3 TOPICS CONSIDERED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 9.


The following topics have been assessed through the EIA for the proposed East Anglia THREE project, in accordance with the Planning Inspectorate’s Scoping Opinion for the East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm. A list of topics that have been removed from the assessment requirement in accordance with the Scoping Opinion can be found in Section 3.5 below.


10. 11.


The order of topics presented below follows the layout of the PEIR with each topic being a chapter of the report.


Feedback from the publication of the PEIR will be used to further inform the assessments for the final ES, which will be published in November 2014.


3.1 Offshore 12.


The PEIR covers a wide range of physical, ecological, and human environmental topics for which potential impacts have been assessed. Many of these topics are related to each other and these links are have been highlighted within the sections below.


3.1.1 Marine Physical Environment 13.


The construction, operation, and decommissioning phases of the proposed East Anglia THREE project would cause a range of effects on the marine geology, oceanography and physical processes.


14.


In general the effects of the proposed project are predicted be small scale, localised and temporary, however, there would be a potential an impact upon the ‘East Anglia’ coastline and a site in which has been designated to protect bird species. These impacts could occur because the material used to protect the cables that transport the electricity from the windfarm to the shore may affect movement of sediment along the sea bed. The scale of this impact may be increased if the cable protection for the proposed East Anglia THREE, East Anglia ONE and East Anglia FOUR projects is required to be placed in the same area.


15.


The Marine Geology, Oceanography and Physical Processes, chapter is key to the assessments of many of the following offshore topics.


3.1.2 Marine Water and Sediment Quality 16. A review of previous studies as well as data collected from the East Anglia THREE site and offshore cable corridor showed that the water and sea bed is generally free from high levels of pollution. The data also show that contamination levels decrease with distance offshore.


Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014


East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm


Non-Technical Summary Page 4


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