E852 v 3 Public Disclosure Authorized Department for International Development Reduction of Nutrient Discharges and Methane Emissions in Rostov-on-Don Environmental Impact Assessment Public Disclosure Authorized Halcrow Group Limited Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Department for International Development Reduction of Nutrient Discharges and Methane Emissions in Rostov-on-Don Environmental Impact Assessment August 2001 Halcrow Group Limited Halcrow Group Limited Burderop Park Swindon Wiltshire SN4 0QD Tel +44 (0)1793 812479 Fax +44 (0)1793 812089 www.Halcrow.com Halcrow Group Limited has prepared this report in accordance with the instructions of their client, DFID, for their sole and specific use. Any other persons who use any information contained herein do so at their own risk. © Halcrow Group Limited 2001 Halcrow Group Limited Burderop Park Swindon Wiltshire SN4 0QD Tel +44 (0)1793 812479 Fax +44 (0)1793 812089 www.Halcrow.com Department for International Development Reduction of Nutrient Discharges and Methane Emissions in Rostov-on-Don Environmental Impact Assessment August 2001 Contents Amendment Record This report has been issued and amended as follows: Issu Revisio Description Date Signed e n 0 Draft April 2001 1 1 Final with amandments August added from reviewers 2001 Contents Executive Summary 1 1 Introduction 8 1.1 Background 8 1.2 Context and Need for Improvements 8 1.2.1 Introduction 8 1.2.2 Regional Projects 9 1.2.3 Specific Scheme Development 11 1.3 Study Area 13 1.4 Scope and Approach 13 1.5 Structure of the Report 14 2 Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework 15 2.1 Introduction 15 2.2 Institutional Framework 15 2.2.1 Protection and Management of Natural Resources 15 2.2.2 Management of Water Resources 16 2.3 Russian Legislation (Federal, Oblast and City) 18 2.3.1 Environmental Impact Assessment 18 2.3.2 Environmental Protection 18 2.3.3 Water Resources Management 19 2.3.4 Waste Management 19 2.4 International Agreements 19 3 Methodology 21 3.1 Introduction 21 3.2 Baseline Data Collection 21 3.3 Evaluation of the Environmental Impacts 22 3.4 Consultation 23 4 Description of the Project 24 4.1 Introduction 24 4.2 Existing Treatment Process 24 4.3 Outline description of proposed process improvements 28 4.3.1 Component 1: Upgrading of screening and grit removal 28 4.3.2 Component 2: Renovation of the primary settlement tanks28 Doc 1, Rev 1, Aug-01 D:\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\PDF Output\E8520v30rev0Rostov0WWTW0EIA0Final.doc ii 4.3.3 Component 3: Modification and extension of the secondary aeration tanks (6) 28 4.3.4 Component 4: Incorporation of lamella settlers (7) 28 4.3.5 Component 5: Chemical Phosphorus stripping 29 4.3.6 Component 6: Sludge digestion 29 4.3.7 Component 7: Sludge dewatering (31) 29 4.3.8 Component 8: Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant – Methane use 29 4.4 Nutrient Reduction 29 4.4.1 Concept 29 4.4.2 Upgrading of screening and grit removal, renovation of primary treatment tanks (Components 1 and 2) 31 4.4.3 Biological nutrient removal (Components 3 and 4) 31 4.4.4 Phosphorus stripping (Component 5) 32 4.5 Sludge Processing and Methane Utilisation 33 4.5.1 Introduction 33 4.5.2 Sludge digestion (Component 6) 39 4.5.3 Sludge Dewatering (Component 7) 39 4.5.4 CHP plant – Methane Use (Component 8) 40 4.6 Sludge Quantities and Quality 41 4.7 Construction Programme 42 5 Existing Environmental Conditions 43 5.1 Introduction 43 5.2 Physical Environment 43 5.2.1 Topography, Geology and Soils 43 5.2.2 Climate 44 5.2.3 Hydrology 44 5.2.4 Hydrogeology 47 5.3 Natural Environment 48 5.3.1 Terrestrial Ecology 48 5.3.2 Aquatic and Wetland Ecology 50 5.4 Human Environment 53 5.4.1 Population, Employment and Income Distribution 53 5.4.2 Water Resources, Supply and Sanitation 54 5.4.3 Public Health 57 5.4.4 Land Use, Industry and Agriculture 64 5.4.5 Fisheries 67 5.4.6 Energy Production and Consumption 69 5.4.7 Transport Infrastructure 71 Doc 1, Rev 1, Aug-01 D:\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\PDF Output\E8520v30rev0Rostov0WWTW0EIA0Final.doc iii 5.4.8 Solid Waste Disposal 72 5.4.9 Tourism and Recreation 85 5.4.10 Cultural Heritage 86 5.5 Environmental Quality 86 5.5.1 Surface Water Quality 86 5.5.2 Groundwater Quality 107 5.5.3 Sediment Quality 108 5.5.4 Air Quality 120 6 Environmental Impacts of the Scheme 124 6.1 Introduction 124 6.2 Environmental Impact Matrices 124 6.3 Impacts during Construction 131 6.3.1 Introduction 131 6.3.2 Components 1 and 2 132 6.3.3 Component 3 132 6.3.4 Component 4 133 6.3.5 Component 5 Chemical Phosphorus removal 133 6.3.6 Component 6 Sludge digestion 133 6.3.7 Component 8 CHP – Methane use 133 6.4 Impacts during Operation 133 6.4.1 Introduction 133 6.4.2 Components 1 - 4 134 6.4.3 Component 5 Chemical P removal 135 6.4.4 Component 6 Sludge digestion 138 6.4.5 Component 8 CHP 140 7 Overview of Alternative