Ammonia Impact Assessment: Brook Bridge Poultry Farm, Lancashire

REC was commissioned to undertake a dispersion modelling assessment of potential ammonia emissions from a quail farm in Lancashire in support of an Environmental Permit application for the site. The site was located 215m from the Ribble and Alt Estuaries Special Protection Area, Ramsar site and Site of Special Scientific interest and an initial screening assessment undertaken by the Environment Agency indicated a requirement for dispersion modelling.

Atmospheric emissions of ammonia from Brook Bridge Farm were assessed using the ADMS-4 detailed dispersion modelling software package. Predicted concentrations were compared with the relevant critical level and processed to provide an estimation of nutrient nitrogen deposition flux for comparison with the site specific critical load.

The dispersion modelling results indicated the maximum predicted process contribution from Brook Bridge Farm was below the relevant Environment Agency criteria and as such significant impacts on the Ribble and Alt Estuaries designation were not anticipated.