Comment

Representation ID: 29185

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Environment Agency

It is important to ensure there are no adverse impacts of minerals (including oil and gas) activities on aquifers and protect surface and groundwater resources. We would encourage you to explore the potential for including a policy on Oil and Gas.

An abstraction or dewatering activity may require a license/environmental permit, and this should be referenced in policy. This could also be included with Policy EN11.
There should be consideration of delivering the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) objectives and actions. Plans and policies for minerals should protect biodiversity and the wider water environment (including water quality) and minimise disturbance on the river bank and to rivers. This should also be considered in regard to restoration of sites.

The EA document called ‘The Environment Agency’s approach to groundwater protection’ which contains position statement N indicates the following: “Within Source Protection Zone 1, the Environment Agency will normally object in principle to any planning application for a development that may physically disturb an aquifer”. Therefore it is strongly recommended that strategic planning for minerals is not located in SPZ1.

Criteria should ensure that minerals are worked in ways that don’t increase flood risk, protect the floodplain and ensure that there are no adverse impacts of ancillary activities on the water environment.