B-2 – Area 2 - Assessment of Environmental Effects 53 5. ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS 5.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter of this sub-AEE contains an assessment of the actual and potential effects of allowing the proposed activities within Area 2. The proposed activities include the establishment, operation and closure of the Willows SFA, WRS, and the Willows Portal and Willows Access Tunnel. In that context this chapter addresses effects relating to: Landscape, visual amenity and natural character; Noise; Air quality; Lighting; The safe and efficient operation of the road network; Geotechnical matters; Geochemistry; Water; Aquatic ecology; Terrestrial ecology; Historic heritage; and The storage and use of hazardous substances. For each it describes the key findings of the various technical assessments OGNZL has commissioned to address these matters and the additional mitigation measures they consider necessary to ensure the effects of the proposed activities are avoided, remedied, mitigated or offset. It does not address effects on cultural values. They are addressed in Chapter 5 of the Overarching AEE. Nor does it address economic effects and social effects. These are common to the whole project and addressed in Chapter 6 of the Overarching AEE. 5.2 LANDSCAPE, VISUAL AMENITY AND NATURAL CHARACTER EFFECTS An assessment of the potential effects of the activities in Area 2 on visual amenity, landscape, and natural character values of the surrounding environment is provided in Boffa Miskell (2022), a copy of which is provided in Part H of these application documents.
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