China - Hubei Xiaogan - Xiangfan Highway Project : environmental assessment (Vol. 5 of 10) : Suizhou connecting road

World Bank Financed Project E584 Volume 5 Suizhou Connecting Road Environmental Impact Assessment & Environmental Management Plan Hub'ei Provincial Communications Departmnent March 2002 Wuhan China FILE COPY  Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction ..........................................I 1.1 Background ........................................... 1.2 Purpose of EA ..........................................1 1.3 Bases of Assessment ..........................................2 1.4 Assessment Factors ..........................................4 1.5 Scope and Standards of Assessment ..........................................4 1.6 Methodology ..........................................5 Chapter 2 Project Description ..........................................6 2.1 Location ..........................................6 2.2 Traffic Volume Prediction ..........................................6 2.3 Technical Standards and Work Quantity ..........................................6 2.4 Alignment Selection and Justification ..........................................7 Chapter 3 Environmental Baseline ..........................................9 3.1 Sensitive Receptors ..........................................9 3.2 Existing Noise Environment ..........................................9 3.3 Existing Water Environment ......................................... 10 3.4 Existing Air Quality ......................................... 10 Chapter 4 Impact Assessment ......................................... 12 4.1 Analysis of Ecological and Agricultural Impact ......................................... 12 4.2 Impact on Acoustic Environment ......................................... 13 4.3 Ambient Air Quality Impact Assessment ......................................... 16 4.4 Water Environment Impact ......................................... 18 4.5 Socio-economic Environment Impacts ......................................... 19 4.6 Public Consultation and Disclosure ......................................... 19 Chapter 5 Mitigation Measures ......................................... 23 5.1 Environment Protection Measures in Design Stages ......................................... 23 5.2 Environment Protection Measures in Construction Phase ......................................... 25 5.3 Mitigation Measures during Operation Phase ......................................... 27 Chapter 6 EIA Summary ......................................... 29 Chapter 7 Environmental Management Plan ......................................... 31 7.1 Organization of Environmental Management ......................................... 31 7.2 Environmental Mitigation Plan ..........................................3 1 7.3 Environmental Supervision Plan ......................................... 35 7.4 Environmental Monitoring Plan ......................................... 36 7.5 Personnel Training ......................................... 38 7.6 Estimated Costs for Environmental ......................................... 38  List of Table Table 2.3-1 Main Engineering Work Volume ........................................................................6 Table 2.3-2 Cutting and Fill of Earth & Stonework ........................................................................ 7 Table 2.3-3 Location and Scale of Borrowing Pits and Disposal Sites ................................................... 7 Table 3.1- I Environmental Sensitive Spots along the Road ...................................................................9 Table 3.2-1 Measuring Results of Noise Environment (LACq) ... ..v........................e.Il Table 3.3-1 Monitoring Results of Current Water Quality (mg/I) ....................................................... 11 Table 3.4-1 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Results Unit: mg/Nm3 .................................................. 12 Table 4.1- I Land Acquisition of Suizhou Connecting Road unit: mu ................................................. 13 Table 4.2-1 Traffic Noise Prediction of the Suizhou Connecting Road Leq (dB) ............................... 16 Table 4.2-2 Prediction Results of Ambient Noise Level in Sensitive Spots Leq(dB) . . 16 Table 4.2-2 Prediction Results of Ambient Noise Level in Sensitive Spots Leq(dB) (Continued) ..1. 7 Table 4.3-1 TSP Survey Results ........................................................................ 18 Table 4.3-2 Analogical Results of TSP after Water Spray in Construction Site . . 18 Table 4.6-1 Public Consultation Participants Composition ................................................................... 22 Table 4.6-2 Public Response to Questions from the Questionnaire . ...................................................... 22 Table 4.6-3 Public Opinions/Concerns and Responses ........................................................................ 23 Table 4.6-4 Public Locations for Disclosure ........................................................................ 24 Table 5.1-1 Slope Protection Engineering Works at High Fill & Deep Cut Sections ............................ 25 Table 5-1-2 Location and Rehabilitation of Borrowing Pits and Disposal Sites . . 26 Table 5.1-3 Traffic Noise Mitigation Measures ........................................................................ 27 Table 7.3-1 Environmental Mitigation Plan ........................................................................ 38 Table 7.3-1 Environmental Mitigation Plan (Continued) ..................................................................... 39 Table 7.3-1 Environmental Mitigation Plan (Continued) ..................................................................... 40 Table 7.4-1 Environmental Supervision Plan ........................................................................ 41 Table 7.5-1 Environmental Monitoring Plan ........................................................................ 42 Table 7.7-1 Cost of Environmental Protection ........................................................................ 