Question

Impact of construction of residential areaon environment

Answer 1

Construction of a nuclear power plant is a large project in many terms  in an extensive area. The construction period, which will take approximately ten years, will have a significant social impact on the municipality of the plant location and in its immediate surroundings.

The health impacts during construction, such as noise, dust, traffic, and exhaust gas emissions, will not cause any significant impacts on people’s health.

Landscape and land use

The construction of the nuclear power plant affects the environment of the site area. The power plant will be placed in a visible area at the tip of a headland reaching out into the open sea and it changes the landscape significantly. During the construction high cranes there will be visible in the landscape from far away and the traffic volume increases.

The beginning of the ground works already has changed the land use in the area of the Hanhikivi headland. The actual site area has been fenced and the access routes in the area have changed. The holiday residences on the western shore are no longer in use, and it is no longer be possible to use the western shore for recreational purposes. Instead, the north and north-east coasts that are significant both ecologically and in terms of recreational use, land use remains largely unchanged. Access to a protected Hanhikivi is still possible.

The most significant effects of the project on the recreation use are connected with fishing and hunting. The sea in front of the Hanhikivi headland is significant both in terms of the fish stock and in terms of fishery and there are professional fishermen whose livelihood the project will affect negatively.

Soil, bedrock and groundwater

The construction works do not have significant impact on soil, bedrock or groundwater. The excavation works decreases the geological value of the area, but representative parts of the bedrock will be left exposed.

The construction works can affect the surface level and pressure of the groundwater and changes in the quality of the groundwater may take place because of the use of explosives in bedrock blasting. The impacts listed above are minor and remain local, only extending to the immediate vicinity of the excavation or grouting site.

Water system and fishing

The construction of the nuclear power plant has local impacts on the water systems and fishery in the area. The coastline around Hanhikivi headland is open and there are not many species of aquatic vegetation. The fish species typically found in the area are those typically found in the whole of the Bay of Bothnia.

The construction activities in the sea cause temporary turbidity of the seawater in a small area but it does not have significant impact on the water quality. The impacts of the turbidity are controlled with continuous measuring. The turbidity of the seawater off the coast of the Hanhikivi headland also naturally increases during storms or periods of heavy rainfall.

Fishing in the construction areas and in their immediate vicinity will not be possible during the hydraulic construction works. The construction activities in the sea area may also drive away fish from a larger area and temporarily influence the migration routes of fish. Excavation, in particular, causes underwater noise that may drive away fish from the area. The construction activities in the sea destroy some whitefish and herring spawning areas in the dredging areas.

The dredging and soil dumping destroy the benthic fauna in the immediate dredging and dumping area, but the fauna will recover fully within a few years. The area has no protected or endangered fauna or underwater vegetation. 

Flora, fauna and protected areas

The direct impacts of the project during the construction phase affect the area in which the buildings and structures of the nuclear power plant and various related functions are built. The main part of the construction effort will take place in an area of 1 km2 in the central part

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