SRI: Wind Power Generation Project Main Report
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Environment Impact Assessment (Draft) May 2017 SRI: Wind Power Generation Project Main Report Prepared by Ceylon Electricity Board, Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for the Asian Development Bank. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 17 May 2017) Currency unit – Sri Lankan rupee/s(SLRe/SLRs) SLRe 1.00 = $0.00655 $1.00 = SLRs 152.70 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank CCD – Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department CEA – Central Environmental Authority CEB – Ceylon Electricity Board DoF – Department of Forest DS – District Secretary DSD – District Secretaries Division DWC – Department of Wildlife Conservation EA – executing agency EIA – environmental impact assessment EMoP – environmental monitoring plan EMP – environmental management plan EPC – engineering,procurement and construction GND – Grama Niladhari GoSL – Government of Sri Lanka GRM – grievance redress mechanism IA – implementing agency IEE – initial environmental examination LA – Local Authority LARC – Land Acquisition and Resettlement Committee MPRE – Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy MSL – mean sea level NARA – National Aquatic Resources Research & Development Agency NEA – National Environmental Act PIU – project implementation unit PRDA – Provincial Road Development Authority PUCSL – Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka RDA – Road Development Authority RE – Rural Electrification RoW – right of way SLSEA – Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority WT – wind turbine WEIGHTS AND MEASURES GWh – 1 gigawatt hour = 1,000 Megawatt hour 1 ha – 1 hectare=10,000 square meters km – 1 kilometre = 1,000 meters kV – 1 kilovolt =1,000 volts MW – 1 megawatt = 1,000 Kilowatt NOTE In this report, “$” 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 on ADB’s 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. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 13 1.1 Background 13 1.2 Project Objective and Justification 13 1.3 Project Aim and scope 14 1.4 Purpose and structure of the EIA document 14 1.5 Data Collection and Survey 16 2.0 POLICY, LEGAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 18 2.1 Applicable Sri Lankan Environmental Regulations and other Legislations 18 2.2 Sri Lankan Health and Safety Legislation 25 2.3 Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority Act, No. 35 of 2007 25 2.4 Multinational Agreements 27 2.5 Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) 2009 of the Asian Development Bank 28 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 29 3.1 Proposed 100 MW Wind Power Project 29 3.2 Major components of the proposed wind farm 31 3.3 Type of Project 34 3.4 Justification of the Project 36 3.5 Location 37 3.6 Size and Magnitude of the Operation 40 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT (BASELINE DATA) 44 4.1 Physical Environment 44 4.2 Ecological environment (Terrestrial and Aquatic) 65 4.3 Critical Habitat Assessment 96 4.4 Land use Assessment in Project Area 101 4.5 Social Environment 106 4.6 Economic Development 108 4.7 Infrastructure facilities in Project Area 110 4.8 Baseline Data for Study Area 115 5.0 ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 136 5.1 Environment Impacts and Mitigation Measures 136 5.2 Environment problems due to project location and design 136 5.3 Environmental Impacts Associated with Pre-Construction Stage 136 5.4 Environmental Problems Associated with Construction Stage 141 5.5 Environmental impacts associated with operational stage 167 5.6 Cumulative and Induced Impacts 185 6.0 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 189 6.1 CEB’S Approach for Wind Power Site Selection 189 6.2 The “no action” alternative 189 6.3 The “with project alternative” Wind Farm site selection 189 7.0 INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION, AND PARTICIPATION 212 7.1 Information Disclosure and Public Consultations 212 7.2 Consultation Findings 213 8.0 GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 218 8.1 Awareness of Stakeholders 218 8.2 The Grievance Redress Mechanism and PUCSL 218 9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 222 9.1 Environmental Management Plan 222 9.2 Construction Method Statement 226 9.3 Mitigation Measures 226 9.4 Monitoring 236 9.4.1 Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMoP) 237 9.5 Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan Budget Costs 244 9.6 Institutional arrangements 246 10.