China - Second National Railways Project

Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet (Updated) Section I - Basic Information Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 01/06/2004 A. Basic Project Data (from PDS) I.A.1. Project Statistics Country: CHINA Project ID: P075602 Project: Second National Railways Project Task Team Leader: Graham Smith Authorized to Appraise Date: February 23, 2004 IBRD Amount ($m): 242.00 Bank Approval: June 22, 2004 IDA Amount ($m): Managing Unit: EASTR Sector: Railways (100%) Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan (SIL) Theme: Infrastructure services for private sector Status: Lending development (P); Administrative and civil service reform (S) I.A.2. Project Objectives (From PDS): This Project has two objectives: (a) to support the implementation of the ongoing restructuring and reform program for China Railways; and (b) to make capital investments that (i) increase the capacity and environmental sustainability of the railway network linking eastern and western China, and (ii) help China Railways modernize and upgrade track maintenance practices consistent with the goal of operating a modern, competitive rail service. I.A.3. Project Description (From PDS): There are three parts to the project: Electrification of the ZheGan Line. This project will help finance the electrification of the ZheGan Railway Line between Hangzhou and Zhuzhou (existing double track, 942 km). The ZheGan line is part of the southernmost east-west main line and links Shanghai and Kunming. Purchase of heavy track maintenance equipment. This project will finance the acquisition of heavy equipment for renewal and maintenance of rail and track roadbed. The procurement of these heavy track machines is part of an ongoing modernization and reform project, whose goal is to set up adequately equipped specialized entities to handle track maintenance on the entire China Railways route network (Track Maintenance Depots - TMD). Assistance with the reform of China Railways. In addition to assisting MOR with implementing its overall reform agenda, this project will finance technical assistance to help prepare reform-related decisions for management. Topics likely to be chosen include: - changes in work rules related to the use of electric locomotives; - designing more longer-distance trains that can skip intermediate marshalling yards; - phasing out yards no longer needed; - reform of the TMD entities;  2 ISDS - expanded use of containers in the China Rail system; and - extending analysis tools, notably TMIS costing models (quantifying costs of carrying different classes of traffic and cost implications of operating more unit trains and long-distance trains), and network capacity analysis models I.A.4. Project Location: (Geographic location, information about the key environmental and social characteristics of the area and population likely to be affected, and proximity to any protected areas, or sites or critical natural habitats, or any other culturally or socially sensitive areas.) The main investment component is the line connecting Hangzhou, Nanchang and Zhuzhou (Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces) The line runs through mostly rolling hills and farmland of low-to-moderate population density, with short sections through city suburbs, where properties immediately adjoining the alignment are mostly industrial but with some high-density housing. B. Check Environmental Classification: B (Partial Assessment) Comments: The electrification of an existing line and acquisition & use of maintenance equipment will have limited environmental impact and the mitigation measures are well known. C. Safeguard Policies Triggered (from PDS) (click on for a detailed desciption or click on the policy number for a brief description) Policy Triggered Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01, BP 4.01, GP 4.01) Yes No TBD Natural Habitats (OP 4.04, BP 4.04, GP 4.04) Yes No TBD Forestry (OP 4.36, GP 4.36) Yes No TBD Pest Management (OP 4.09) Yes No TBD Cultural Property (OPN 11.03) Yes No TBD Indigenous Peoples (OD 4.20) Yes No TBD Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) Yes No TBD Safety of Dams (OP 4.37, BP 4.37) Yes No TBD Projects in International Waters (OP 7.50, BP 7.50, GP 7.50) Yes No TBD Projects in Disputed Areas (OP 7.60, BP 7.60, GP 7.60)* Yes No TBD Section II - Key Safeguard Issues and Their Management D. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues. Please fill in all relevant questions. If information is not available, describe steps to be taken to obtain necessary data. II.D.1a. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts. The proposed project will have limited impact. However, there are some environmental issues need to be addressed in the Environmental Assessment, including: l potential effects of increased noise on schools, hospitals, and homes near the rail line; l assessment of potential impacts of new transmission lines and substations/transformers to supply electricity to the track;  3 ISDS l Potential effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) induced by the conductors on areas near the rail line, including "noise" effects on television, radio, and cell phone reception. The government's design criteria for EMF protection should be specified to provide a basis for determining the project's compliance; l Potential effects of increased rail traffic in terms of safety issues and vibrations due to behavier trains; l adequacy of exisiting power supplies to meet incremental electricity demands; l Potential environmental impacts of decommissioning marshalling yards or depots especially regarding contaminants entering soil and groundwater. II.D.1b. Describe any potential cumulative impacts due to application of more than one safeguard policy or due to multiple project component. II.D.1c Describe any potential long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area. II.D.2. In light of 1, describe the proposed treatment of alternatives (if required) II.D.3. Describe arrangement for the borrower to address safeguard issues The China No.2 Railway Survey & Design Institute has been preparing the Environmental Assessment report according to Bank's operation policies. The EIA report will address all relevant environmental issues and define necessary mitigation measures in the Environmental Management Plan chapter of EIA. The EMP chapter will also include the environmental management/supervision setup, environmental monitoring plan, institutional arrangement, cost estimates for environmental measures, etc. The mitigation measures in the EMP chapter will be incorporated into bid documents/contracts, and its implementation responsibility will be that of the MOR and its regional administrations and to develop appropriate measures to mitigate the impacts. We expect the EIA to be completed by the end of June. OD 4.20 on Indigenous People. Government statistics and initial surveys indicate that there may be ethnic minority populations living in the countries along the railway route. A social assessment will be conducted to determine whether any of these ethnic minority groups live close to the railway alignment and if so, whether a development action plan is necessary.In that case, such a plan will be developed. II.D.4. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. We are in the preliminary stages of discussion with MOR about the virtues of conducting a survey of key shippers along the ZheGan line. Such a survey would help China Railways to assess if its operations and plans for the ZheGan line are consistent with the interests of their biggest (but usually least vocal) stakeholders. Other potential groups of stakeholders include communities/people adversely affected by the project. Project information will be widely disseminated among communities along the line (screening for any ethnic minority groups to ensure that they are identified and the information dissemination methods are appropriate and adequate), and participatory methods (focus group and key informant interviews) will be used to understand people's concerns, in particular if any resettlement is required. E. Safeguards Classification (select in SAP). Category is determined by the highest impact in any policy. Or  4 ISDS on basis of cumulative impacts from multiple safeguards. Whenever an individual safeguard policy is triggered the provisions of that policy apply. [ ] S1.