E2377 FINAL REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA NATIONAL RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY Public Disclosure Authorized PROPOSED RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL Public Disclosure Authorized MANAGEMENT PLAN Public Disclosure Authorized Sofia MARCH, 2010 Public Disclosure Authorized 1 1. Introduction The National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) has requested a Loan from the World Bank, to be guaranteed by the Republic of Bulgaria, to finance the proposed Railway Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project. The Project aims to improve the quality and efficiency of railway infrastructure services in Bulgaria. This will be achieved through an investment program aimed primarily at stopping the deterioration and at upgrading the condition of existing railway infrastructure assets on selected lines on Bulgaria’s core railway network. The overall Project activities should lead to increased operational and financial performance of rail transport in Bulgaria, and thereby support the objectives of the government and the EU to develop railways as a viable transport option. The Bulgarian rail network has 4,071 route-km of standard gauge, of which 24 percent is double track, and 67 percent is electrified. About 2,915 km of the railway network form the main railway lines in Bulgaria. Most of the railway network was constructed more than 50 years ago, while the power supply and safety facilities were installed during 1960 to mid-1980s. Underinvestment has led to poor conditions that now require speed restrictions on almost 75 percent of the rail network. Over the past 15 years, an annual average of 25-30 kilometers were renewed and 30-40 kilometers repaired—only 10 percent of the levels of system repairs achieved each year before 1990. The Transport Strategy for Bulgaria over the period 2010-2020 includes significant commitments from the government to modernize the Bulgarian railway infrastructure, in line with the priorities of Bulgaria and the European Union. One of the immediate priorities is the modernization of the railway line Sofia-Plovdiv-Burgas, which is part of the Trans-European Network Transport (TEN-T). The modernization of this line includes upgrading the design speed and the overhaul of the signaling, telecommunications, and energy systems. The modernization is planned over the period 2010–2020. Future EU Cohesion funds received under the Transport Operational Program and the Regional Development Program are planned to finance the Sofia-Plovdiv section and Mihailovo-Burgas section (see attached map). The public railway infrastructure is managed by the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC), and railway transport services are provided by the State-owned Bulgarian Railways Company BDZ EAD and several private freight operators. In addition to managing the railway tr cks NRIC is also responsible for the maintenance of related railway infrastructure such as 830 railway level crossings; 145 tunnels (total length of 44,432 m) located on standard railway lines and 41 tunnels (total length of 3, 071 m) located on narrow gauge railway lines; about 940 bridges (total length of 38, 842 m) on standard railway lines and another 23 with total length of 686 m located on narrow gauge railway lines; about 7,600 railway switches, 1,728 km joint less track, and 234,953 km sections with UIC 60 rails. The first phase of NRIC’s investment program until 2015 focuses on the east-west European Corridors IV, VIII, and X between Sofia and Burgas on the Black Sea, Sofia and Dragoman (Serbian border), and between Sofia and the Turkish border, respectively. The line between Plovdiv and the Turkish border is being mostly 2 modernized under the pre-accession ISPA program (Plovdiv-Svilengrad), and the final link to the border under the OPT program. Investments are about to start under the SOPT program for the rehabilitation of two sections between Sofia and Plovdiv (Sofia – Elin Pelin, and Septemvri – Plovdiv) and between Mihailovo and Burgas. The proposed project would support investments on the section between Plovdiv and Orizovo and modernization of the energy, signaling and telecommunication systems, and thus complementing these programs. Completing the rehabilitation of the final section between Sofia and Plovdiv (Elin Pelin - Septemvri) and between Orizovo and Mihailovo is now planned under OPT’s next planning period 2014-2020. Additionally, NRIC is preparing a portfolio of investments to be included under the next OPT focusing on the north-south corridor IV between Vidin (Romanian border), Sofia, and Kulata (Greek border). The proposed Project would support investments on the section between Trakia- Skutare and modernization of the energy, signaling and telecommunication systems, and thus