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 251 ANNEXURES 255 Annexure 1 Applicable Environmental Policy and Procedures 255 Annexure 2 Ecology Study 268 Annexure 3 Environment Management Plan (EMP) including Checklist for construction method statement 277 Annexure 4: Construction Statement Method 292 Annexure 5 Environmental Parameters and Periodicity for Environmental Monitoring Plan 308 Annexure 6 Environmental Safeguard Monitoring Report 312 Annexure 7 Approval letter of IEE by Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department, the Project Approving Authority 315 Annexure 8: Consent Letters from Stakeholders to CEB’s 100 MW Wind Farm 320 Annexure 9: Consolidated Summary of Public Consultations 340 APPENDICES 407 PREFACE This document describes the environmental assessment and special studies conducted for the 100 MW Wind Power Project in Mannar, Sri Lanka. These studies were conducted between 2016 and 2017 on behalf of the Project Proponent - The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). This environmental impact assessment (EIA) was prepared according to the requirements of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) 2009 for evaluation of project impacts and mitigation measure, and comprises of the following: Environmental management plan (EMP) including guidelines for Construction Method Statement Environment monitoring plan (EMoP), public disclosure and grievance redress mechanism Avian data - bird vantage point surveys at four locations, flight path studies and sector counts along wind farm blocks conducted by Dr. Devaka Weerakoon for 10 months between 2016-2017; ecology, and other environmental data, data on marine flora and fauna, hydrogeology and global positioning system (GPS) mapping collected for the entire Mannar island and the wind farm area on the island. Avian Critical Habitat Assessment Report and Avian Collision Risk Assessment Report (2017) by Dr. Steve Percival and Prof. Devaka Weerakoon based on avian data collected between 2016 and 2017. Terrestrial ecology, temporary pier construction, photomontages/wireframes, shadow flicker and noise data on project area undertaken by Entura, RMA and their associates. The EIA covers the following: Main text which includes the environmental management plan (EMP). This presents the final assessment of the environmental impacts of the 100 MW Wind Power Generation Project and the cumulative impact assessment of the Mannar Island. Annexures 1-9 include EMP and Construction Method Statement, Consent by Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department (CCD) to the IEE prepared by CEB in 2016 for the 100 MW Wind Farm Project by Project Approving Authority (PAA). The annexures also include the list of all public consultations held between 2016 and 2017 for the Project. Appendices 1-9 include the Avian Collision Risk Assessment Report within the wind farm corridor, Avian Critical Habitat Assessment Report, Terrestrial Ecology, Temporary Pier Construction, Photomontages/Wireframes, Shadow Flicker and Noise data on Project Area and photographs of sample points on the Mannar Island. A study on tourism potential conducted by CEB for the area is also included. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction 1. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be extending loan assistance to Sri Lanka’s power sector focusing on renewable energy (solar and wind) and the overall improvement of network reliability. With this, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) proposes for the development of a semi- dispatchable 100 MW Wind Power Generation Project and estimates the total project costs to be $157 million. The operation and maintenance expenditure throughout the lifetime of the proposed project is estimated at 2% of the capital cost per year. The main benefit from the project is electricity generation from wind of about 370.6 GWh per year, which will be avoiding electricity generation from conventional power plants such as thermal power by an equal amount.1 2. The Wind Power Generation Project in Mannar will utilize wind energy to produce electricity. CEB will build and operate the 100 MW wind farm as the first phase of harnessing the available wind electric potential in the Mannar region. The state-of-the-art wind energy conversion systems will be selected to ensure the generation of electricity in a sustainable manner. Project Description 3. The project scope comprises the construction of the following major components: (a) a total of up to 39 wind turbines; (b) a collector substation and control building, (c) the collector cables, step-up transformers and switchgears and accessories; and the (d) supporting infrastructure. The main collector substation together with the control building will be setup in the Nadukuda village. This substation will be linked to the national grid via interconnection transmission line. The control building