environmental impact statement kilmainhamwood compost facility ...

5361- Kilmainhamwood Compost Facility Extension- EIS
The 2004 planning application was granted and a composting facility is currently operational at this
location. This proposal is for an extension to the existing facility. The extension is divided into two areas
-one extension area to the rear of the existing building and one extension area to the front of the
existing building. The front extension will be constructed on an existing concrete hardstand area. An
approximate area of 178m 2 of existing woodland will be cleared to facilitate access and construction of
this extension.
An area of approximately 2,462 m 2 of existing woodland will be cleared for the construction of the rear
extension to the facility building. This extension will be partially constructed on existing concrete
hardstand. The proposed office administration building will also require removal of vegetation of
approximately 576m 2 .
As described in the original EIS, the underlying geology comprises the following:
7.3.1 Soil/Subsoil
The subsoils underlying the southern part of the site at Ballynalurgan, consist of gravels that have been
derived from Lower Palaeozoic rocks. The gravels are glaciofluvial in origin, which means they were
deposited by running water. They represent the retreat of the ice-sheets. They are usually stratified and
composed of rounded, loosely packed pebbles. Deposits of till derived from lower Palaeozoic rocks lie
within the proposed activity area where the extension will be located.
River alluvium has been deposited to the south of the site -near the entrance.
7.3.2 Bedrock Geology
For inspection purposes only.
Consent of copyright owner required for any other use.
Reference to the relevant geological information for this area, the 1:100,000 scale Sheet 13 – Bedrock
Geological Map of Meath (GSI 1999) indicate that this is quite a varied area of bedrock geology and
one of the few areas of Permo-Triassic rocks within Ireland.
A sequence of red sandstones and evaporate deposits of gypsum and anhydrite unconformably overlie
a sequence of older Carboniferous rocks bounded to the west by the Kingscourt Fault. The strata dip
gently (10°-30°) westwards towards the fault (except immediately adjacent to it) which produces a halfgraben
structure. This fault has a maximum downthrow to the east of approximately 2100m. The
permo-Triassic rocks occur in a series of open northeast trending folds. North-south trending faults
transect these folds in several places.
The Kingscourt Sandstone Formation (KS) consists of a lower siltstone unit which grades upwards to a
thickly bedded, cross laminated red sandstone. This formation conformably overlies the Kingscourt
Gypsum Formation (KG). This formation is composed of a basal impersistent conglomerate, followed by
a mud dominated sequence of two major gypsum and anhydrite levels. The lower mudstone unit
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