1597 Assessment methods, the present state of the environment and the assessed environmental impacts

7.6.6.3 Impacts on endangered habitat types

On a regional scale, the Hanhikivi area has been estimated to be among the top ten occurrences of natural forest suc- cession series of the land uplift coast habitat type (Pöyry Energy Oy 2009b). The estimate is based on the primary succession forests and representative shore biotopes found in the area. The natural forest succession series of the land uplift coast has been classified as a critically endangered (CR) habitat type in the assessment of the conservation status of Finnish habitat types (Raunio et al. 2008). The implementation of the power plant project will result in partial fragmentation of the succession series and affect the significance of the Hanhikivi area as an exemplary location of unbroken natural forest succession series. A significant part of the habitat type can, however, be preserved outside the areas reserved for construction.

Most of the energy management zone (EN-1) area at the tip of the headland, defined in the partial master plans and local detailed plans, is coastal Picea abies dominated mesic heath forest classified as an endangered (EN) habitat type, or coastal Betula spp. and Prunus padus dominated mesic herb-rich forest, classified as near threatened (NT) as habitat type but which is not endangered. The Picea abies dominated mesic heath forest in the inner part of the tip of the headland is the only occurrence of this habi- tat type in the headland, and will be completely destroyed as a result of the construction project. However, most of the forest is very young, and only part of it is representa- tive old spruce forest. Some of the coastal Betula spp. and Prunus padus dominated mesic herb-rich forests will be lost as a result of the construction work, as this habitat type is also found in the energy management zones (EN- 2) defined at the base of the headland and in its northern parts. Most of the surface area of forests in the headland are estimated to belong in this habitat type, and many parts of it will be preserved outside the construction areas. The Betula spp. and Prunus padus dominated mesic herb- rich forests that are found in connection with seashore meadows and are therefore the most important for the succession series will be preserved. Approximately half of the coastal deciduous-dominated herb-rich heath forests (VU) are located in the construction area at the tip of the headland, and half outside of it at the Hietakarinlahti shore. Construction will destroy some of the forest habitat types of small surface area. The eastern part of the EN-2 energy management zone at the base of the headland con- sists of young and middle-aged forests.

Of other endangered habitat types, nearly all the sea- shore meadows, classified as critically endangered (CR), are protected as nature conservation areas or habitat types protected under the Nature Conservation Act and boundary-marked outside the construction operations (see section 7.6.6.1). The flada (VU) in the Hanhikivi north- west meadow, the Hietakarinlahti, Heinikarinlampi and Rovastinperukka that represent the habitat type of occa- sionally brackish-water-inflected lakes and ponds (VU), and some of the small gloe lakes (EN) remain outside of the construction area.

7.6.6.4 Impacts on avifauna

The nuclear power plant and other construction operations related to it are mainly located in the inner parts of the Hanhikivi headland, where most of the birds are of forest species. Bird studies have shown that of the species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive, the loss of habitats as a result of construction operations mainly concerns hazel grouse, black grouse and great horned owl. The current nesting environments of the boreal owl and Eurasian sparrowhawk will also be changed. The shore areas of the harbor and the cooling water intake and discharge areas are not particu- larly valuable as bird habitats, which means that their con- struction phase impact on birds remains minor. Seashore meadows defined as protected habitat types are found in the surroundings of the nuclear power plant. These mead- ows have a diverse avifauna, but they are not the most important nesting areas of the headland, and birds do not use them as resting or gathering areas during migration. According to the noise simulation (section 7.9), the noise level in the Siikalahti seashore meadow and Hanhikivi north-west meadow, which are closest to the power plant construction site, will be approximately 50–53 dB(A) during the noisiest phase of the construction project.

The new road leading to the power plant will run through the Hietakarinlahti–Takaranta FINIBA area at its most nar- row point. Of the important bird areas, the Hietakarinlahti bay will remain on the south side and the Takaranta seashore meadow on the north side of the connection road. The 45 dB(A) noise zone created by daytime traffic in the busiest phase of the construction project will extend to the distance of slightly under 250 meters from the road on both sides of the road. The noise level will be lower in the night time.

Increase of background noise may cause stress to birds and disturb their sound-based communication and search of food. For example, the pair formation of the western caper- caillie and the birds of the herb-rich heath forest, as well as the food hunting of owls, may be difficult in the noisy area. The noise zones at the construction site and near the road are relatively small, and the impact of noise on nesting or bird populations is not likely to be significant. Loud noises dur- ing construction may also drive birds away, but the impact will be brief and temporary. The noise level will vary greatly between the phases of the construction project. Birds may get used to continuous noise such as the sound of the traffic.

