Initial Environment Examination (DRAFT)
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Initial Environment Examination (DRAFT) Project Number: 49307-002 October 2017 People’s Republic of China: Xinjiang Hetian Comprehensive Urban Development and Environmental Improvement Project Prepared by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Hetian Municipal Government for the Asian Development Bank. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 16 October 2017) Currency unit – yuan (CNY) CNY1.00 = $0.1522 $1.00 = CNY6.5723 ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank AP - Affected person BOD5 - 5-day biochemical oxygen demand CO2 - carbon dioxide CO2eq - carbon dioxide equivalent COD - chemical oxygen demand CRVA - climate risk and vulnerability assessment EA - executing agency EEM - external environmental monitor EMS - environmental monitoring station EHS - environmental, health and safety EIA - environmental impact assessment EIRF - environmental impact registration form EMP - environmental management plan EPB - Environmental Protection Bureau FSR - feasibility study report FYP - five-year plan HDEP - high density polyethylene IA - implementing agency LIEC - loan implementation environmental consultant O&M - operation and maintenance PAM - project administration manual PIU - project implementation unit PLG - project leading group PMO - project management office SPS - Safeguard Policy Statement WTP - water treatment plant WWTP - wastewater treatment plant WEIGHTS AND MEASURES dB - decibel cm - centimeter ha - hectare km – kilometer km2 – square kilometer m2 – square meter m3 – cubic meter mg/L - milligram per liter NOTE In this report, “$” refers to United States dollars. This initial environment examination 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 judgements as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 II. INTRODUCTION 7 A. Project Rationale 7 B. The Proposed Project Components 7 III. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 10 A. Legislative framework for Environment Impact Assessment in the PRC 10 B. International Agreements 12 C. Policy and Planning Context 12 D. Applicable PRC and ADB Safeguards Policies and Assessment Categories 13 E. Evaluation Standards 14 F. Assessment Areas 17 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 19 A. Project Purpose and Expected Impact 19 B. Developmental Setting 19 C. Project Components 20 D. Description of Components 21 E. Analysis of Alternatives 42 F. Associated Facilities 45 V. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 50 A. Physical Setting 50 B. Environment at Project Sites 54 C. Physical Cultural Resources 64 D. Water source Protection Zones 65 E. Socio-economic Conditions 69 F. Climate Trends and Projected Climate Change 72 VI. ANTICIPATED ENVRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 77 A. Project Benefits 77 B. Impacts Associated with Project Location, Planning, and Design 77 C. Detailed Design and Pre-Construction Phase: Measures to be Undertaken 78 D. Impacts and Mitigation Measures in the Construction Phase 80 E. Construction Impacts in Water Source Protection Zones 87 F. Worker and Community Health and Safety – Construction 88 G. Impacts and Mitigation Measures in the Operational Phase 90 H. Worker and Community Health and Safety – Operations 104 I. Induced and Indirect Impacts 105 J. Greenhouse Gas Emissions 105 K. Adaptation to Climate Change 108 L. Associated Facilities 111 VII. PUBLIC CONSULTATION, PARTICIPATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 117 A. Legislative Framework for Public Consultation and Information Disclosure 117 B. Information Disclosure 117 C. Public Consultation 119 D. Public Consultation for Tuancheng Redevelopment 124 E. Future Information Disclosure and Public Consultation Program 126 VIII. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 127 IX. CONCLUSION 128 Annex 1: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN Annex 2: CLIMATE RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT 1 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide financial support for the proposed Xinjiang Hetian Comprehensive Urban Development and Environmental Improvement Project (CUDEIP). 2. Water resources. The sustainable management of water resources is a critical consideration for the urban and infrastructure planning of desert oasis cities such as Hetian, In Hetian, annual rainfall is low and summer temperatures are high, and future climate projections indicate a likelihood that these conditions will continue. The PPTA has worked with the Hetian City Government to ensure that project investments contribute to the sustainable management of water. The investment in water resources management under the project is almost 40% of the total investment. The project will help Hetian to design, strengthen and manage its water system with an initial target to reduce system loss. This will be achieved through both infrastructure investment and capacity building. The project will help expand the city’s sewage collection and treatment capacity, and upgrade treatment standards to allow for use of treated wastewater. The project will introduce a pipeline system for use of the reclaimed water, thus reducing its consumption of freshwater resources. Capacity building will include groundwater assessment training, water balance assessment and water sensitive design. The project will also help Hetian in its management of critical water resources through training in groundwater assessment and water balance assessment and capacity building in water sensitive infrastructure design. 3. Urban infrastructure. The project will also promote improvements in the urban environment through the introduction of a large fleet of electric buses and their support and helping the city to implement the Tuancheng1 urban upgrading program---an in-situ urban regeneration program at the core center of the old city through a partnership between HCG and residents in the ethnic community. 4. The project will have the following outputs: (i) water sector services improved and use of reclaimed water introduced, (ii) urban road system improved, (iii) public transport service upgraded, (iv) Tuancheng urban upgrading program strengthened and implemented, and (v) development planning and project management capacity strengthened. 5. Output 1 will cover the three areas of water supply, municipal wastewater collection and treatment, and use of reclaimed water. For water supply, the project will upgrade the central water treatment plants to help achieve an expansion of treated water supply of 35,000 m3/day, water supply pipes in a total length of about 34.4 km to improve service provision, and construct a water transmission line of about 9.2 km to expand service area to Jiya county. These pipes comprise trunk lines and major distribution lines, and include new metered connections of 15,000 households to expand service area in Hetian city. The project will also introduce new management systems to enhance non-revenue water (NRW) management system to minimize water loss from the system. In the wastewater area, the project will upgrade the sewage collection pipeline with a total length of about 15.8 km, and strengthen the wastewater treatment plant by adding another 25,000 m3 treatment capacity per day at upgraded treatment standards to satisfy the need for use of the treated wastewater. The project will install special pipes in total length of about 86 km for use of reclaimed water, as the cooling water at the thermal power plant in the city, for irrigation green landscaping and city dust suppression. Twenty water spray trucks and 16 road cleaning vehicles to use the reclaimed water in the non-piped areas. New vehicles will be purchased to strengthen the wastewater system maintenance capacity and for transportation and disposal of sludge from 1 Tuancheng means “circular city”. This refers to the shape of the old Uyghur residential and market center of the city of Hetian. 2 the wastewater treatment plant. 6. Output 2 will rehabilitate or improve 5 urban roads with a total length of about 16.77 km. They are existing roads being upgraded with new sub surface, surface pavement and lane layouts in already built-up areas. No new alignments will be included. Special efforts will be made to improve the road safety and system efficiency by diverting the through traffic bypass the old city center, with public transport movements on roads prioritized and pedestrian friendly condition at the old city center, as well as enhancing the link between the old city center and the newly developed urban areas. 7. Output 3 will purchase 215 electric buses and associated charging facilities to enhance the transport capacity of the bus fleet and to replace the obsolete high-carbon emission buses, build one bus maintenance center, construct other supporting facilities (including maintenance workshop, training center, offices, and duty stations). The project will build or upgrade about 460 bus stops across the city to provide passengers with safe and more comfortable service conditions. In addition, the project will introduce an intelligent public transport system to help improve bus management, ticketing system and information management and dissemination to ensure a high level