China - Guangdong Pearl River Delta Urban Environment Project : environmental assessment executive summary

BOD5 BiochemicalOxygen Demand (5 days) COD ChemicalOxygen Demand CSEMP ConstructionSite EnvironmentalManagement Plan EIA EnvironmentalImpactAssessment EMP EnvironmentalManagement and MonitoringPlan EMS EnvironmentalMonitoringStation EPB EnvironmentalProtectionBureau (of SEPA) EPB-GD GuangdongProvincial EPB EPB-GZ GuangzhouMunicipalEPB ESD PMO-Environmentaland Social Division ESFl Environmentaland Social Field Inspector GEF Global EnvironmentFacility GIS Geographic InformationSystem GPG GuangdongProvincialGovernment GPRDUEP GuangdongPearlRiver Delta Urban EnvironmentProject HWMC HazardousWaste ManagementCenter IS0 14001 Quality Standardfor EnvironmentalManagementSystem MNR Municipal Nature Reserve NCP NuisanceControlPlan NGO Non-GovernmentOrganization NNR National Nature Reserve PAP ProjectAffected People PIU Project ImplementationUnit PMO Project ManagementOffice PPE PersonalProtective Equipment PRC People'sRepublicof China PRWRC Pearl RiverWater ResourcesCommission PRWRC-EMB PRWRC-EnvironmentalMonitoringBureau RAP ResettlementAction Plan SA Social Analysis SDPC State Development PlanningCommittee SEPA State EnvironmentalProtectionAdministration SNE Sewer Network Extension SRS ss Standard Site InspectionReviewSheet SuspendedSolids TA TechnicalAssistance WB World Bank WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant RMB ChineseYuan (Renminbi) USD UnitedStates Dollar Conversionrate: 1 USD = 8 RMB SOGREAH BYN- REPORTN" 355073 - PAGE111 2003-NOVEMBER  SOGREAH- BYN-REPORTNo355073 PAGEIV 2003-NOVEMBER  1. This report is the Summary Environmental Assessment for the Wastewater components of the GPRDUEP, an ambitious environmental project partly supported by the World Bank. This document provides a general summary of the findings in the Project Environmental Impact Assessment (EM) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP), including legal and policy framework and applicable environmental standards, environmental baseline, major potential adverse impacts to the environment in the Project area, analysis of alternatives, mitigation measures, public consultation programs, and environmental management organization and budgets. 1.11. CT Since the opening up of China in 1979, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region has witnessed phenomenaleconomic growth. Both the total population and the urbanizationrate have increased almost 40millioninhabitants, largely due to inward migration of workers seeking employment. equally rapidly. Over the period 1990 to 2000 the population in the PRD rose by almost 7% to However, investment in environmental control has not kept pace, as evidenced by the severe deterioration in river water quality conditions during the period, and the resulting severe pollution and eutrophicationobserved in the lower delta and in the China Sea. Recognizing the severity and the urgency of the water quality problems, Guangdong Provincial EnvironmentalProtectionBureau (EPB-GD) has recently launched an ambitious eight year investment program totalling almost 45 Billion RMB known as the "Pearl RiverClean-up Campaign". It is in this context that the World Bank and Guangdong Provincial Government have initiated the Guangdong Pearl River Delta Urban Environmental Project (GPRDUEP). Although concentrating predominantly in terms of infrastructure investment in the Municipality of Guangzhou, the project aims primarily at developingcost-effective strategies and institutional modelswhich can serve as a "blue-print" for the whole PRD Region. Among the WB supported project components,the infrastructure development program includes4 subcomponents: c Construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant at Dashadi, together with its trunk sewer network; B Constructionof the Phase 3 of the Liede WWTP, together with the extension of its trunk sewer network; B Upgradingand improvementof Guangzhou sewer etwork in four wastewater systems; B Constructionof a regional Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility and Landfill. The project technical and financial preparationwas carried out by Chinese local organisationsand has been supported by various sources of international assistance to GPRDUEP, including SOGREAH, the Design Review and Advisory (DRA) Consultant to the Guangdong Project Management Office (PMO), the responsibleinstitutionfor the overallpreparationof the project. In accordancewith PRC National Regulationsand the World Bank Operational Policy 4.01 related to Environmental Assessment, the infrastructure components of the Project fall under the Category A project and as such, were subject to full EA. SOGREAH BYN- REPORTNo355073 - PAGE1 2003-NOVEMBER  In order to comply with Government Regulation"StrengtheningEnvironmentalImpactAssessment (EIA) Managementfor the ConstructionPmject Loanedby InternationalFinance Organisation" of June 21, 1993 and with World Bank Safeguards Operational Policy, the Project PMO, has commissioned the Guangzhou Research Instituteof Environmental Protection(GRIEP) to carry out the EA studies for the each project component. The Overall EA for wastewater components as well as the presentSummary EA were carried out by GRIEPwith the assistanceof the DRA Consultant. Similarly, Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) have been carried out by the Guangzhou Road Expansion and Engineering