Building WFD into impact assessment Richard Sharp Geomorphology IEMA webinar Thursday 31 March 2016

Aims of the session To explain and show how the Environment Agency is building Water Framework Directive (WFD) into its impact assessment processes

Agenda 1.What is WFD assessment 2.Environment Agency core guidance 1.Low risk activities 2.Scoping 3.Assessment 4.Decision making 3.Strategic WFD assessment

What is WFD assessment? Deciding whether or not proposed works support objectives set out in River Basin Management Plans

RBMP objectives The environmental objectives of the WFD are: to prevent deterioration of the status of surface waters and groundwater to achieve objectives and standards for protected areas to aim to achieve good status for all water bodies or, for heavily modified water bodies and artificial water bodies, good ecological potential and good surface water chemical status to reverse any significant and sustained upward trends in pollutant concentrations in groundwater the cessation of discharges, emissions and loses of priority hazardous substances into surface waters progressively reduce the pollution of groundwater and prevent or limit the entry of pollutants

A translation job Impacts on the things that WFD protects (Water quality, biology, hydromorphology etc) Into... Impacts on RBMP objectives (water body status - now and in the future)

Functions of the EA that need to assess works for WFD Flood and Coastal Risk Management Flood Defence Consenting / Flood Risk Activity Permitting Capital Works Asset management programme Planning Planning applications Local Area Plans Hydropower Water resource licensing Marine

Stages of assessment Screening Detailed assessment Decision making

WFD screening Low risk activities Traffic lights

Detailed assessment 1.Set scope 2.Assess impact / risk “Your WFD risk assessment needs to demonstrate with a high level of confidence that your activity supports RBMP objectives.”

Informed by need to make decision Required level of detail Consideration of action to keep risk at acceptable level Avoid Minimise Mitigate Compensate

WFD risk assessment – a risk based and proportional approach How much detail should the assessment go into? How sensitive is the site? How complex or risky is the activity? What should the assessment focus on?

How do we decide what a WFD risk assessment should focus on? Expert judgement Tools HQE risk matrix Links between ecology / morphology technical guide WFD monitoring data Planned WFD improvement actions

WFD assessment – options for assessment investigate the risks using readily available sources of data collect more existing information and analyse gather new information and data

Decision making Deterioration in status? Prevention of getting to good? Article 4(7)

EA position on WFD assessment Element level deterioration Localised impacts High status elements are very sensitive Bad status elements cannot be made worse 2016 RBMPs are the baseline Non-reportable water bodies Good potential treated in the same way as good status

Strategic WFD assessment

Thank you