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The
Strategic Environmental Assessment procedures
(SEA), as outlined in the Environmental Assessment
Directive 2001/42/EC (commonly referred to
as the SEA Directive), have meant that the
DTI has been consulting on the matter with
a range of stakeholders involved in nature
conservation, such as the statutory nature
conservation agencies Countryside Council
for Wales (CCW), the Joint Nature Conservation
Committee (JNCC) and English Nature (EN) and
interested non-government organisations. A
3 months public consultation has also taken
place as part of this process.
The
results of these consultations have been published
in the SEA6
environmental report which can be downloaded
from the DTI website. The report considers
the potential effects of the 24th licensing
round in terms of likely oil or gas exploration
/ development applications and their impacts
on wildlife amongst other considerations.
The report concluded that, "subject
to regulatory controls, there are no areas
within SEA 6 scope which should be excluded
from licensing, and no general timing constraints
which can be justified." This
conclusion was reached taking into consideration
the fact that projects will have to undergo
further assessments prior to being approved,
such as the Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) outlined in the EIA Directive (97/11/EC)
and the Appropriate Assessment procedures
outlined in the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).
The
results of the consultation mean that oil
companies have been able to apply for licenses
to explore oil and gas resources within the
SEA6 area. Two companies, which presently
remain unnamed, have put in a joint application
for a license in blocks 107/21, 107/22 and
106/30. As can be seen from Map1,
block 107/21 and 107/22 are partly within
the Cardigan Bay SAC whilst blocks 106/30
is located South West of the SAC. The DTI
have been assessing the application and holding
further consultations before deciding whether
to grant the license. The Appropriate
Assessment (AA) document on the 24th Round
was released in January 2007, but following
comment received on the draft AA, the blocks
near Cardigan Bay (as well as those in the
Morray Firth) have been excluded from this
document. The Appropriate Assessment for these
blocks will be carried out separately at a
later date.
Applications
routinely contain proposed work programmes,
typically including drilling and survey activity,
and DTI has confirmed that the application
for blocks in Cardigan Bay does not include
a seismic survey, nor a firm drilling commitment.
Any licensee proposing to carry out a seismic
survey, or any drilling, on these blocks would
require a further consent from the Government,
and this consent would be subject to EIA and
other environmental regulations.
In
Cardigan Bay any project (both within and
without the SAC), which could have a negative
impact on the features protected by the Cardigan
Bay SAC has to undergo the “Plans
and Projects Procedures” as outlined
in Article 6 of the Habitats Directive and
Regulations 48 and 49 of the Conservation
(Natural Habitats, &c) 1994 Regulations.
This means the impacts of the project will
have to be assessed by the Competent Authority
(in this case the DTI) in consultation with
CCW (if the project is within the 12nm) and
with JNCC (if the project is within the 12-200nm).
Before permission for
a project is granted DTI, based on advice
from JNCC and, or CCW will have to ensure
that, where necessary, adequate mitigation
measures are put in place and that the project
constitutes no threat to the favourable conservation
status of the features.
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