Thetis elaborated the documents supporting the environmental authorization procedures of the preliminary design of the multimodal terminal offshore in the Northern Adriatic Sea located 16 km offshore Venice littorals. The terminal will act as oil harbour enabling to eliminate oil maritime transport in the Venice lagoon and will have commercial port function in particular related to container delivering and handling. The project is subjected to the procedures of Environmental Impact Assessment and Screening Assessment according to the EC Habitat Directive. Through its multidisciplinary competences Thetis elaborated the detailed analyses required by the above procedures including both the construction and operation phases, in particular in relation to the following key issues: coastal and marine hydrodynamic, water quality, noise, air quality, habitats and biodiversity, soil and sub-soil, human health, socio-economic aspects (as in particular fishery), etc. The impact assessment was also based on ad hoc modelling elaboration of marine hydrodynamic effects, pollutants air dispersion and noise due to increasing marine and road traffic, noise disturbance on marine mammals, incidental oil spill. The performed activities included the identification of mitigation and compensation measures and the design of the monitoring plan. The EIA procedure started in May 2012 and was concluded in August 2013 with the positive assessment of the Italian Ministry of Environment. Thetis provided its technical support to Venice Water Authority during the whole process.