44 List of Map Map 2-1 The Alignment of Suizhou Connecting Road Map 2-2 Location of Borrowing Pits and Disposal Sites Map 3-1 Sensitive Receptors and Environmental Baseline Map 7-1 Location of Planned Monitoring Spots  List of Abbreviation BP Best Procedure COD Chemical Oxygen Demand EA Environmental Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan EPB Environmental Protection Bureau EPO Environmental Protection Office GB National Standard GDP Gross Domestic Product GHZB National Environmental Quality Standard GP Good Practice HJ/T Environmental/Technical HPCD Hubei Provincial Communications Department LAeq Continuous Equivalent Sound A Level MOC Ministry of Communications NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide OD Operational Directive OP Operational Policy PRC the People's Republic of China SEPA State Environmental Protection Administration Ss Suspended Solid THC Tetrahydrocannabinol TSP Total Suspended Particle WBFPO World Bank Financed Project Office  Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Suizhou connecting road is part of the Xiaogan to Xiangfan expressway project which is to be partially financed by a World Bank loan to the People' s Republic of China. The objective is to maximize the transportation benefits of the expressway to Suizhou region particularly to the urban area of Suizhou. The proposed expressway passes through the municipality of Suizhou, but is still away from the Suizhou City proper (see Map 2-1 in Chapter 2). This proposed connecting road is to link the Suizhou city proper with the expressway southwest of the city. As part of the project preparation, an Environmental Assessment (EA) has been conducted by a team of environmental specialists from Shanghai Ship and Shipping Research Institute (SSSRI), in compliance with relevant requirements from the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and the World Bank. The EA involves various screening and full scale assessment in accordance with SEPA requirements and World Bank safeguards policies. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) have been prepared to summarize the key findings and recommended actions for adverse impact mitigation from the EA. As the project involves several components including the main expressway, three connecting roads and four rural roads, one set of EA documentation (EIA and EMP) has been prepared for each component. This document is the EIA for the Suizhou Connecting Road. The original EIA report is prepared in in Chinese and this English version of the report is the translation. As the project EA team and the author of component EIA report and EMP, SSSRI certifies that the main contents of the Chinese and English versions of the EA documents are basically identical, except more stringent noise standards are applied in the English version. With regard to the translation itself, while the two versions may not be identical due to different expressions in Chinese and English languages, there is no key difference on the matter of substance. 1.2 Purpose of EA The EA predicts various environmental and socio-economic impacts of the Project, and analyzes the impacts quantitatively or qualitatively through the investigation or monitoring of the physical, biological, socio-economic environment, and through public consultation along the project area. More specifically, the purposes of the EA are:  * To improve the decision-making process by introducing environmental criteria and assessment to design engineers and decision makers and to ensure the Project is environrnentally sound and sustainable; * To ensure adverse environmental impacts be identified and evaluated in the earlier stage of the Project so as to develop appropriate measures including alternative alignments and designs to avoid, mitigate, reduce or otherwise minimize the adverse impacts to acceptable levels; * To develop measures of compensation for the impacts which could not be avoided or mitigated; and; * To provide a basis for Project executing agency and relevant government agencies to develop and implement plans for environmental management and monitoring. 1.3 Bases of Assessment World Bank Requirements The World Bank requirements include primarily the Bank' s ten safeguards policies, including Operational Policies (OP), Best Procedure (BP), Good Practice (GP) and Operational Directives (OD). They are: * Environmental Assessment (OP/BP/GP4.01); * Forestry (OP/GP4.36); * Natural Habitats (OP/BP4.04); * Safety of Dams (OP/BP4.37); * Pest Management (OP4.09); * Involuntary Resettlement (OD4.30); * Indigenous People (OD4.20); * Cultural Property (OPN 11.03 and soon to be OP4. 11); * Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP/GP7.60); and * Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP/GP7.50). Among these safeguards policies, Environmental Assessment is the primary requirements and thus the focus of this report. In addition, other Policies such as Natural Habitats (OP4.04), Indigenous People (OD4.20), Forest (OP4.36), Cultural Property (OP4.1 1) and Pest Management (OP4.09) are also applied in the EA at least for screening and results, included in this report. Policies on Involuntary Resettlement are the subject of a separate assessment by another teamn but the key findings are included in the report as well. Since there are no project components that involve international waterways, dam construction or disputed areas as defined under OP7.60, policies related to these subjects are not applied in the EA. 2  National laws and regulations on environmental review and FIA * Environmental Protection Law of PRC of December 26, 1989; * Land Management Law of PRC of August 29, 1998; * Water and Soil Conservation Law of PRC of June 29, 1991; * Water Pollution Prevention Law of PRC of May 15, 1996; * Noise Pollution Prevention Law of PRC of October 29, 1996; * Air Pollution Prevention Law of PRC of April 29, 2000; * Solid Waste Pollution Prevention Law of PRC of October 30, 1995; * Rules of Environmental Protection Management for Construction Projects, issued by the State Council of PRC; * Measures Concerning with the Environmental Protection and Management for Transportation Construction Projects, issued by MOC; * Directories of Environmental Protection management for Construction Projects (No.9, [1999]), issued by SEPA; * The Technical Rules for Environrmental Impact Assessment (HJ/T2.1-2.3- 93,HJ/T2.4-1995,HJ/T1 9-1997); issued by SEPA; * Specifications for Environment Impact Assessment of Expressway, issued by MOC; * Notice to Strengthen the Environmental Impact Assessment and Management of Construction Projects Financed by Loan from International Financial Organizations, jointly issued by SEPA, the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the People' s Bank of China; * Review comments for Project EA TOR of November 1999 and again of May 2000, and for Project EIA of November 2001; all these comments have been incorporated in EA process and the EA documentation; and * Other relevant environmental protection laws, regulations and policies. Engineering Design Document * Preliminary Engineering Design of Xiaogan-Xiangfan Expressway, by HPCPDI, 2001; This design contains much more details than a typical preliminary design in western countries and is the latest and most updated design document at the time the EA was prepared; and * Feasibility Study for Xiaogan to Xiangfan Expressway, by HPCPDI, 1998, which is the final version for the feasibility study. Other Relevant Study Reports * Final version of Project Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), HPCD, December 2001; and * Final version of Project Cultural Relics Report, HPRARI, March 2002. Relevant International Environmental Agreements (where China is a signing party) 3  * UN Framework Confer on Climate Change; * Biologic diversity Agreement, signed on December 29, 1993; * Vienna Agreement on Ozonosphere Protection, signed on December 30, 1989; and