Office, in accordance with the PRC regulations and the World Bank Safeguards, and an overall RAP has been preparedwith the assistance of the DRA Consultant. This EA has been carriedout strictly in accordance with the State and Guangzhoulaws, codes and criteria relating to environmental protection. It follows the Chinese EA system, whilst at the same time gives attentionto the requirementsof the World Bank's environmentalsafeguards, and more preciselythose of the OperationalPolicy 4.01 for EA. A modellingof the PRD has been carried out by the DRA Consultant in order to assess the level of improvement of the river water quality which may be expected from the whole GPRDUEP and particularly from the components considered under the World Bank Loan. 1.3. Relevant regulatory, policy and administrative requirements for environmental assessment of development projects in China, both at the state and municipal levels, were followed during the preparation and evaluation of environmental assessment, as were the Bank's ten safeguard policies.Most relevantlawsand regulationsappliedin the EA are as follows: Laws of EnvironmentalProtectionof the PRC of December 26, 1989; Law of Air PollutionControlof the PRC of September 1,2000; Law of Water PollutionControl of the PRC of May 15, 1996; Law of EnvironmentalNoise PollutionControl of the PRC of March 1, 1997; Management Regulationson Environmental Protectionfor Construction Projects of November 18,1998; Circulationon StrengtheningEL4 for Construction Projects ReceivingInternational Financingof 1993; TechnicalSpecificationsfor EnvironmentalImpactAssessment; Scenic Sites Management Guides; Of the ten World Bank safeguard policies, Environmental Assessment (OP/BP/GP4.01), Involuntary Resettlement (OP4.12), Indigenous people (OD4.20), Natural Habitats (OP4.04) and Cultural Property (OP4.11), are applied in the EA. Since there are no project components that would involve forest, pest control chemicals, international waterways, dams or construction in disputed areas as defined under the World Banks OP7.60, safeguard policies related to these subjects are not applied in the EA. Relevant international environmental agreements in which China is a signing party have also been includedwhere applicableas a basisfor the EA. SOGREAH BYN REPORT 355073 - - No PAGE2 2003-NOVEMBER  The GPDRUEP components proposed to be included in the first implementationphase supported by a World Bank loan are: (a) Guangzhou Wastewater Management, comprising wastewater treatment plants (WVTP) of capacity 200,000 m3/d each at Dashadi (new plant) and Liede Ill an ongoing publictoilet program in Guangzhou, (b) Inter-MunicipalEnvironmentalInfrastructurefor (expansion of existing plant), about 1000km of trunk sewers in six drainage areas, and support to at least two groups of cities, districts or towns, (c) HazardousWaste Management facility to treat wastes from Guangzhou and neighbouring municipalities, (d) Environmental Water Quality Monitoringand MIS, and (e) Capacity Building,Trainingand TechnicalStudies. Three main components are the main concern of this Summary EA which addresses the impacts resulting from the implementation of the wastewater infrastructures, namely i) the Liede WWTP Phase 3 with related network extension, ii)the Dashadi WWTP Phase 1 with related network extensionand iii) the network rehabilitationand extensionin 4 other areas. Locationof components is providedbelow. As already mentioned earlier, although concentrating predominantly in terms of infrastructure investment in the Municipalityof Guangzhou, the project aims primarily at developingcost-effective strategies and institutional modelswhich can serve as a "blue-print" for the whole PRD Region. A major challenge of the project is to develop institutional models able to traverse the traditional administrative boundaries (between counties and districts within municipalities, and between municipalitiesthemselves) thus enablingthe cost savings associatedwith economies of scale to be achieved, and for the environmentalbenefitof the PRD. At the time of this EA study, the tentative schedulefor project implementationis the following: 0 Preparationof Final Designand Tender Documents:Completed by mid-2004 m Constructionof Liede 3 and Dashadi 1: Completedby first quarter 2007 @ Constructionof Xilang Network:Completedby third quarter 2006 SOGREAH- W N - REPORTNe355073 PAGE3 2003-NOVEMBER  e Constructionof Datansha Network:Completed by first quarter 2008 e Constructionof Liedeand DashadiNetworks:Completedby first quarter 2010. The overall projecttentative cost estimate,as establishedat the time of the World Bankpreparation missionof September 2003, is given in the following table. TABLE1:COST ESTIMATEFORGPRDUEP 1 COMPONENT COST (RMBMILLION) 1 GuangzhouWastewater Management 2281.0 Dashadi WWTP 240.0 Llede IllWWTP 235.0 Trunk sewernetworkfor Dashadicatchment 419.0 Trunk sewernetworkfor LiedeI//catchment 386.0 Trunk sewernetworkfor fourothercatchments 520.0 Resettlement (Provisional 459.0 Engineeringservices 31.6 2. PublicToilets Program 55.5 3. InterMunicipalEnvironment Infrastructure 284.0 260.0 4. HazardousWaste Management 5. EnvironmentalWater Quality Monitoringand MIS 82.0 20.0 6 InstitutionalStrengtheningand Training Base cost a63.1 Engineenngandmanagementcosts (3%) 6 Physicalcontingency(4%) 121.7 Pncecontingency(8%) 253.7 TotalProject Cost 3116.s SOGREAH- EYN-REPORTN' 355073 PAGE4 xK)3- NOVEMBER  Geography The Projectarea