Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
Designated Site Sensitivity Magnitude Level of Effect (and significance)
Crosswood reservoir and Linhouse
Water
Low Negligible Negligible (not significant)
SWT Wildlife Site
Murieston Water
SWT Wildlife Site
Low Negligible Negligible (not significant)
Pollution of Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats
11.6.4 Pollution can arise in the form of fine sediment dusts and sedimentation of surface water runoff
associated with earthworks, as well as from the release of environmentally hazardous
chemicals (e.g. fuels and oils from construction plant). This has the potential to result in the
loss of vegetation and/or alteration of substrate chemistry, which can result in detrimental
changes to vegetation communities in the longer-term. Taking into consideration the
likelihood of this occurring and the limited reach of these possible effects, the potential
magnitude of this effect is assessed as being of a small magnitude. With habitats on site
considered to be of low sensitivity (with the exception of wet modified bog of high sensitivity),
the overall level of effect is considered to be negligible and slight (Table 11.12).
Table 11.12 Potential Unmitigated Effects and Associated Level of Effects of Pollution
on Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats
Terrestrial Habitat Sensitivity Magnitude Level of Effect (and significance)
Coniferous plantation woodland Low Small Negligible (not significant)
Broadleaved woodland Low Small Negligible (not significant)
Wet modified bog High Small Slight (not significant)
Marshy grassland Low Small Negligible (not significant)
Semi-improved acid grassland Low Small Negligible (not significant)
Watercourses Low Small Negligible (not significant)
Effects of Pollution on Terrestrial Species
11.6.5 During construction there is the potential for protected species to be affected as a result of a
variety of pollution incidents. These impacts not only have the potential to damage habitats
directly, but also to indirectly affect populations of species, such as otters and bats, through
the alteration of prey resource availability. The potential effect of this pollution on terrestrial
protected species is shown below in Table 11.13.
11.6.6 No badger setts were found within the site boundary/turbine envelope, and therefore the
magnitude of effect is considered to be negligible.
11.6.7 Otter presence was been noted along water courses running through the site and thus could
potentially be found throughout the entire site. Pollution effects could be substantial for otter
if water courses are affected (through e.g. run off of contaminated water into riparian
habitats) and are considered to be of a medium magnitude.
March 2013 11-30 ES Chapter 11
Terrestrial Ecology
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