Author: Michael Gill, Managing Director – Hydro-Environmental Services

Hydro-Environmental Services (HES) were commissioned by BnM to complete a hydrological study at 4 no. peat bogs.

HES installed piezometers transects at the bogs to allow collection of seasonal water level data. Investigations and monitoring were completed at Garryduff, Finlough (Blackwater), and Mongan bogs (Blackwater Group), and Derrycolumb bog (Mountdillon Group).

BnM collected water level data at these 4 no. sites between September/October 2018 and February 2020.

The purpose of the study was to determine likely zones of influence of drainage on BnM bog unit sites, and also to determine the likely zones of influence of BnM pumping stations

Area: 1847.1 ha

The peat was primarily harvested for fuel peat to be used at Cloghan Power Station, West Offaly Power in Shannonbridge and Derrinlough Brickette Factory in Co. Offaly. Cloghan Power Station was decommissioned in 1990s

Industrial peat production in the remaining active peat production areas to the west of the site ceased in
2019.

To minimise potential impacts on neighbouring land, some boundary drains around Boora Bog will be left
unblocked, as blocking boundary drains could affect adjacent land.

Areas are leased to and managed for conifer forestry by Coillte. It is not proposed to carry out any measures that would negatively affect Coillte managed lands.

Lough Boora Discovery Park is an important midlands amenity site. It is not proposed to carry out any intensive rehabilitation actions to change or negatively affect any amenity infrastructure or existing land-uses.

Areas developed as farmland in the 1980s-1990s and sold to local farmers are not considered as part of
the scope of this rehabilitation plan

Natura Impact Statement

April 2021

Author: Pat Doherty

The area of Castlegar Bog, including Annaghbeg bog, comprises 518Ha in total.

8 silt ponds at Castlegar Bog

SW119 is the principal silt pond

Castlegar bog surface water outlets discharge to the River Suck

The Castlegar property includes a large area of Annaghbeg Bog NHA. Bord Na Móna never carried out any activities or drainage work at Annaghbeg Bog, apart from acquisition. This is an undrained intact raised bog subject to intensive marginal turf cutting by private individuals with turbary rights. The scope of this rehabilitation plan covers the former Castlegar Bog industrial peat production area. No measures are proposed for Annaghbeg Bog as there has been no Bord Na Móna drainage, bog development or industrial peat production. It was designated as a Natural Heritage Area (NHA).

Tubary

Private turbary exists at Castlegar Bog where a limited area (7 plots comprising ca.3ha in total) is subject to licensed peat extraction annually. Licensed turbary occurs at various locations within 15km of Castlegar Bog, including several locations where the pathways for downstream in-combination effects on European Sites may exist, primarily via drainage to EPA blue line watercourses to facilitate turbary. Based upon a review of aerial imagery against the extent of licenced turbary occurring in the vicinity of Castlegar Bog it is likely that authorised private turbary also exists in the vicinity of the area of Castlegar Bog that is subject to the PCAS.

Limitations on rehabilitation

Maintain the productivity of agricultural land surrounding the bog

Where turf is still being extracted from other bogs adjacent to Castlegar Bog conditions should be not be made worse

Two minor roads are located in the study area providing access to a dwelling, agricultural land and peat bogs. Access to these roads should be maintained.

The River Suck corridor runs adjacent to the bog. No activity should adversely impact this area.

Kilaranny Area: 244 ha

Author: Seán Doyle

Peat was primarily harvested for fuel peat to be used at Cloghan Power Station, West Offaly Power in Shannonbridge and Derrinlough Brickette Factory in Co. Offaly. Some horticultural peat was also harvested.

Bord na Móna are obliged to carry out peatland rehabilitation via an IPC License issued by the Environmental protection Agency. In addition, the Government has agreed to support peatland rehabilitation via the establishment of the Peatland Climate Action Scheme (PCAS). This is funded via the government and by Bord na Móna

It is a principle of Bord na Móna rehabilitation planning that no actions will be taken that would negatively impact on adjacent land. No boundary drains will be blocked. Water will still leave the site via the existing outlets

Part of Kilaranny has been leased to NPWS and has been used for the relocation of turf-cutters from Clara Bog. This was in support of raised bog conservation objectives at Clara Bog, which included the cessation of turf-cutting at this site and in support of the National Raised bog Special Areas of Conservation management plan 2017-2022 (NPWS 2017)

The turf cutters are currently harvesting turf from the east of Kilaranny Bog

A small area of Kilaranny has been used by Bord na Móna to establish a Eucalyptus biomass trial (central area of bog)

Measures proposed for Kilaranny Bog include drain blocking and other measures required to raise water levels to the surface of the peat (changing levels of pipes for example).

Some fertiliser will be spread on headlands and other areas (a small part of the overall area) to encourage vegetation growth.

