Bi-annual Environmental Monitoring Report Project Number: 42145 July - December 2015 Armenia: North-South Road Corridor Investment Program, Tranches 1 and 2 (Financed by the ADB) Prepared by the “Organization for Implementation of North-South Road Corridor Investment Program” State Non-Commercial organization (PIU) based on the monthly Environmental Monitoring Reports of the Project Management Consultant (PMC) Table of Contents Part I Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 8 1. Construction Activities and Project Progress During Reporting Period ............................................ 9 2. Environmental Safeguards Staffing .............................................................................................. 10 2.1 PIU External Impact and Resettlement Component .............................................................. 11 2.2 The PMC Environmental Safeguards Unit ............................................................................ 11 2.3 The Contractor’s Environmental Unit .................................................................................... 12 Part II Environmental Management ........................................................................................................ 13 3. Environmental Safeguards Program ............................................................................................ 13 3.1 Compliance with National Safeguards .................................................................................. 13 3.2 Compliance with ADB Safeguards ........................................................................................ 13 3.3 Contractor’s Compliance with the EMP ................................................................................. 13 3.4 Approvals of the Site-specific environmental management plans for Quarries, Borrow Pits, Excavated Material Dumping, Topsoil Stockpiling, Concrete Batching Plants and Historical monuments ..................................................................................................................................... 14 3.5 ADB Audit Mission ................................................................................................................ 14 3.6 Trainings and awareness raising orientation ......................................................................... 15 3.7 Archaeological Works Program ............................................................................................ 16 3.8 Grievance redress mechanism and Consultations ................................................................ 16 3.9 Communication .................................................................................................................... 18 Part III Environmental Monitoring ........................................................................................................... 19 4. Monitoring .................................................................................................................................... 19 4.1 Monitoring of the Compliance with EMPs in Tranche 1 (Yerevan-Ararat and Yerevan- Ashtarak road sectinos) and Tranche 2 (Ashtarak-Talin road Section). ........................................... 19 4.2 Instrumented Measurements and Monitoring of Environmental Parameters of Air Quality, Noise and Vibration, Water Quality. ................................................................................................ 19 4.3 PPMS Indicators .................................................................................................................. 20 4.4 Non-compliance Notices ....................................................................................................... 20 5. Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................................ 20 6. Action plan for the reporting period from January to June 2015: .................................................. 21 ANNEXES ANNEX A. The Status of Topsoil Stockpiling and Excavated Material Dump Sites in Tranche 2 ANNEX B. Summary Table on Status of Archaeological Excavations ANNEX C. Non-Conformances Detected During Monitoring Visits in Reporting Period ANNEX D Ashtarak 1 Dumping Site Closure Handover Act List of Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank CEMP Contractor’s Environmental Management Plan EMP Environmental Management Plan EIA Environmental Impact Assessment IEE Initial Environmental Examination IES International Environmental Specialist NES National Environmental Specialist PMC Project Management Consultant organization PIU Project Management Unit MNP Ministry of Nature Protection of RA MoTC Ministry of Transport and Communications MoC Ministry of Culture SEMP Site-specific Management Plan TMP Traffic Management Plan EMR Environmental Monitoring Report Part I Introduction This Bi-annual Environmental Monitoring Report covers the time period between July and December of 2015. The Report was prepared based on the Project Management and Supervision Consultant (PMC) and the contractor reports as well as PIU specialist’s visits. 1. The RA has selected the Bavra-Yerevan-Agarak route as the north-south road corridor to be rehabilitated, reconstructed and expanded and has appointed the “North-South road Corridor Investment Program PIU” SNCO (“NSRP” PIU SNCO) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) to co-ordinate the work. The Program is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under a multi-tranche funding facility (MFF). 2. The MFF is designed to rehabilitate and upgrade national north-south roads to form a new, upgraded and expanded North-South highway. The main objective is to widen the existing 2-lane roads (often in poor condition) to become 4-lane divided roads along existing alignments wherever possible or to construct new alternate 2-lane roads where a single 4-lane road would not be feasible. 3. Tranche 1 Project is to improve two road sections of the North-South Corridor, namely, the M-1 section of road north from Yerevan to Ashtarak from km 18+370 to km 29+773 and the M-2 section of road south from Yerevan to Ararat from km 9+312 to km 47+400. 4. The Tranche 2 Project starts at km 29+600 in Ashtarak and end at km 71+500 close to Talin. Two bypasses will be constructed in Agarak starting at km 29+934 to km 32+600, and in Ujan from km 36+600 to km 40+300. The Project will also have a new road alignment (8.95 kilometres) at Katnagbyur starting from km 59+950 to km 68+900 that will be located on the left side of the existing highway to join the existing alignment in Talin. Figure 1. Tranche1 and Tranche2 of North-South Road Corridor 1. Construction Activities and Project Progress During Reporting Period The Contractor opened two carriageway traffic of Ashtarak-Talin (PK 29+600-PK 71+500) and Yerevan-Ararat (PK 9+312-PK 28+900) M1 road sections of Tranche 1 to ensure road safety and traffic management on 29 December 2015. This does not constitute a taking over of the Works (Tranche 1) or any part of it by the Project. Taking over Certificate will be issued after performing Tests on Completion at the end of the next reporting period. During the reporting period the following construction activities were implemented: 1.1 Tranche 2 Ashtarak-Talin M1 road (PK 29+600-PK 71+500): Construction works were implemented by “Corsan Corviam Construction” S.A. Armenian Branch and its subcontractor “Dental Import” LLC. The following construction activities were implemented in sections from PK 50+000 to PK67+331: Rock excavation, common excavation, rock embankment and common embankment backfilling of underpasses, agricultural passes, water culverts works and concrete foundation works. All excavated materials were used for construction purposes. During the reporting period no any excavated material and/or top soil was removed to the dumping sites and top soil stockpiling places. Safety/security measures: the construction works through this period include installation of concrete blocks and traffic regulating signs and signals, road marking. 1.2 Tranche 1 Yerevan-Ararat M2 road (PK 9+312-PK 28+900): Construction works were implemented by “Corsan Corviam Construction” S.A. Armenian Branch. The following construction works were implemented: Excavation of Mkhchyan interchange, construction of outflows, precast drainage, shoulders, subgrades, tranches and foundations for lighting, guardrails, joint filling, cleaning and restoration of culverts, installation of guardrails works, reparation of concrete pavement, wearing course in Hovtashen access ramp and provisional road marking works. Safety/security measures: the construction works through this period include installation of concrete blocks and traffic regulating sings and signals. 1.3 Tranche 1 Yerevan-Ashtarak M1 road (PK 18+370-PK 29+773): Construction works of M1 Yerevan–Ashtarak road is being implemented by “Corsan Corviam Construction” S.A. Armenian Branch. The following works have been implemented: construction of Mughni bridge, outflows, shoulder, access rumps, reparation of concrete pavement foundation post, culverts, monolithic side ditch, concrete pavement reparation, tranches and foundations for lighting, construction of protective layers of bridges, installation of guardrails, delineators, pipes for future utilities, tranches and foundations for lighting, road marking works and base preparation works. Safety/ security measures: the construction works through this