Environmental impact assesment of the research activities in Ny-Ålesund 2006

Summary

This report is an update of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the research activeties in Ny-Ålesund from 1998 (EIA98). The assessment has been conducted almost without systematic data about the state of the local environment in Ny-Ålesund due to a lack of a systematic monitoring programme aimed at documenting environmental impacts. Still it is possible to indicate the direction of changes since EIA98 by looking at the measures implemented in recent years and the changes in the activities. The Environmental Action Plan from EIA98 has to a large extent been followed up. Major achievements are the employment of an environmental officer at Kings Bay AS, the land-use plan, no open burning, cleaning of polluted ground, improved garbage treatment and a better regime to guide the behaviour of tourists. No measures have been taken to reduce the local discharges from the energy production, or to reduce the number or size of tourist ships. Though an upper precautionary limit has not been set, the number of people staying in Ny-Ålesund in 2005 is lower than in 1998. The air traffic is reduced, whereas the local energy consumption has been fairly stable, though expected to rise with the new marine laboratory. The number of passengers from cruise ships has tripled since 1996 due to larger vessels. The increase in the number of buildings has caused further habitat loss, though channelled to less sensitive areas designated in the land use plan. Without data about the state of the local environment and disturbances in the Scientific measurements, it is hard to assess whether the high environmental standards for Ny-Ålesund are met or not and whether the implemented measures have had the intended impacts. In two areas, both evaluated to have “very high significance” in EIA98, there is a need to initiate new studies soon: There is still a lack of data about local emissions to the air and their effects on the measurements at the Zeppelin station and the Corbel station. The dominating sources are emissions from the power plant and the cruise ships. A follow up of previous monitoring of the state of the tundra also needs to be undertaken. Decisions which enable to initiate these studies should be taken soon in order to have them conducted during 2006 and 2007. Ny-Ålesund needs to work in a more systematic way with the environmental performance of the station. It is paramount to initiate a monitoring programme that can document the local activities and their effects. This should be put in place and lead to an updated assessment in 2009. The assessment should be an important and integrated part of an Environmental Plan for the station, which should conclude with an Environmental Action Plan. The plan should be updated every five year. Here it is proposed an Environmental Action Plan for the next three years until the first version of the Environmental Plan is elaborated. New measures are needed to reduce emissions to air and protect the tundra. There is also an increased need to focus on the environmental effects of the scientific activities themselves, not only the infrastructure. A project directory linked to a GIS system is necessary to get a better overview of the activities and plan for reduced impacts.