Environmental Statement

Environmental Statement

The proposed facility requires an Environmental Statement to be developed through an Environmental Impact Assessment.

A scoping report was issued to Stockton Borough Council last year and responses from the Council Consultee list determined what should be included in the EIA. Various assessments have been drafted to inform you.

Topics covered include

Site Location and Description of the Development see "Billingham Mine"
Consideration of Alternatives
Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
Ecology and Nature Conservation Assessment
Flood Risk Assessment
Geology, Mining, Ground Conditions and Land Quality Assessment
Hydrology and Hydrogeology Assessment
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Assessment
Traffic and Transport Assessment
Noise and Vibration Assessment
Air Quality Assessment
Socio-economic Assessment

Some of the conclusions from the above are noted below:

The scope of the Dust and Air Quality Assessment was confirmed with Stockton Borough Council Environmental Health Officers before analysis commenced.

The report considered the following aspects:

Dust & Air Quality to Sensitive Receptors during Construction

Dust & Air Quality to Sensitive Receptors during Operation

Increased Dust & Air issues arising from increased road traffic

Assessment found that there is insignificant impact with the additional road traffic. Without mitigation however there is potential for Dust & Air Quality nuisance by the project in both operation and construction. With the following measures this nuisance is negated to acceptable levels:

Deliveries by bulk powder lorries or doube bagged in curtain-sided trucks
The waste reception area will operate under negative pressure and be accessed through fast acting roller shutter doors.
The waste reception area ventilation will be filtered
Construction operations to use best practise techniques for dust suppression, eg sheeting vehicles, damping down haul roads etc.

As well as an Environmental Impact Assessment for the Planning Application the scheme requires a Permit fromt he Environment Agency. This permit application is compiled of detailed background reports to demonstrate the operation will not cause environmental harm. Two key draft findings are summarised below:

Mine Stability - The mine has been created by room and pillar method, the pillars remaining account for approx 45% of the mine area. From the extensive document library inherited from ICI together with the findings of the mine visit, stability models were created and assessed concluding that the mine is sufficiently stable for use as a waste storage facility.

Geology & Hydrogeology - Part of this assessment considers what would happen if the mine flooded, which it will, in approximately 600 years. This could release APC Residues into the water which will try and rise into the Sandstone Aquifer. APC Residues are unlikely to permeate to this level, however as a belt and braces approach the waste will undergo a partial treatment process at the surface before being store in the mine.

The permit requires other assessments to be carried out including operationa method statements and an assessment on the requirements for monitoring requirements of water, air and noise during the operation of the facility.

This assessment undertakes a photo survey from various receptor points such as residential areas, train lines or roads etc from where the site may be commonly viewed.

The findings of the assessment were as follows:

The proposed above ground development will result in a positive change to the landscape character of the site and the immediate local arae. This is because the development will introduce a land use and will include a large amount of planting.

Overall thre impacts to the landscape character of the area will be slightly enhanced by the above ground development.

The development will not be visible from any of the nearby residential or recreational receptors.

The scope of the noise and vibration assessment was confirmed with Stockton Borough Council Environmental Health Officers before analysis commencing.

The report considered the following aspects (Sensitive Recceptors include Residential, Schools, Nursing Homes etc):

Noise & Vibration to Sensitive Receptors during Construction

Noise & Vibration to Sensitive Receptors during Operation

Increased road traffic noise from both Construction and Operation phases

The assessments concluded that for each scenario considered above there would be negligible effect to Sensitive Receptors. This effect is further lost in the existing background Noise and Vibration from existing roads and operations.

We have been advised anecdotally by various Billingham residents that when the mine was operational they sometimes felt vibration from the ground below. This is most likely to have been caused by the drilling, blasting and tracked plant used by ICI as can be seen in the historic photos. There will be no requirement for drilling and blasting with the proposed project. As is evident from the proposed mine operation photos, all plant below ground will be rubber wheeled.

Operating at envisaged capacit the facility will bring in 16 HGV's per day. In addition there will be cars associated with site personnel.

Traffic consultants URS have in consultation with Stockton Borough Council and the Highways Agency determined that additional vehicle movements created in both construction and operational phase will under the required guidelines have a negligible imact on the Highways Network.

Although such findings are sufficient for planning, NPL Waste Management are exploring options ton reduce any impact even further by:

The adoption of a Travel Plan where employees car share and utilise public transport as far as possible

Seeking to programme deliveries to avoid peak hour traffic

Listening to local concerns to avoid traffic routing through residential areas and proposing defined route plans

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