Schemes 142 7.1 Introduction 142 7.2 Options for Reduction of Nutrient Discharges 142 7.3 Options analysis 143 7.3.1 Preferred Option 147 7.3.2 Other proposals 147 8 Environmental Management Plan 149 8.1 Introduction 149 8.2 Mitigation Plan 149 8.3 Monitoring Plan 153 8.3.1 Introduction 153 Doc 1, Rev 1, Aug-01 D:\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\PDF Output\E8520v30rev0Rostov0WWTW0EIA0Final.doc iv 8.3.2 Monitoring during Construction 157 8.3.3 Monitoring during Operation 157 8.4 Training and Capacity Building Requirements 157 9 Conclusions 159 9.1 Introduction 159 9.2 Key Environmental Effects 159 9.3 Residual Adverse Impacts 160 9.4 Key Mitigation and Monitoring Measures 161 9.5 Recommendations for Future Studies 162 9.5.1 Introduction 162 9.5.2 Development of a Sludge Disposal Strategy 162 9.5.3 Chemical stripping of return liquors from sludge treatment163 9.5.4 Energy consumption audit 163 9.5.5 Audit of WWTW chlorination programme 163 9.5.6 Don Delta and Sea of Azov Biodiversity Studies (non-RVK) 164 Doc 1, Rev 1, Aug-01 D:\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\PDF Output\E8520v30rev0Rostov0WWTW0EIA0Final.doc v APPENDICES Appendix A: Photographs Appendix B: List of relevant environmental legislation Appendix C: Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Fisheries and Drinking Water Appendix D: Water Quality Data and Figures Appendix E: The Environmental Assessment Team Appendix F: EIA workshop Appendix G: References FIGURES 1.1 The Rostov Oblast, showing the Lower Don River 1.2 The Greater Rostov area, showing the location of the WWTW 2.1 Water Resources Management in Rostov: Organisation chart 4.1 Site Map showing existing and proposed GEF-funded improvements 4.2 Existing Wastewater Treatment Process (in text) 4.3 Site Map showing location of sludge lagoon 4.4 Schematic of proposed modified biological treatment process (in text) 4.5 Proposed process line incorporating sludge treatment and methane use (in text) 4.6 Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions without methane use (in text) 4.7 Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions with methane use (in text) 5.1 Major abstractions and discharges on the Lower Don 5.2 Natural ecosystems of the Rostov Oblast 5.3 Protected areas within the Lower Don area 5.4 Land Use map for Rostov City 5.5 The Lower Don Recreation Area 5.6 Archaeological sites of the Lower Don 5.7 Exceedance of Fisheries Maximum Allowable Concentrations along the Lower Don (in text) 5.8 Exceedance of Drinking Water Maximum Allowable Concentrations along the Lower Don (in text) 5.9 Typical seasonality in the contribution of point and non-point sources to phosphorus concentrations in the river (in text) 5.10 Air pollution in Rostov City Doc 1, Rev 1, Aug-01 D:\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\PDF Output\E8520v30rev0Rostov0WWTW0EIA0Final.doc vi GLOSSARY BOD Biological Oxygen Demand (an indirect measure of the level of biologically available organic material – used as a measure of pollution) CHP Combined Heat and Power CPPI Centre for the Preparation and Implementation of International Project (North Caucasus branch) CSIP Community Social Infrastructure Project DBWMA Don Basin Water Management Authority DFID Department for International Development (British Government) Ecology Note to translators: Ecology should be translated into Russian as Biology EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan EPC Equilibrium Phosphorus Concentration EQO Environmental Quality Objective EQS Environmental Quality Standard GEF Global Environment Fund (World Bank) GRESAP Greater Rostov Environment Strategic Action Plan Lumbricidae Family of Annelid worms, including the earthworm MAC Maximum Allowable Concentration MNR Ministry of Natural Resources MSW Municipal Solid Waste OCP Organochlorine pesticides RVK Rostov Vodokanal SPS Sewerage Pumping Station SRP Soluble Reactive Phosphate VOC Volatile Organic Compound WHO World Health Organisation WPA Water Protection Area WWTW Wastewater Treatment Works Doc 1, Rev 1, Aug-01 D:\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\PDF Output\E8520v30rev0Rostov0WWTW0EIA0Final.doc vii Executive Summary 1. INTRODUCTION This report documents the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of two Global Environment Fund grants aimed at improving nutrient removal and reducing the amount of methane emitted from the Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) in Rostov City. The long- term objective of the improvements is to reduce pollution loads (especially the nutrients causing eutrophication) to the River Don, Sea of Azov and Black Sea, and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The work was commissioned by the British Government (Department for International Development, DFID) as part of a collaborative approach to the delivery of technical and financial assistance to the region.