7.6.7 Operation phase impacts

During the operation of the power plant, emissions and traffic can cause environmental impacts. Discharge of the power plant’s cooling water into the sea will increase the temperature of the sea water within a few kilometers of the discharge location, and will keep the water area in front of the tip of the headland unfrozen during the winter. Accord- ing to a simulation, average temperature increase of more than two degrees Celsius is limited to approximately 2–3 kilometers from the cooling water discharge location (Lauri 2013). Under typical south-west winds, the thermal emission gathers in a bay on the north side of the Hanhikivi head-

160 7 Assessment methods, the present state of the environment and the assessed environmental impacts

land, off the Takaranta shore. Warming up of the sea water and the lack of ice may lead to local increase of primary production and the paludufication of seashore meadows, among other things. According to the noise simulation, noise will be lower during the operation phase than during the construction phase, and it will be limited to the imme- diate environment of the power plant, harbor and road (section 7.9). Traffic during operation will create noise but also some dust and minor emissions into the atmosphere. Amounts of radioactive emissions during the operation, and the radiation doses accumulating from these, will be so low that they are not estimated to have an adverse impact on nature.

7.6.7.1 Impacts on nature conservation areas, protected and endangered habitat types and nature objects

Through the thermal effect of the cooling water, the pro- ject may have an indirect impact on the seashore meadows found at the tip of the headland and on the north shore. According to the cooling water simulation, the average sea water temperature increases more than two degrees Celsius in front of the Hanhikivi north-west meadow (LTA202060), Hanhikivi north meadow (LTA202062), Hanhikivi east meadow (LTA202061) and Takaranta (LTA110013), all defined as protected habitat types under the Nature Conservation Act. Low vegetation typical of the habitat type grows on gently sloping sand, silt and clay lands and is maintained by the variation in the sea water level, waves and ice (Raunio et al. 2008). Areas of this habitat type continuously move lower as a result of land uplift. The increased primary pro- duction and the lack or decrease of the forming and clear- ing impact of ice on the shores may increase the growth of reed beds and bushes in these seashore meadows. If the meadows will be paludified, the surface area of the habitat type, classified as critically endangered (CR), will decrease, and the conservation value of the meadows will be affected.

7.6.7.2 Impacts on the Natura 2000 network Background

An assessment on the need for a Natura assessment con- cerning the impact of the planned Hanhikivi nuclear power plant on the nearest Natura 2000 areas was carried out as a part of the 2008 EIA procedure (Pöyry Energy Oy 2008b). In its statement on the EIA report (7131/815/2008), the Ministry of Employment and the Economy that acts as the coordi- nating authority, proposed that the party responsible for the project consider conducting a Natura assessment. A Natura assessment as referred to in Section 65 of the Nature Conservation Act was conducted on the impact of the con- struction of the nuclear power plant and the related power lines, as well as the changes to the regional land use plan, on the Parhalahti-Syölätinlahti and Heinikarinlampi Natura 2000 area (Pöyry Environment Oy 2009). The conclusion of the Natura assessment was that when considered as a single project or together with other projects, the project is not likely to cause any major adverse impacts on the habitat

types of bird species based on which the Natura 2000 area has been established, or on the Natura 2000 area as a whole.

In its statement given to the Council of Oulu Region on December 17, 2009, the North Ostrobothnia Regional Environment Centre (currently the North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Envi- ronment) considered the assessment adequate. The North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) further clarified the con- clusion in its statement on February 1, 2010, stating that the project seemed to have no direct impacts that would signif- icantly deteriorate the habitat types and species mentioned. The ELY Centre also stated that the long-term risks described in the statement are such that no evidence of them or any significant deteriorating impacts of them can be found in the studies carried out in connection with the Natura assessment, but that the risks still cannot be completely ruled out over the long term based on the conducted studies. The statement paid particular attention to the fact that the reduction of nat- ural primary succession forest area in the Hanhikivi headland and the change of the Takaranta seashore meadows as a result of the discharge of cooling water will emphasize the signif- icance of similar habitat types included in the Natura 2000 area, increase the pressure for change that they are under and intensify even more the changes that occur in them. The impacts may show in the Siberian primrose population and be reflected in the avifauna over long term.

Changes in the project information

The 2009 Natura assessment (Pöyry Environment Oy 2009) was carried out for a 1,500–2,500 MW nuclear power plant, while the power output of the power plant currently under review is approximately 1,200 MW. The central buildings and struc- tures and the surface area required by them, as well as the plant location, have remained the same. The cooling water volume required by the power plant will be reduced from the earlier estimate of 60–85 m3_{/s to 40–45 m}3_/s.

Impact of the project changes on the Natura 2000 area In the 2009 Natura assessment (Pöyry Environment Oy 2009), impacts were assessed based on land use that follows the drafts of partial master plans. There are no significant differ- ences between these and the final land use plans. The harbor location indicated at the Sotalisu cape in the partial master plan is moved slightly to the north. The minimum distance between the energy management zones indicated in the par- tial master plans and the Heinikarinlampi is 400 meters. The distance to the Natura 2000 area from the border of the area reserved for the construction of the nuclear power plant is approximately 1.7 kilometers. The distance of the Parhalahti and Syölätinlahti water areas is 3.7 kilometers from the cool- ing water discharge site and 1.9 kilometers from the auxiliary intake channel. Locations of the project-related construction activities has not changed in any manner that would result in differences in the conservation criteria of the Natura 2000 area compared to the 2009 Natura assessment.

When compared to the 2009 Natura assessment (Pöyry Environment Oy 2009), changes in the project are limited to the volume of cooling water, which in turn change the

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