Nord Stream submits the Final Monitoring Report on Munitions Clearance in Finnish Waters
The environmental impacts were significantly less than had been predicted in the environmental impact assessments
Oct. 6, 2010 | Zug/Helsinki | Nord Stream has submitted the final environmental monitoring report on munitions clearance in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The actual results show that Nord Stream´s environmental impact assessments were conservative.
Nord Stream conducted munitions clearance in two operations within the Finnish section of the pipeline route - at the end of 2009 and in spring 2010. Altogether 49 munitions were cleared in the Finnish EEZ. The clearance operations were performed in accordance with the permits granted by the Finnish authorities and in compliance with detailed environmental monitoring programmes.
In the Finnish Environmental Impact Assessment and the permit applications the impacts of munitions clearance were assessed to be local, temporary and minor. The monitoring results1 show that the actual environmental impacts of all munitions clearance operations were significantly less than predicted, confirming that the environmental impact assessments were conservative, as they were based on worst case scenarios which did not materialise.
The results show, that
- the total amount of sediment released was about 10 percent (approx. 420 cubic metres) of the assessed volume (approx. 4,850 cubic metres),
- the measured turbidity values were lower than predicted (highest single values being under 10 NTU2) and the predicted turbidity plumes were not detected,
- the metered average currents were much smaller than 0.2 metres per second (m/s) and no bottom close currents exceeded 0.3 m/s
- the measured pressure waves were in general lower than predicted and the monitoring showed no impacts on cables or cultural heritage,
- one seal was observed and deterred from the area prior to detonation, but no seabird or marine mammal casualties were reported. There was only minor impact on fish.
- munitions clearance in Russian waters did not cause measurable impacts on water quality in the Eastern Gulf of Finland.
The experienced contractors used for performance and monitoring of the munitions clearance were Bactec International, Marin Mätteknik, Noordhoek Offshore, Luode Consulting and Kala- ja Vesitutkimus.
Nord Stream´s monitoring programmes for munitions clearance in the Finnish EEZ were designed based on the results of the munition-by-munition environmental impact assessments. The monitoring programmes were used to monitor the actual environmental aspects and impacts of the munitions clearance operations.
In addition to the final monitoring report on munitions clearance, the summary of the results will be included in the Annual Environmental Monitoring Report on the construction and operation of the pipeline. The monitoring results have been submitted to the Finnish Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, who are overseeing the compliance of Nord Stream´s construction activities in the Finnish EEZ.
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1 Nord Stream, Munitions clearance in the Finnish EEZ. Final report on Munition by munition basis. Witteveen+Bos, 2010
2 NTU: nephlometric turbidity unit.
