Zone of Impact – Environmental Impact Assessment
As part of the evaluation of S/16781 CCC Planning Department commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment. The Coedbach Action Team have taken an objective look at the Environmental Impact Assessment conducted for this proposed power station and we have been alarmed by the restrictive and limited scope of the study.
The zone of impact for this study was set at only 2 km radius of the site and 1.4 km radius for the historical and archaeological impact.
By comparison we have looked at the zone of impact in Environmental Studies undertaken for power station and ‘renewable’ energy schemes elsewhere:
In
In
For Betws Wind Farm the study zone is 30km.
You have to ask why only 2km at Coedbach!
So what does all this mean?
At Coedbach this means that the Environmental Impact Assessment has excluded the impact of this Power Station on all significant local population centres and features eg:
Excluded Kidwelly 2.1 km Mynyddygarreg 2.1 km Pembrey & Burry Port 4.5 km Llanelli 10 km Cwm Clydach 2.1 km Ffos Las Racecourse 2.5 km Pembrey Airport 3.0 km | Downwind – Excluded Trimsaran 2.5 km Pontyates 5/6 km Pont-Henri 5/6 km Pontyberem 9 km Tumble/Drefach 12 km Cross Hands 15 km |
By comparison; if the zone of impact had been set at 15km, the same distance as the
The legal responsibility to set the zone of impact for an Environmental Impact Assessment rests with Planning.
As local residents we are seriously concerned that a very restrictive zone of impact of 2km around Coedbach does not reflect the true impact of this planning application on us, the residents of Carmarthenshire and we don’t think that you, our elected members have been presented with the facts and data that allow you to take a balanced decision on this application.
As our elected representatives we would like you to ask why !
This Briefing Note has been produced for and on behalf of the Coedbach Action Team who are acting on behalf the 1000+ concerned individuals who want you to Say NO to Coedbach Power Station – Planning Application S/16781.
The Risk to our Health from Power Station Emissions
The Coedbach Action Team have taken an objective look at the emissions from this proposed Power Station and we are concerned by what we have found in the application and supporting documentation.
This 50mw power station will produce an estimated 500,000 tonnes per annum of emissions and pollution pa based on their proposed usage of 511,000 tonnes pa of wood.
This means that every minute of every day an estimated 1 tonne of emissions and pollutants will be released into our local atmosphere.
The Environment Agency report that ten types of emissions are detrimental to human health.
These are:
- SO2 – Sulphur Dioxide, noxious and produces acid rain
- CO – Carbon Monoxide – lethal in small doses
- NOx – Nitrogen Oxides, converts to Nitric Acid and ozone
- CO2 – Carbon Dioxide – lethal in large quantities
- PM10s – Small particles of soot and dust – major aggravator of respiration and cause of Asthma
- O2 – Ozone – causes asthma in children
- HCL – Hydrogen chloride is an extremely toxic gas
- PM2.5 – heavy metal particulates
- Dioxins – Highly toxic chemicals which accumulate in the food chain
- PAH - Poly Aromatic Hydro Carbons
Yet in the Environment Impact Assessment scoped by Carmarthenshire County Council Planning Department, only five have been modelled.
Emissions
NOx – Nitrogen 16000 kg per week
PM10 – particulates 1100 kg per week
C0 – Carbon Monoxide 13500 kg per week
S02 – Sulphur Dioxide 16000 kg per week
HCL – Hydrogen Chloride 1300 kg per week
C02 – Carbon Dioxide not calculated
PAH – Aromatic Hydro Carbons not calculated
PM 2.5 – heavy metals not calculated
Dioxins not calculated
O2 Ozone not calculated
Did you realise that when commissioning a Power Station, by law, 28 separate contaminants and pollutants have to be measured and certified. Yet only 5 have been modelled for this application.
We have attempted to model the impact of carbon dioxide and have estimated that this application will increase the carbon dioxide emissions in Carmarthenshire by 20-25%. We don’t believe that this is ‘green’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘environmentally friendly’.