ELECTRICIDAD DE ORIENTE, S. DE R.L. DE C.V. Particular Method Environmental Impact Report of the Cerro de Oro Hydroelectric Project I. GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE PROJECT, THE PETITIONER AND THE PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY I.1 Project See location map. I.1.1 Project Name Cerro de Oro Hydroelectric Project I.1.2 Project Location The area of the project is located in the federal zone that includes the curtain of the Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado (Cerro de Oro) dam, which is located between Cerro de Oro and Cerro Santa Ursula in the region of Paso Canoa, within the Municipality of Tuxtepec. Its geographic coordinates are 17º 59’ 50” North Latitude and 96º 15’ 19” West Longitude. The transmission line will begin in the area of the hydroelectric central and will end interconnecting with the Benito Juárez electric substation of the CFE1 located in the town of Sebastopol with coordinates 18º 02’ 00” North Latitude and 96º 10’ 08” West Longitude. Its trajectory will be within the regions of Santa Ursula and San Rafael, also located in the Municipality of Tuxtepec. All of the foregoing are located in the State of Oaxaca. (See topographic map with site location) I.1.3 Useful life span of the project The estimated useful life of the project is estimated to be 50 years. However, it will depend on the concession authorizations and revalidations the Comisión Nacional del Agua (“CNA”) (National Water Commission) may grant for the project. In accordance with the foregoing, approximately 24 months are estimated to apply for and obtain the loans and authorizations necessary to carry out the work, 36 months for the site preparation and construction and 50 years for the operation and maintenance stage of the project, considering the CNA grants the concession for such period. The total project time is 55 years, but such period may vary based on the revalidations requested from the relevant authorities. 1 Translator’s Note: Abbreviation of Comisón Federal de Electricidad - Federal Electricty Commission 1 ELECTRICIDAD DE ORIENTE, S. DE R.L. DE C.V. I.1.4 Presentation of Legal Documentation To comply with the applicable legislation, this study is conducted in order to carry out the necessary filings before the National Water Commission, to obtain the permits and concessions relating to the construction and use of surface water, as well as land use in the federal zone managed by such authority, after obtaining the relevant authorization from SEMARNAT2. With regard to the land where the layout of the transmission line will be located, the filings and agreements with the owners of the land are currently being prepared to obtain the rights of way that the authority requires for this kind of projects. I.2 Petitioner I.2.1 Name Electricidad de Oriente, S. de R. L. de C. V. I.2.2 Petitioner’s Federal Taxpayers’ Registration Code EOR060911Q36 I.2.3 Name and position of legal representative Camhaji Samra Salomón Jinich Ripstein Carlos A copy of the company’s charter is attached. I.2.4 Address of petitioner or petitioner’s legal representative to receive notices and service of process Bosque de Ciruelos 190 - 303 A, Col. Bosques de Las Lomas, C.P. 11700, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo Distrito Federal Tel.: (01 5) 55 96 89 24 Fax: (01 5) 52 51 60 65 2 Translator’s Note: Abbreviation of the Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales –Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources. 2 ELECTRICIDAD DE ORIENTE, S. DE R.L. DE C.V. Email: [email protected] 1.3 Party responsible for preparing the environmental impact study I.3.1 Name Pérez Coria Samuel Genaro I.3.2 Federal Taxpayers’ Registration Codeor CURP PECS 601019 BB4 I.3.3 Name of the technical manager of the study Architect Samuel Genaro Pérez Coria Federal Taxpayers’ Registration CodePECS 601019 BB4 CURP:PECS601019HDFFRRM05 Professional License Number: License Nº 1671353 I.3.4 Address of the technical manager of the study Calle Durango Nº 133 Col.: Valle Ceylán, C.P. 54150 Tlalnepantla, Estado de México Tel.: (015) 53 88 73 73 Fax.: (015) 53 91 09 14 Email: [email protected] 3 ELECTRICIDAD DE ORIENTE, S. DE R.L. DE C.V. II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION II.1 General Project Information Construction and Operation of a Hydroelectric Central equipped with a turbine-generator complex with a design power of 10.8 MW; one electric substation that will serve to raise to 115 KV the voltage coming from the central, as well as 10.5 km double-circuit sub- transmission line that will interconnect with the power transmission and distribution network of CFE. II.1.1 Nature of the Project The Miguel Alemán (Temascal) dam located in the State of Oaxaca was built as regulation work of the Tonto River due to the periodic rises