Ghana - Thermal Power Project : environmental assessment (Vol. 5 of 7) : Environmental management plan for 161 KV Prestea - Obuasi transmission

E51 V. 5 September 2003 161 KV PRESTEA - OBUASI TRANSMISSION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN PREPARED BY VOLTA RIVER AUTHORITY P.O. BOX MB 77 ACCRA,GHANA r7 rt CC SEPTEMBER 2003 L-3 Lfln IL   TABLE OF CONTENTS Page VRA DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATE POLICY STATEMENT ................ 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................... 4 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 5 1.1 The Project ...................................................... 5 1.2 Scope & Purpose of an Environmental Management Plan ........................ 6 1.3 Register of Legislation / Licenses ...................................................... 6 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES . ............................................ 7 2.1 Environmental Management Team ........................... ................. 7 2.1.1 Qualifications of Project Environmental Team ............................... 8 2.1.2 Functions of Project Environmental Team .................................... 8 2.1.3 Project Environmental Coordinator ............................................ 8 2.2 Environmental Mitigation Measures ............................................ 11 2.3 Environmental Monitoring Activities ................................. 25 2.4 Institutional Strengthening and Training for Implementation . . 28 2.5 Scheduling & Reporting ......................................... 30 3.0 Financial Resource Allocation ..................... 33 Fiqure Figure 1: Organisational Chart of Project Environmental Team Appendices Appendix 1: Work Programme Appendix 2: Environmental Permit Appendix 3: Existing Access Roads Appendix 4: Vegetation Management Plan Appendix 5: Management of Archeological and Cultural Property 2 17 .4 / 1q TP/1mE mnentaa(94anaqement Tfan/Septemer 2003   VRA DRAFT CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY STATEMENT 'VRA and its employees are committed to minimising the impact of its operations on the environment. VRA will accordingly adhere to the principles of sustainable energy development and contribute to the welfare of people (or communities) adversely affected by its operations. VRA will; 1. Comply with all relevant and existing legal obligations on environment protection, particularly; * Promote open communication and dialogue in addressing environmental issues. * Establish an environmental management system (EMS) with a view to ensuring continuous improvement, through; - Collaboration with other agencies in pursuit of its environmental management objectives and programmes. - Support for research, development and technology applications to enhance efficiency of resource management. - Contribution to the formulation of public policy and programmes that promote sustainable development especially in areas affecting its core business and those of its subsidiaries. And also; 2. Educate, train and motivate its employees about environment. 3. Assist in improving the standard of living of communities adversely impacted by its operations. Specific Obiectives 1. Establish an environmental management system (EMS), which ensures integration of environmental concerns in all areas of planning and decision-making, due diligence, risk minimisation, monitoring and continuous improvement of the environment. 2. Comply with both national and international conventions on the environment. 3. Actively promote environmental awareness and individual sense of responsibility through education, training, and motivation. 4. Promote open communication on environmental issues. 5. Support research, development and technology applications to enhance efficiency of resource management. 6. Contribute actively to the formulation of public policy and programmes that promote sustainable development in the energy sector. 7. Protect the Volta Lake. 8. Assist in improving the standard of living of communities in the Authority's areas of operation, such as, the Volta Basin, Aboadze, Jomoro and Abuesi communities." Signed: ............................... Chief Executive Date: 3 qA / PIEnwronmtntaf9'anagement T(an/Septm6er 203   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Volta River Authority (VRA) is constructing a new 161 KV Power Transmission line from Prestea in the Western Region to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region in order to enhance the power carrying capacity of the transmission network in the western segment of Ghana. This additional line is required in order to provide stability in the whole transmission network which is currently experiencing severe stresses on some major segments, even under normal operational conditions The project involves the delivery to site, erection, testing and commissioning of a 112 km 161 KV transmission line, with a 112 km optic fibre conductor (OPGW) in place of one shield wire, between Prestea and Obuasi. Minor civil works related to modifications at the Obuasi substation and at Prestea substations to accommodate line terminations will be carried out. The project is to be executed by ABB Solutions, Italy. Due to certain deviations along the route as a result of social and technical consideration, the total distance of the transmission line is now 114.6 km. In order to maintain control over the implementation of the project and also ensure that commitments made in the project's EIS document are acted upon in a comprehensive and acceptable manner, an Environmental Management Plan [EMP] has been developed. The EMP identifies the Environmental Management Team, their qualifications and functions as well as the functions of the Project Environmental Coordinator. It provides information on the general environmental management procedures to be followed during the project implementation. Summary of activities, their related potential impacts, the corresponding recommended mitigation and activities to be monitored during the pre-construction, construction, and operation phases of the project has been provided in the EMP. An institutional strengthening and training programme for implementation of various environmental measures and the schedules and reporting on various environmental issues/measures have also been provided in the EMP. Estimated financial resources for implementation of the EMP have also been provided. 