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Sustainable Estuarine Development? Cumulative Impact Study of the Humber
Author(s) -
Conlan K.,
Rudd T.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-6593.2000.tb00267.x
Subject(s) - flood myth , sustainability , environmental planning , estuary , environmental science , sustainable development , cumulative effects , land reclamation , baseline (sea) , environmental impact assessment , impact assessment , environmental resource management , water resource management , geography , fishery , ecology , archaeology , public administration , political science , biology
Consideration of sustainability principles and the assessment of impacts from multiple developments on sensitive estuarine and coastal environments are emerging factors in the planning of coastal infrastructure. Concurrent planning of four large schemes at Saltend on the Humber (including Hull sewage‐treatment works, a power station, a ferry terminal and reclamation, and flood‐defence works) dictated that a cumulative impact study should be carried out. Discussions with regulatory authorities established several issues of potential concern, including the integrity of the adjacent ‘special protection area’(birds and ecology), estuarine flows, sediment movement and water quality, and construction traffic. Detailed baseline monitoring and predictive modelling concluded that there were likely to be no significant impacts, provided that appropriate inter‐scheme construction phasing and coordinated application of a suite of mitigation measures were included. Adopting the precautionary principle, continued monitoring, and review over a 3–5 year period were agreed as part of the planning process, coordinated by the planning authorities and regulators.