View - North East Lincolnshire Council

BOC Immingham Dissolved Acetylene Project Environmental Statement: Vol. 2 Main Text
16.53 No residual operational impacts are predicted for the RWE Biomass Plant by the scheme due to
habitat creation for water voles and birds 103 therefore no cumulative impacts are expected. The
ES for the Vireol 100 development, which also included a statement to inform an AA, did not identify
any significant ecological impacts from operation of the proposed facility and no cumulative
impacts are expected. Considering the large separation distances involved and the associated
noise attenuation, the operational noise levels from the RWE Biomass development and Vireol
Bio-ethanol Plant are considered unlikely to notably increase the level of noise impact locally to
Dissolved Acetylene facility.
16.54 The ecological assessment of the Dissolved Acetylene Project determined there would be no
adverse effects on the integrity of the SPA and Ramsar and that, although there could be negative
impacts on ecological receptors as a result of the operation of the Dissolved Acetylene Project,
these would not be significant.
16.55 Assuming that the Wind Turbine and Bio-ethanol developments generate similar operational noise
levels as the Dissolved Acetylene Project, given the separation distances involved and anticipated
noise attenuation, the cumulative impacts of noise on the internationally important bird populations
of the Humber Estuary are expected to be no greater than those predicted for the Dissolved
Acetylene Project alone.
16.56 In summary, it is concluded that there will be no significant cumulative impacts on ecological
receptors during concurrent operation of the Dissolved Acetylene Project with the other proposed
developments discussed herein.
Noise and Vibration
16.57 None of the proposed developments is expected to result in vibration impacts.
16.58 Considering the large separation distances involved and the associated noise attenuation, the
operational noise levels from the RWE Biomass development and Vireol Bio-ethanol Plant are
considered unlikely to notably increase the level of noise impact locally to Dissolved Acetylene
facility.
16.59 The Aeolian Wind Turbine development and Abengoa Bio-ethanol plant are close to the proposed
site and would be expected to increase the local ambient noise levels and corresponding impacts
at the nearby local receptors such as Poplar Farm. Assuming that the Wind Turbine development
and Abengoa Bio-ethanol Plant generate similar noise levels to the proposed BOC Project, the
applicable noise limit set for Poplar Farm (for the Dissolved Acetylene Project) should still be
satisfied at the local residential receptors. On this basis, in accordance with BS4142 guidance, the
likelihood of complaints with regard to cumulative impacts would be of less than marginal
significance.
16.60 Furthermore, assuming all three developments generate similar noise levels simultaneously
(which is highly unlikely in practice) and taking into account distance separation and the existing
ambient noise levels at Poplar Farm, this would result in a noise level change of less than 1 dBA.
The cumulative noise impacts associated with this noise level change are therefore expected to
be negligible.
16.61 In summary, it is concluded that there will be no significant cumulative noise or vibration impacts
as a result of the concurrent operation of the Dissolved Acetylene Project with the other proposed
developments.
5100935.404 Environmental Statement August 2011 280