-directive 97/11

Significance spectrum

A hierarchy

• avoid impact by not taking certain action
• reduce/minimse the impact over time by maintenance or preservation
• restore/remdy the impact by repair or restoration
• compensate by replacing resources
• (enhance: positive change)

Question 8

Avoid

Answer 8

extreme: build or aviod land take

change site layout- i.e. avoid traffic congestion or late night noise

schedule lottery movements to avoid congestion or late night noise.

Question 9

Reduce

Answer 9

reduce visual impact by reducing height of large structures, planting barriers of trees, building earth banks or designing to fit in with existing landscape

reduce are of greenfield with housing to protect nature conservation or amenity.

Question 10

Restore/Remedy

Answer 10

repair or reseed a meadow used for temp storage of construction materials
resurface access roads damaged by heavy vehicles use

Question 11

Compensate

Answer 11

create replacement habitat

provide sound insulation for local residents

provide financial comp for loss of amenity.

Question 12

Enhance

Answer 12

Projects can have positive effects as well as negatuve- these could be further enhanced.
by innovation design (stonehenge visitor centre)
by net gain in habitat (Debden)
or generate local improvements than support the project and the local area i.e. roads or other infra improvements

Question 13

Environmental management plans: world bank

Answer 13

an EMP outlines the mitigation monitoring and institutional measures to be taken during project implementation and operation to avoid or control adverse environmental impacts and the actions needed to implement these measures.

Question 14

Mitigation measures? when are they identified?

Answer 14

pre-consent phase or during the consenting process

subject to planning conditions/obligations

EMP should be a structured plan for ensuring mitigation measures are actually implemented ‘on the ground’
often overlooked

Question 15

EMS?

Answer 15

structured and documented cyst to manage a companys overal envt performance and responsibilities

incl companies commitment on managing envy impacts of activities, use of resources, management of specific aspects such as waste, energy and water.

is often accredited to a standard such as ISO14001

Question 16

EMP?

Answer 16

focuses on the project itself
includes all contractors, consultants
can incl construction and operation phases
incl protection, restoration, monitoring

Question 17

Key parties in preparing EMP

Answer 17

project proponent (developer, design team, envy, consultants, contractors)
regulators (planning authority, statutory consultees)
stakeholder (community, interest groups)

Question 18

Why do we have to do EMPs, EIAs, EMSs?

Answer 18

UK- no statutory requirement (unlike-netherlands, Aus, HK)

planning authorities may request EMP- secure mitigation measures incl via planning conditions

little guidance from government- other than DoE circular 11/95
“Allows planning auth to require a scheme of mitigation covering matters of planning concerns”

EMP allows the conditions set to be framer effectively and with clarity on i.e. monitoring and reporting

may overlap with other related consents or licences- these would usually be integrated into the EMP

Question 19

Structure of EMP

Answer 19

contents
intro
project team- roles and responsibilities
emergency procedures
consents and permissions
environmentally sig changes (responsibilities) generic envy actions legal requirements, EMS documents)
register of variations
technical schedules (monitoring methodologies)
appendices

Question 20

London Array Phase One-facts and figures

Answer 20

offshore area=100km2
175 wind turbines
two offshore substations
Nearly 450km of offshore cabling
one onshore substation
630MW of electric- enough  power for around 480 000 homes a year- two thirds of the homes in Kent
CO2 savings of 925 tonnes a year
phase one completed end of 2012.

Question 21

EMP in action- London Array

Answer 21

-thames estuary
connection to national grid at cleve hill, kent: substation, cabling, onshore works compounds, realignment of overhead power lines

an ecological mitigation and management plan was produced to address the ecological impacts on onshore works

Question 22

Issues London Array

Answer 22

clearance of vegetation
onshore bird monitoring methodology 
works in pits and ditches
great crested newt mitigation strategy 
reptile surveys and habitat clearance
Pre-construction water vole surveys
-each had its own schedule within EMP

Question 23

Different types of alternatives, and examples

A mitigation hierarchy, with examples

What is an EMP, what are the benefits to those involved in EIA?

Answer 23

Answers