It is not proposed to carry out any intensive rehabilitation actions to change or negatively affect any existing land-uses

Timeframe
2021: Short-term planning actions.
2022: Short-term practical actions.
2023-2024: Any Long term practical actions; Evaluate success of short-term rehabilitation measures outlined above and remediate, where necessary.
2024: Decommission silt-ponds, if necessary

Monitoring

The monitoring, after-care and maintenance programme for Kilaranny Bog, as required to meet Condition 10 of the IPC Licence, is defined as:

Quarterly monitoring assessments of the site to determine the general status of the site, assess the condition of the rehabilitation work, asses the progress of natural colonisation, monitoring of any potential impacts on neighbouring land and general land security. The number of site visits will reduce after 2 years to bi-annually.

These site visits will assess the need to additional rehabilitation, if needed.

Water quality monitoring will be established. Monitoring of key water quality parameters for 2 years after rehabilitation will include: Ammonia, Phosphorous, Suspended solids (silt), pH and conductivity.

Kilaranny East
In the extreme east of site private turf cutting is occurring. This has resulted in a mosaic of cutover plots of different peat depths, in varying states of use. Bare peat and pioneer cutover vegetation communities are the dominant habitats in the region with some larger drains forming water bodies that contain riparian vegetation as well some Sphagnum species such as S. cuspidatum, S. subnitens, S. capillifolium and S. papillosum. A large area of bare peat exists in the between the eastern private turbary area and the central area of the bog. Some stockpiles of peat are still present in this area.

Kilaranny Bog currently has a gravity drainage regime. Depression analysis (BNM-DR-23-02-09 titled Kilaranny Bog: Depression Analysis) indicates that parts of the bog are natural basin with significant potential for re-wetting, with the assumption that all drains would be blocked. It is likely that a portion of the basins in target areas will re-wet with deeper water, creating a mosaic of wetland habitats, when drains are blocked.

Three outfall points and associated silt pond infrastructure exist on Kilaranny former production area. Outfalls are situated in the north, west and south west of the site. The outfalls in the west discharge water into the Glasshouse while the outfall in the north discharges into the Moin Armstrong river.

Silt Ponds

Silt ponds are the key silt control infrastructure to control potential emissions from industrial peat production sites. As required under licence, BNM have several procedures for how it manages and maintains its silt pond network. The silt that builds up in silt ponds is excavated (Question: to where?) on a regular basis by Bord na Móna to facilitate an efficient level of silt control.

Kilaranny bog has three treated surface water outlets, one to the IE_SH_25B090761 BROSNA_100 (Moin Armstrong), which is a tributary of the River Brosna, IE_SH_25B090600 BROSNA_080.

The remaining two emission outlets are to the IE_SH_25D130400 DERRYCOOLY STREAM_010 (Derrycooly Stream), which in turn is a tributary of the Brosna.

AIE Request COSEC00297

Request for access to information held by Bord na Móna Plc. relating to GPS locations for the following pump stations on the Bord na Móna landbank:

AIE Request COSEC00296

Request access to information held by Bord na Móna Plc. relating to details of incidents of unlicensed or illegal peat extraction on the Bord na Móna landbank, reported to Bord na Móna, at Newtown (Togher), Co. Roscommon, location reference 53.36887312511354, -8.205608817167592 and Moyarwood, Co. Galway, for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Bord na Móna rehabilitated nearly 5,200 hectares (about 12,800 acres) of peatlands in 2021

Rehabilitation operations for 2021 were focused on 18 bogs, with the lion’s share in Co Offaly and east Co Galway.

The county-by-county breakdown for peatlands rehabilitated in 2021 shows:

Offaly, 2,519 hectares;

Galway, 1,563ha;

Longford, 634ha;

Roscommon, 354ha;

Kildare, 126ha

This work is administered by the National Parks & Wildlife Service with oversight and monitoring by the EPA.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/at-least-7-5m-tonnes-of-carbon-captured-by-peatlands-rehabilitated-in-2021-1.4791340

Bord na Móna maintains a Provision on its balance sheet to pay for the future costs of rehabilitation and
decommissioning when industrial peat extraction ceases. This is updated every year.

Bord na Móna Annual Report (Bord na Móna 2021)

Environmental Reinstatement

Environmental reinstatement costs include:

Peatlands

Costs that will be incurred at the end of the economic lives of the peatlands. Under IAS 37, provision is made for these costs when the circumstances occur giving rise to the obligation under the Group’s Integrated Pollution Prevention Control licence to decommission and reinstate the peatlands post peat production.

The provision of €33.8 million (2020: €30.5 million) as at 31 March 2021 represents the present value of the expected future costs of decommissioning and reinstatement.

The key assumptions included within the provision are the cost of machine hours and man hours and the related level of activity required to carry out the decommissioning and rehabilitation works.

The majority of the obligation will unwind over a ten‑year timeframe but the exact timing of the payment is not certain.

Briquette and Horticulture Plant closure costs

A provision of €3.9 million (2020: €4.8 million) is held for plant closure costs based on the present value of the current estimate of the costs of closure of briquette and horticulture compost plants at the end of their useful economic lives.