Environmental Impact Assessment (Update) Project Number: 45022-002 July 2020 PRC: Jiangxi Ji’an Sustainable Urban Transport Project Prepared by the Ji’an Municipal Government for the People’s Republic of China and the Asian Development Bank. This environmental impact assessment report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Asian Development Bank CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 30 June 2020) Currency unit – yuan (CNY) CNY 1.00 = $0. 14 12 $1.00 = CNY 7. 0811 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank AQG – air quality guideline As – arsenic B – boron BOD 5 – five-day biochemical oxygen demand BRT – bus rap id transit C&D – construction and demolition Cd – cadmium CN – cyanide CNY – Chinese yuan CO – carbon monoxide CO 2 – carbon dioxide CO 2eq – carbon dioxide equivalent COD – chemical oxyge n dem and CPS – country partnership strategy Cr – chromium Cu – copper DDT – dichloro -diphenyl -trichloroethane DO – dissolved oxygen EA – executing agency EHS – environmental health and safety EIA – environmental impact assessment EIR – en viron mental impact re port EIRF – environme ntal impac t registration form EIT – environmental impact table EMP – environmental management plan EPB – Environmental Protection Bureau EPD – Environmental Protection Department ESE – environmental sup ervis ion engineer F¯ – fluoride FSR – fe asibility study report FYP – Five-Year Plan GDP – gross domestic product GEF – Global Environment Facility GHG – greenhouse gas GRM – grievance redress mechanism HC – hydrocarbon Hg – mercury IMn – permanganate index IA – impl ementing age ncy IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature JDEP – Jiangxi Department of Environmental Protection JEPB – Ji’an Environmental Protection Bureau JEPSRI – Jiangxi Environmental Protection and Scientific Research Institute JMG – Ji’an M unicipal G overnment JIDC – Ji’an Urban Investment and Development Company, Ltd. JPLG – Ji’an Project Leading Group JPMO – Ji’an Project Management Office JPTC – Ji’an Public Transport Co. Ltd. JUCB – Ji’an Urban Constructi on Bureau LDI – local design in stitute LIC – loan implementation consultant LIEC – loan implementation environmental consultant MEP – Ministry of Environmental Protection MOF – Ministry of Finance MOT – Ministry of Transport MV – motor vehicl e N – nit rogen NDRC – National Development and Reform Commission NH 3-N – ammonia nitrogen Ni – nickel NMT – non -motorized tra nsport NO 2 – nitrogen dioxide NO x – nitrogen oxides O&M – operation and maintenance PAM – polyacryl amide PAM – project ad ministration manual Pb – lead PM 2.5 – particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 µm PM 10 – particulate matter with diameter ≤ 10 µm PME – powered mechanical equipment PRC – People’s Republic of China Se – selenium SO2 – sulfur dioxide SPS – saf eguard polic y statemen t SS – suspended solid STI – sustainable transport initiative SWCR – soil and water conservation report TN – total nitrogen TP – total phosphorus TPH – total petroleum hydrocarbon TSP – to tal s uspended particu late VOC – volatile organic compound WBG – World Bank Group WCB – Water Conservancy Bureau WHO – World Health Organization WWTP – wastewater treatment plant Zn – zinc WEIGHTS AND MEASURES oC – degree Centigrade cm – centimeter dB – de cibel h – hour ha – hectare km – kilometer km 2 – square kilometer m – meter m2 – square meter m3 – cubic meter m3/s – cubic meter per second mg/kg – milligram per kilogram mg/L – milligram per liter mg/m3 – milligram per cubic meter mm – milli liter t – metric ton t/a – metric ton per annum µg/m 3 – microgram per cubic meter µm – micrometer NOTE In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. This environmental impact assessment is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 A. Background 1 B. Project Design 3 C. Project Benefits 3 D. Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures 4 E. Information Disclosure, Consultation and Participation 6 F. Grievance Redress Mechanism 6 G. Key EMP implementation Responsibilities 7 H. Risks and Key Assurances 7 I. Overall Conclusion 7 II. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 8 A. Policy Framework 8 B. Legal and Administrative Framework 10 C. Laws, Regulations, Guidelines and Standards 10 D. Evaluation Standards 13 E. Assessment Area (Project Area of Influence), Assessment Period and Evaluation Standards for the Project 18 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 21 A. Project Rationale 21 B. Component 1: Public Transport 35 C. Component 2: River Rehabilitation 35 D. Component 3: Urban Roads and Traffic Management 40 E. Component 4: Capacity Building 45 F. Global Environment Facility Funding Activities 45 G. Construction Activities 46 H. Institutional Arrangements for Construction and Operation 47 I. Associated Facilities 48 J. Climate Change Adaptation Considerations 49 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT (BASELINE DATA) 50 A. Existing Setting of the Project Sites 50 B. Existing Sensitive Receptors 50 C. Physical Setting 54 D. Biological Resources, Ecology and Biodiversity 62 E. Socio-economic Conditions 73 F. Physical Cultural Resources 75 G. