Report

The Woodsmith Project - S73 Project Amendments : Planning Statement

minerals and waste development will be permitted where it can be demonstrated that there will be no unacceptable impacts arising from emissions to air, land or water. Together, these policies establish a clear requirement that development must safeguard hydrogeological receptors and avoid significant adverse environmental effects. Chapter 6.0 of the SES provides a focused assessment of the proposed amendments to the Currently Approved Development in respect of geology and hydrogeology. The assessment considers whether the amendments would give rise to additional or materially different environmental effects when compared to those previously assessed and approved. It concludes that the proposed changes at Ladycross Plantation and Lockwood Beck are minor in nature and do not introduce new pathways for impact. As such, they are not considered likely to result in significant hydrogeological effects and can reasonably be scoped out of detailed reassessment. The SES confirms that, with continued implementation of the approved mitigation, monitoring and management measures secured through the existing planning permissions and environmental management framework, the proposed amendments would not give rise to significant effects during the construction, operational or decommissioning phases. The established control measures remain appropriate and effective in managing potential risks to groundwater and surface water receptors. It is also material that since the commencement of construction in 2017, monitoring data demonstrates that impacts on groundwater have been minimal, with no significant deviation recorded in chemical or physical parameters. This empirical evidence provides strong reassurance that the embedded mitigation measures are functioning effectively and that the hydrogeological regime remains stable. A comparison of the previously assessed ‘worst case’ impacts associated with the Currently Approved Development and those associated with the proposed amendments is set out in Table 6.3 below. The comparison demonstrates that the magnitude and significance of effects remain unchanged, with all impacts assessed as Minor or Negligible across construction, operational and decommissioning phases.

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Table 6.3 Hydrogeological Impacts – Woodsmith Mine

Impact

Approved Development

SES Updated Development

Construction Phase Physical Impacts Chemical Impacts Cumulative Impacts Operational Phase Physical Impacts Chemical Impacts Cumulative Impacts

Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible Minor / Negligible

Decommissioning Phase Physical Impacts

Chemical Impacts Cumulative Impacts

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