The Irish government has launched a 12-week public consultation on two draft guidance documents to help support the development of offshore renewable energy in Ireland.
The two documents – Guidance on the Preparation of Environment Impact Statements and Natura Impact Statements and Guidance on Marine Baseline Assessments and Monitoring Activities – aim to help evaluate potential environmental impacts of renewables projects in the marine area.
Developers would ultimately use the documents to help prepare relevant statements for planned projects, while competent authorities, consultation bodies and the public would use them as a basis to determine the adequacy of such statements.
The government said the documents build on a workshop held with stakeholders in 2015.
The consultation provides an opportunity for further participation by stakeholders and the public to help ensure that the guidance documents are as comprehensive and relevant as possible, it added.
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten said: “The preparation of these draft guidance documents is one of a number of projects being progressed under the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan, and it is hoped that they will be of interest not just to the offshore renewable energy industry but will be of wider interest also.”
The public consultation will close at 5pm on Friday 16 December.
Image: Ireland’s Arklow Bank wind park (NREL)
Public eyes on Irish offshore
Consultation open on draft environmental guidance until 16 December
By EBS