4 '(V /IO /fEntwonmenta(94anagement P(an/Septemr 2003  1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Project The Volta River Authority (VRA) proposes to construct a new 161 KV Power Transmission line (CONTRACT TK 210) from Prestea in the Western Region to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region in order to enhance the power carrying capacity of the transmission network in the westem segment of Ghana. This sector is significant not only for the economic importance of the increasing mining activities i n t he a rea b ut a Iso b ecause t he c urrent additions to the country's power generation capacity are both in the Westem Region. These are the expansion of the Takoradi Generating station at Aboadze to 600 MW and the new GNPC 140 MW Plant to be stationed at Effasu. In addition, during the current retrofit of the Akosombo Hydroelectric plant, the additional power supply requirements are either provided from Aboadze or imported from La Cote d'lvoire and passes along the western segment. Generally, the proposed route runs parallel with the existing line at a distance of approximately 30 m (100 ft) to the West. There are diversions in the right of way at Bogoso and Dunkwa to avoid the urban settlements. The project also involves the delivery to site, erection, testing and commissioning of a 110 km 161 kV transmission line, with a 110 km optic fibre conductor (OPGW) in place of one shield wire, between Prestea and Obuasi. Minor civil works related to modifications at the Obuasi substation and at Prestea substations to accommodate line terminations are to be carried out. The pre-construction activities of the project include route survey, tower spotting and acquisition of the necessary RoW. The construction activities involve various levels of vegetation clearing to standards prescribed by VRA. The other activities are excavation of tower foundations, erection of towers and stringing of lines. The substation expansion works are also included. Once the line is in place and transmitting power, the main operational activities are mostly those related to the maintenance of the lines, towers, accessories and the RoW. The project is being executed by ABB Solutions, Italy. The contractual work programme is attached as Appendix 1. 5 IV / Th/ PEnvronmentaf Eanagement cTian/Septemer 2003  1.2 Scope and Purpose of an Environmental Management Plan In pursuance of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 490 of 1994, Section 2 (i) and the Environmental Assessment Regulations, Li 1652 of 1999 and on the basis of the published project Environmental Impact Statement (December 2000), an Environmental Permit (See Appendix 2) has been issued authorizing the VRA to commence the project. Under the Conditions of the Permit, the VRA is to comply with all the mitigation, monitoring and the environmental management provisions made in the project EIS. This Environmental Management Plan [EMP] for the Proposed 161 KV Prestea - Obuasi Transmission Project has been prepared to assist the project implementers to comply with the conditions of the Environmental Permit, in line with the National Environmental laws. 1.3 Register of Legislation / Licenses The various legislations and licenses that are to be adhered to in the implementation of this EMP are: Legislations 1. The Ghana Environmental Protection Agency Act 1994, (Act 490) 2. Ghana Environmental Assessment Regulations of 1999 (Li 1552) 3. The Volta River Development Act, 1961 (Act 46) 4. Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541), 5. Lands Statutory Wayleaves Act, 1963 (Act 186), 6. Volta River Authority (Transmission Line Protection) Regulations, 1967 (LI 542). 7. Forestry Commission Act, Act 571. 8. Factories, Offices and Shops Act, 1970 (Act 328) 9. World Bank Operational Policy on Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01) 10. World Bank Operational Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (OP. 4.12) Highlights of these legislations are outlined in Section 1.4 of the EIS document. Licenses 1. Provisional Environmental Permit granted to the Volta River Authority on April 25, 2001 from the Environmental Protection Agency (Permit No. 00480). 6 'IV / /Em'rmEnmrnmenta(9.anagement Tfan/September2003  2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES In order to maintain control over the implementation of the project and also ensure that commitments made in the project's EIS document are acted upon in a comprehensive and acceptable manner, an Environmental Management Plan [EMP] / Training Programme has been developed in this section. This Plan seeks to identify the various institutional responsibilities to manage the environmental aspect of the project. It provides a summary of activities, their related potential impacts and the corresponding recommended mitigation to be carried out during the pre-construction, construction, and maintenance phases of the project. The EMP has taken into consideration the guidelines provided in the ISO 14000, which deals with Quality Standards associated with the management of the environment and the World Bank Operational Policy (OP4.01) for Category A projects. 2.1 Environmental Management Team The corporate structure of the VRA provides for a department of Environment & Sustainable Development Department (ESD), headed by a Director. This department, which is new, is responsible, among others, for pre-project development as well as the post project implementation of all environment-related activities of the VRA. Project environmental teams for all development activities in VRA reside in this department. The proposed structure of the department is still under review. In pursuance of the objective of ensuring compliance with environmental regulations, an Environmental Coordinator from the Project Environmental Team has been appointed to coordinate environmental activities of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) that has been constituted for the project. The Project E nvironmental C oordinator i s a m ember o f t he P roject Implementation Unit and reports on the project through the Project Engineer to the Project Director who in turn reports on all environmental issues concerning the project. The Environmental Coordinator is directly responsible for all environmental issues at the pre- constructional and constructional phases of the project. Management of the post constructional operational phase would be incorporated into the Authority's Corporate Environmental Management Plans, which is presently administered by the Environment & Sustainable Development Department. 7 , I /ROP/