The dredging application and environmental impact assessment

 

EIA is required as a basis for considering whether dredging should be allowed and, if so, what conditions must be observed by the operator to safeguard the environment and interests of other users of the sea. As part of the EIA process, applicants have to produce a Coastal Impact Study to ascertain the likely impacts of dredging on the coastline 507, 508, 509.

The EIA process is also expected to consider:

• areas that are important for fish spawning, migration routes, or as nursery and over-wintering grounds;


• areas within, adjacent to, or likely to impact upon, Sites of Special Scientific Interest; National Parks, Heritage Coast, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, European sites (Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas), Marine Protected Areas, RAMSAR sites, Marine Nature Reserves and other nationally designated conservation areas; and


• war graves, wrecks and other remains of archaeological interest.

Annex A of the Marine Minerals Guidance Note 1 (2002) outlines the topics that should be covered by the Environmental Statement, based on the information set out in Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations (1999). This includes the seabed sediment composition, benthos, bathymetry, fisheries, location of wrecks and other users both commercial and social. It also states that the cumulative impacts of activities in the vicinity, not just dredging, should be taken into consideration.

When a Marine Licence is issued it is accompanied by a number of conditions aimed at mitigating any potential environmental concerns with a requirement for monitoring and review. The application, including the environmental statement, is subjected to public consultation. A number of studies provide guidance on marine EIA M0005, M0055, 474, 496, 510, 519.