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change 77 V. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 79 A. Positive Impacts and Environmental Benefits 79 B. Impacts Associated with Project Location, Planning and Design 79 C. Measures during Detailed Design and Pre-construction 82 D. Impacts and Mitigation Measures during the Construction Stage 83 E. Impacts and Mitigation Measures during the Operation Stage 94 F. Cumulative Impacts 102 G. Indirect and Induced Impacts 103 VI. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 105 A. No Project Alternative 105 B. Alternatives Considered 105 VII. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 108 A. Legislative Framework 108 B. Information Disclosure 108 C. Questionnaire Survey 112 D. Discussion Forum 114 E. Future Plans for Public Participation 116 VIII. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 117 IX. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 118 X. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 119 A. Expected Project Benefits 119 B. Adverse Impacts and Mitigation Measures 119 C. Risks and Assurances 120 D. Overall Conclusion 122 Appendix 1: Environmental Management Plan Appendix 2: Draft Technical Ecology Report for Yudai River Rehabilitation and Riverside Park Development. Appendix 3: Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analyses Report Appendix 4: Initial Environmental Examination - Ji’an Reliable Transit (JRT) and Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Improvement Component I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Background 1. This environmental impact assessment (EIA) is for the proposed Jiangxi Ji’an Sustainable Urban Transport Project. This report was prepared based on two domestic Environmental Impact Reports (EIR); a planning EIR prepared for the Western City Development Area and a project EIR; supplemented with information from three domestic Feasibility Study Reports (FSRs) and the Soil and Water Conservation Report (SWCR) prepared for the project. 2. This project is in Ji’an City located in the mid-western region of Jiangxi Province (Figure I.1), along the mid-stream section of the Gan River, a major river flowing through Jiangxi into Poyang Lake. Its coordinates are latitudes 25 o58’32”N to 27 o57’50”N and longitudes 113 o46’E to 115 o56’E. The city extends 218 kilometers (km) from north to south and 208 km from east to west. Total administrative area is 25,300 square kilometers (km 2), accounting for approximately 15% of total area in the province. Total population is approximately 5 million. Figure I.1: Location of Ji’an City in the PRC Map of PRC showing Jiangxi Province Map of Jiangxi Province showing Ji’an C ity Map of Ji’an showing Jizhou District 3. The urban center is in Jizhou District (see Figure I.1), which is located approximately 210 km south of Nanchang, the provincial capital. Jizhou District has a land area of 425 km 2 and a population of 343,200. The project sites are mostly located in Jizhou District. The Project aims to improve Ji’an’s urban transport network in a sustainable manner by improving public transport services and public safety, providing new urban roads linking the planned high-speed rail station and new development area with the existing urban center and improving multimodal connections between the existing rail station and bus services. Proposed river rehabilitation 2 works will improve flood protection and scenic and amenity resources in the new development area. Ji’an’s urban development is constrained by its over-crowded urban center, mountainous topography and bisection by the Gan River with no room to improve the road network. The urban area needs to expand with new urban road networks, improved and safer public transport services, improved non-motorized transport and integration and more efficient multimodal interchange to alleviate existing issues in the urban center and to accommodate future growth in travel demand in a sustainable way. 4. To accommodate urban growth beyond the existing urban center, Ji’an’s Urban Master Plan calls for the development of the new Western City Development Area located to the west of the existing urban center. The Western City Development Area is bound by the existing urban center to the east and by the high-speed railway line to the west. It has a planned area of 52 km 2 and a projected population of 276,000 by 2020 and an ultimate population of 300,000.