is locatedin the Guangzhoumetropolitanarea, within the Pearl River Delta,which forms a partof Guangdong Province. The topography of Guangdong Province is dominated mainly by hills, with some small mountains, that are cut by numerous rivers and streams with narrow alluvialyalleys. Low hills cover about 70 per cent of the land area, with peaks rangingfrom 500 to 750 metres. A few higher peaks of 1,700 metres occur in the northern partof the Province. The Pearl River Delta can be defined in geographic terms as a triangle with the eastward side extending about 120 kilometres from Guangzhouto Hong Kong and with a westward side of about the same length from Guangzhou to Macao. The southern side is about 60 kilometres of open water, except for a few islands, between Hong Kong and Macao. Climate The area is located in the subtropical monsoon zone, characterised by a summer rainy season from April to September and a dry season during the cold period, from October to March. Annual rainfall is in average 1682mm, the wettest month being May (283 mm) and the driest December (235 mm). Average annual temperature is 21.9"~July being the hottest month (28.5"~)and January the coldest (13.3). Wind direction follows the general pattern of the monsoon movement, blowingfrom Northto North-Eastduringwinter time and from South to South-East during summer. Hydrology The Pearl River is the largest river in south China, formed by the confluence of three rivers: the Xijiang, the Beijiang and Dongjiang rivers. The annual average flow of the Pearl River is 336,000 millions m3, of which 238,000 millionsm3come from the Xijiang River, 39,400 from the Beijiang River, 23,800 from the Dongjiang River and 34,800 from other branches of the PRD. Distributionof the flow follows the monsoon pattern: 80% of the flow occurs during the wet season (April till September), with 50% of the total flow recordedfrom June to August. The average dry seasonflow (from Octoberto March) is 80,300 million m3and only accountsfor 24% of the annual average flow. The Pearl River provides abundant water for its watershed population. Average water resources in the PR watershed is 4,700 m3per capita, which is about 1.7 times the nationalaverage. Sediment concentrationis not highwith an annual average of 88.7 milliontons, or 249 mg/l. About 20% of the sediment is deposited inthe PRD regionwith the other 80% transported to South China Sea. WaterQuality The three main branches of the Pearl River Delta and many of its tributaries draining the urban concerned were ranked qualib 4, 5 and above. As a result, sources of clean drinking water are area are heavily polluted. In the Pearl River urban zones, almost 60% of the river reaches progressivelythreatened by pollution. Environmental Protection Bureau of Guangzhou Municipality is in charge of monitoring the water quality of the Pearl River reaches located within the boundaries of the Municipality. Sampling is carried out 6 times per year, with 2 samples each time (surface and bottomwater), and sometimes a separate sampling for high and low tide. The 8 stations located within the Project area are presentedin the following Figure. SOGREAH BYN - REPORTNo355073 - PAGE5 2003-NOVEMBER  FIGURE3:MONITORINGSTATIONS OF THEGUANGZHOU REACHESOF THE PRD LIAWUASHAN Results from monitoring confirm that organic pollution from domestic and industrialwastewater is the main problem in the Pearl River Delta. Dissolved Oxygen is close to nil in Huangsha and Liede stations during the dry season, when BOD5and COD are at their maximum because of the low flow in the river. However, eventhe most upstream station of Yagang presents a low dissolved oxygen concentration of less than 2 mg/l (worse than Class 5 of water quality), which is an extreme low value to accommodate any aquatic life survival. Exceptthe two most downstream stations of Duntouji and Lianhuashan which present DO values of about 3.5 mg/l in dry season (Class 4 of water quality), all the other stations do not exceed2 mgA. Ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen and total phosphorus follow this trend and also show their maximum during dry season in Huangsha and Liede (Class5 and worse). Other stations belong to Classes3 and 4. Oil concentrationin water is significantly high in all stations, whateverthe season. Regardingthis parameter,all stationsclassify as Class4. For heavy metals, water classifies generally in Class 1 quality with few exceptions: Higher concentrationsin mercury during inter-season is observed in most stations, loweringwater quality to class 3 or 4 for this parameter.Concentrationin lead is slightly over the maximum limit for Class 1in Liede (dry season) and Duntouji(inter-season). Another set of parametersis analysed, including ElectricalConductivity,Total DissolvedSolids and Chloride, in order to assess the effect of the tide and of the reverse flow on the salinity of the estuary and of the river branches. During the dry season, the influence of more brackish waters from the downstream part of the estuary expands up to Huangsha or even Yinjinghai station. However, for the 2 most upstream stations, EC remains within normal values of 300 to 400 psiemens consideringthe effluent dischargewhich supply the river with dissolvedsalts. During wet and inter seasons,the values remain morestable for all the stations, at about 200 to 300 pS all alongthe river reaches. - SOGREAH-BYN- REPORTN' 355073 PAGE6 2003-NOVEMBER  ND~ D ~ SERVICES