that considerably affected the lower part of the Papaloapan River. This allowed a reduction of the flooding problems in the region and using the resource for electric power generation. However, the problems in the area were not controlled in full, since there is another river, the Santo Domingo River, which converges with the Tonto River and which represents a continuous risk of flooding and overflowing, as occurred in the years 1958 and 1969, since it is one of the principal tributaries of the Papaloapan. Considering the foregoing, the Federal Government issued a decree in 1972 approving the recommendation of the construction of the Cerro de Oro dam, which would allow controlling the outflow of the Santo Domingo River and complementing the volume of the Miguel Alemán dam for hydroelectric generation through the interconnection of both dams. For this reason, the Cerro de Oro dam was not afforded an intake structure. The Cerro de Oro dam currently discharges an outflow of between 30 and 45 m3/s due to its control structure, which discharges the flow of water in the Santo Domingo. This outflow can increase during the rainy season and may even at a certain time, discharge up to 6,000 m3/s through its excess spillway. Because the outflow discharged through such control structure is constant and the area where the curtain is located has adequate conditions to install infrastructure, it provides a good alternative for hydroelectric generation. Consequently, the use of the resource has been considered for such purpose, to allow utilizing such water flow for the benefit of the activities of the energy sector. This way, with the installation of a hydroelectric central in the site, the outflow would be exploited, with a possibility of obtaining a force of up to 14.8 MW, depending on the charge conditions and outflow in the dam. Another advantage would be that surfaces assigned to infrastructure in the dam, which form part of the federal zone managed by the National Water Commission, would be used 4 ELECTRICIDAD DE ORIENTE, S. DE R.L. DE C.V. in the construction. This way, any possible effects considering the current land use, would relate to the installation of the transmission line, which, as may be observed throughout this study, will occur mainly in previously affected areas, agricultural land and existing urban areas. The project is viewed as a sound alternative for energy use under the self-supply system that will have minor effects on natural conditions, as experimented in other hydroelectric projects, because it will use a dam that is already established and areas already affected, and the impacts generated would be basically caused by the construction activities. Such impacts may be satisfactorily mitigated with the prevention and mitigation measures referred in the study. Additionally, the region will be considerably and directly benefited by increasing the capacity of energy flow in the sub-transmission and distribution infrastructure, since this would complement the actions contemplated by the Federal Government through the Electrical Sector Projects and Investment Program (ESPIP). The general purpose of the project is the generation of electric energy under a self-supply scheme through the construction, equipping and operation of a hydroelectric central with a design potency of 10.8 MW for an approximate annual production of 83.75 GWH, one electrical substation to raise the output voltage of the central to 115 KV, and the installation of a 115 KV, double circuit sub-transmission line approximately 10.5 kilometers long, which will originate in the electrical substation of the project and interconnect to CFE’s Benito Juárez electrical substation located in the town of Sebastopol. Such point is located at coordinates 18°02’00” NL and 96°10’08” WL. The land use currently assigned to the area intended for the installation of the hydroelectric central and substation is that of hydraulic infrastructure, as it is part of the protection area of the federal zone in the Cerro de Oro dam. With regard to the transmission line, the layout mainly crosses agricultural and livestock lands, industrial zones and human settlements. II.1.2 Site Selection Because the Cerro de Oro dam is already built, using as the basis of the technical and economic criteria areas close to hydraulic infrastructure that allow the installation of hydroelectric equipment and the water outflow of the dam that is normally discharged as excess into the resource supply and control structure to other users downstream of the dam, was considered. The Cerro de Oro dam has a constant discharge due to its control structure into the Santo Domingo River and for purposes of hydroelectric generation it is a good exploitation alternative, since this flow of water would be used continuously as the discharge has come about to date.