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Mussel survey order for developers


THE developers of a €100 million windfarm in West Clare have been requested to carry out extensive survey work on the freshwater pear mussel in the Doonbeg River to establish the likely effects of the development on the mussel population.

A protected snail, the Vertigo angustior, at the Doonbeg Golf Club proved to be a headache for the developers before planning permission was finally granted.
Subsequently, a conservation project introduced to protect the 1.8mm snail at the West Clare links resulted in a six-fold increase in its population to 60 million over a 10-year period.
Now, Clare Coastal Wind Power Limited has been asked by An Bord Pleanála to undertake further surveys to establish the baseline condition of the population of the mussel and its habitat.
This work is part of a substantial additional information request covering 17 different issues in relation to ecology, site drainage, peat management, water, shadow flicker and noise. In addition, a consolidated schedule of mitigation measures proposed must be submitted.
This additional information has to be provided by March 1 unless a request for additional time is made and agreed by An Bord Pleanála. On receipt of the information, An Bord Pleanála will decide whether to invoke its powers under the Planning and Development Act requiring the developer to publish notice of the furnishing of any additional information and to allow for inspection or purchase of same and the making of further written submissions by the public.
Clare Coastal Wind Power Limited has submitted a planning application to An Bord Pleanála to develop a 45-turbine windfarm with a hub height of 85m and a rotor diameter of 82m at Carrowmore South, Einagh, Monmore North, Doonbeg, Shragh, Mountrivers and Drumillihy.
Further to the additional mussel surveys, the company has to describe and evaluate the significance of the mussel population, assess the likely significant effects and devise mitigation.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has identified a need to undertake further survey work of the mussel population in accordance with its survey guidelines and the company must consult with the NPWS to determine the overall parameters.
The board also noted only eight of the houses within 500m of the turbines have provided letters of consent and asked the company to provide letters for the other five as appropriate.
It asked the company to indicate all the 375 houses recorded as being within 1.2km of existing, consented or proposed windfarms and provide results for shadow flicker analysis for all these locations as stated in its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The location of 354 houses within the environs of three windfarm sites has to be indicated on a map and the catchment from the turbines used to arrive at this figure defined.
Further details are required as to how the four noise monitor locations were chosen and, given the use of background noise, data has to clarify how the use of this methodology is considered to be representative of the wider area in a situation where there are other clusters of houses in the vicinity of the site where there was no background monitoring undertaken.
Clarification has been sought on the use of some examples for the fixed limit of 43 dBA, which appear to indicate that prevailing background noise levels have been raised by 5 dBA for night-time.
The company has to revise its baseline description and evaluation of habitats for the peat on site after the NPWS stated it was raised and not blanket bog, as outlined in the company’s EIS.
A detailed peat management plan addressing NPWS concerns about peat excavation and transport, temporary storage, spreading, dewatering, preparation of deposition sites, potential reuse of peat at other locations outside sites and facilitation of biodiversity gain has also been requested.
Welcoming the request for additional information, the Rural Protection Group stated many of the issues raised by the board reflect the concerns raised by the group, in particular in relation to drainage, water, shadow flicker, noise and protection of wildlife, flora and fauna. 
“The group await the additional information in relation to all of these issues and will respond appropriately,” said a group spokesperson.
A Clare Coastal Limited spokesman confirmed the company would be responding comprehensively to the board’s request for further information.

 

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