Alternatives, Mitigation and Environmental Management Plans Flashcards
Types of Alternatives
No action Locations Scales of project Processes or equipment Site layouts and designs Operating conditions -limited by commercial considerations, developed in consultation with stakeholders
DIBDEN Alternatives
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
Alternatives at Dibden
-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
Dibden general
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
Stonehenge- A303 improvements Alt routes
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
Changed in directive 2014
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’.
Mitigation Approaches
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)
Avoid
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.
Reduce
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.
Restore/Remedy
repair or reseed a meadow used for temp storage of construction materials
resurface access roads damaged by heavy vehicles use
Compensate
create replacement habitat
provide sound insulation for local residents
provide financial comp for loss of amenity.
Enhance
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
Environmental management plans: world bank
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.
Mitigation measures? when are they identified?
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
EMS?
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
EMP?
focuses on the project itself
includes all contractors, consultants
can incl construction and operation phases
incl protection, restoration, monitoring
Key parties in preparing EMP
project proponent (developer, design team, envy, consultants, contractors) regulators (planning authority, statutory consultees) stakeholder (community, interest groups)
Why do we have to do EMPs, EIAs, EMSs?
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
Structure of EMP
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
London Array Phase One-facts and figures
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.
EMP in action- London Array
-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
Issues London Array
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
Different types of alternatives, and examples
A mitigation hierarchy, with examples
What is an EMP, what are the benefits to those involved in EIA?
Answers
