host posted on March 08, 2010 12:00
An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, takes this opportunity to clarify the statement in the Sunday Times of 7th March 2010 in which we are quoted as saying that “the Spirit of Ireland” should be “pushed through for the good of the nation”. An Taisce has said that that the planning and regulatory processes need to be audited, improved and interlinked urgently so as to manage efficiently and effectively the implementation of our renewable energy targets in ways that do not undermine the protection of the environment and the ecosystems that support Ireland’s future. An Taisce believes that these changes should be addressed as a matter of urgency.
An Taisce, an environmental charity, exist in order to protect Irelands rich heritage and to guide the sustainable development of the country. While the ‘Spirit of Ireland’ project has huge potential for renewable energy, under no circumstances would An Taisce wish to see a project “pushed through” the existing legal framework for protection of Ireland’s heritage. Considering the size and scope of the ‘Spirit of Ireland’ project, An Taisce is calling for the project to be subject to ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment’, as this will ensure that the ‘broader picture’ emerges of the requirements in the Country for energy security and environmental protection.
An Taisce supports the urgent development of renewable energy generation and development of systems to provide backup to that generation. But the charity is insistent that these schemes go through the planning process and do not contravene our own or EU laws and directives. No special case should be made for any specific project. “The Spirit of Ireland”, must go through the complete planning process in line with the Critical Infrastructure Act and will most likely require Environmental Impact Assessments. There will also be a need an appropriate assessment if they are on or near a Natura 2000 nature conservation site. They must also go through a licencing process controlled by the CER (Commission for Energy Regulation), prior to commencement.
ENDS
For further information please contact
Charles Stanley-Smith Chair man An Taisce +353 87 2411995
NOTE
2.2.1 What is SEA?
“SEA is a systematic, on-going process for evaluating, at the earliest appropriate stage of publicly accountable decision-making, the environmental quality, and consequences, of alternative visions and development intentions incorporated in policy, planning or programme initiatives, ensuring full integration of relevant biophysical, economic, social and political considerations” (Partidário, 1998).
SEA shares much in common with project-level Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in that they both aim to minimise the significant environmental impact of a proposed action. EIA is applied to development projects (e.g. wind farms, waste-water treatment plants, housing developments) (under statutory instruments) and is hereafter referred to as project EIA in this report whilst SEA can apply at a higher, or earlier stage in planning such developments (e.g. waste management plans, county development plans).
Similarly, whereas the project EIA usually addresses specific, direct cause–effect relationships between the proposed development and an environmental receptor, an SEA is able to stand back and look at the broader picture.
SEA is better able to address cumulative, indirect and multiplier effects; it can also look at alternative means of meeting the same need. Overall, SEA is able to be more flexible and pro-active in nature whereas project EIA is more constrained by the scope of the proposed development that is under scrutiny and is less able to look “above the parapet”.
NOTE 2
An Taisce champions Ireland’s target to generate 40% of our electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020, but we know that although our country is superbly positioned to benefit from wind energy, this form of generation does require back up for those times when the wind stops blowing. Currently this back up is provided by electricity generated from natural gas, but the country is already dependant on imported natural gas for half of our existing electricity generation, and the risk for our security of supply is substantial. Consideration must be made of “peak gas” and the fact that Ireland is at the end of a long gas-pipeline that passes through politically volatile areas and that global gas prices are on an upward trend. Currently there are a number of other technologies that could provide electricity when the wind is not blowing, which include pumped hydro, interconnection and the less technically developed tidal and wave generation.