ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Prior to project consent by the UK Government we are required to undertake a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The initial EIA phase involved completing a formal scoping report which identified the main environmental sensitivities that could potentially be affected by our Project, the extent of known environmental information and what additional data gathering programmes would need to be carried out. The report was issued in July 2004 to a wide range of stakeholders (150+) for review. Comments were managed by the DTI who then produced a formal response, these comments enabled our project team to modify the EIA process.

The consultation process which began prior to EIA scoping will be continued with all relevant parties throughout the project in order to ensure that key environmental issues and sensitivities continue to be fully understood and properly addressed.

The EIA process
The EIA’s purpose has been to identify and assess the potential impact that our project could have, throughout its life (i.e. construction, operations and decommissioning), on the surrounding physical, biological and human environment, and where appropriate, advises on suitable measures to reduce such impacts. In support of the process a wide range of information gathering programmes have been completed, including:

•	Seabird data gathering studies
•	Subtidal and intertidal benthic (faunal) studies
•	Navigational studies and collision risk assessment
•	Reviews of fish, shellfish and marine mammal ecology
•	Review of seabed and coastal processes
•	Review of socio-economic impacts
•	Visual assessment studies
•	Terrestrial habitat studies

The Environmental Statement
The Environmental Statement (ES) is the report that documents the EIA process. Our ES has now been completed and was formally submitted to the UK government on 8th July 2005. All stakeholders that could be potentially affected will be given a change to review the ES and respond formally to the regulator.

Download the Ormonde Project
Environmental Statement
Non Technical Summary