complementing the NRIC programs. It will mainly finance rehabilitation works of existing railway section, modernization of existing operable power substations, and small-scale construction building relevant to NRIC operations. Given the nature of these rehabilitation works, the project has been classified as environmental category “B” in accordance with the World Bank operational polices for environmental assessment purposes. Under Bulgarian regulation and EU directives, such types of works are not subject to mandatory environmental impact assessment. As part of the preparation stage of the proposed Project, NRIC has prepared the present Environmental Management Plan (EMP), in accordance with World Bank policy OP/BP 4.01 on environmental impact assessment. The project EMP consists of a set of mitigation measures, monitoring actions, and institutional aspects to be undertaken during implementation and operation of the project to eliminate possible adverse environmental and social impacts, offset them, or reduce them to acceptable levels. The EMP also provides the responsibilities of different parties involved in the project implementation for environmental management purposes. Although major environmental issues are not anticipated during this project, the EMP identifies several mitigation measures aimed at environment protection and maintenance of environmental conditions mainly during the rehabilitation works. The proposed environmental monitoring plan is subject to revision with updated information from the bidding documents at contractor’s recommendation (subject to approval by NRIC) before works may commence. This draft EMP was discussed during a public meeting organized by NRIC in on February 18, 2010 at which a variety of stakeholders has been invited to participate and comment on the possible environmental issues that could be encountered during this proposed project. 2. Description of Project The proposed project to be supported by the World Bank includes three main components: (1) Improvement of railway infrastructure systems performance, (2) 3 Improvement of the railway track operational performance; and (3) Support to Project implementation. The main activities planned to be finance over the period 2010-2015 through this project are the following: (i) The upgrade of seven traction power sub-stations: five on the line Plovdiv–Burgas at Stara Zagora, Nova Zagora, Yambol, Karnobat, and Burgas; and two on the line Radomir-Kulata line at Pernik and Dupnitsa, and the replacement of circuit breakers at various traction power substations. (ii) The installation of fiber optic cables and transmission equipment on the lines Plovdiv-Karlovo (to close the fiber optics loop Sofia-Plovdiv-Karlovo-Sofia), and Radomir- Blagoevgrad. (iii) The construction of a Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) building in Sofia to host the Sofia regional traffic management and energy dispatching systems. (iv) The rehabilitation of the railway section between Plovdiv and Orizovo. The rehabilitation will cover one track of the existing double-track section between Trakia and Skutare. (v) The acquisition of specialized machinery for inspection and maintenance of railway track, catenary and electrical systems. (vi) Technical advisory services to develop the technical designs, conduct the supervision of works, and to modernize the maintenance and traffic control and energy dispatching systems. The attached map shows the locations of the activities to be implemented under the proposed World Bank financed project. Legend Railway section rehabilitation (Trakiya-Skutare) Areal installation of optic cable on selected railway section: Delyan-Dupnitsa, Underground installation of optic cable on selected railway sections Dupnitsa- Blagoevgrad and Plovdiv-Karlovo Construction of a Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) building in Sofia Upgrade of traction power sub-stations: TPSS Burgas, TPSS Karnobat, TPSS Yambol, TPSS Nova Zagora, TPSS Stara Zagora, TPSS Pernik and TPSS Dupnitsa. 4 3. Summary of Bulgarian policy, legal and administrative framework with regards to Environmental Impact Assessment The implementation of the activities of this project will be in accordance with the following current legislation, practices and standards in Bulgaria relevant to Environmental Impact Assessment and the project investments in general: 1. Environmental Protection Act 2. Air Quality Act. 3. Water Act. 4. Waste Management Act. 5. Biological Diversity Act. 6. Protected Areas Act. 7. Monuments of Culture and Museums Act 8. Environmental Noise Protection Act. 9. Low of the Spatial Planning 10. Water Supply and Sewerage Services Regulation Act. 11. Health Act. 12. MH, MRDPW and MoEW Regulation No.9/16.03.2001. on the Quality of Potable andWashing Water. 13. MoEW Regulation No 5/08.11.2000 on the Procedure