Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan Power Africa Transactions and Reforms Program (Patrp)
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ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION AND MONITORING PLAN POWER AFRICA TRANSACTIONS AND REFORMS PROGRAM (PATRP) Submission Date: MARCH 31, 2015 Contract Number: AID-623-C-14-00003 Activity Start Date and End Date: MAY 23, 2014 TO MAY 23, 2019 COR Name: Melissa Knight Submitted by: O. Llyr Rowlands, Chief of Party Tetra Tech ES, Inc. 273 Tram Street, 2nd Floor, Nieuw Muckleneuk Pretoria 0181, South Africa Tel: +27 12 941 0950 Email: [email protected] This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Tetra Tech ES, Inc. i ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION AND MONITORING PLAN POWER AFRICA TRANSACTIONS AND REFORM PROGRAM (PATRP) CONTRACT NO. AID-623-C-14-00003 DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND ............................................................................. 1 2. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ........................... 2 2.1 Country Legislation ........................................................... 2 2.2 International Best Practice................................................ 2 3. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES .......................................................... 4 3.1 Chief of Party (COP) .......................................................... 4 3.2 Contract Officer Representative (COR) ............................. 4 3.3 Regional Environmental Officer (REO) .............................. 4 3.4 Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO) ................................ 4 3.5 PATRP Environmental and Social Advisor (E&S Advisor) .. 4 3.6 Transaction Advisors ......................................................... 5 3.7 Project developers / partners ........................................... 5 4. ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION & MONITORING PROCEDURES ... 6 4.1 Reporting and screening ................................................... 6 4.2 IEE Conditions ................................................................... 7 4.2.1 IEE Condition 1 – Environmental and Social Impact Screening and Rescreening of USG-Supported Transactions .......... 7 4.2.2 IEE Condition 2 – Power Africa Decision-Making Based on Screening ......................................................................................... 7 4.2.3 IEE Condition 3 – ESIA Requirement and Review.............. 8 4.2.4 IEE Condition 4 – Resources .............................................. 8 4.2.5 IEE Condition 5 – Staffing .................................................. 8 4.2.6 IEE Condition 6 – Training ................................................. 8 4.2.7 IEE Condition 7 – Advising ................................................. 8 4.2.8 IEE Condition 8 – Reporting .............................................. 8 4.2.9 IEE Condition 9 – Hydropower supplement ...................... 8 5. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PATRP ACTIVITIES .... 9 5.1 Natural Gas generation, flaring, transport and storage .... 9 5.2 Hydropower .................................................................... 10 5.3 Solar energy .................................................................... 10 5.4 Wind energy .................................................................... 10 5.5 Geothermal energy ......................................................... 11 5.6 Biomass energy ............................................................... 11 5.7 Waste-to-Energy ............................................................. 11 5.8 High-Voltage Transmission Lines .................................... 12 5.9 Smart metering ............................................................... 12 5.10 Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) ................... 12 5.11 Privatization and Loss Reduction investments ............... 12 5.12 Policy and Regulatory Reform ......................................... 12 6. MANAGEMENT PLANS ............................................................... 14 6.1 PATRP IEE EMMP ............................................................ 15 6.2 Illustrative mitigation and monitoring measures for power projects .............................................................................. 20 6.2.1 Gas-fired power stations ................................................. 20 6.2.2 Run-of-River Hydropower schemes ................................ 23 6.2.3 Large Hydropower schemes ........................................... 29 6.2.4 Solar power (PV) ............................................................. 33 6.2.5 Wind power .................................................................... 37 6.2.6 Geothermal power .......................................................... 39 6.2.7 Bioenergy ........................................................................ 41 6.2.8 Transmission lines and access roads ............................... 48 1. BACKGROUND Two out of three people in sub-Saharan Africa — approximately 600 million people — lack access to electricity, affecting their ability to obtain quality health care, education, and economic opportunities. President Barack Obama launched Power Africa in late June 2013 to increase the number of people who have access to power in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Combining the expertise of 12 U.S. Government agencies, Power Africa is unlocking the substantial wind, solar, hydro, natural gas, biomass, and geothermal resources in the region to enhance energy security, promote economic growth, and reduce poverty. Power Africa is working with African governments, over 120 private sector partners and other organizations to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Power Africa is also focused on increasing electricity access by adding 60 million new home and business connections. The Power Africa Transactions and Reforms Program (PATRP) is one of the many instruments that Power Africa has deployed in order to meet its ambitious goals. In short, PATRP’s mandate is to provide technical assistance, capacity building and transaction support services under Power Africa. Power Africa is firmly committed to integrating environmental and social safeguards into PATRP activities, as appropriate and feasible. The Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) identifies potentially significant impacts of energy sector development activities, as discussed in Section 5. Some transaction facilitation activities under PATRP may have indirect adverse impacts on the environment if developers, including development organizations, do not conduct proper environmental and social risk mitigation and monitoring measures. The entirety of PATRP is recommended a Negative Determination 1 with Conditions in terms of the IEE approved in March 2015. A Negative Determination requires the preparation of an Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) to detail the potential environmental impacts and issues, and mitigation and monitoring measures to conduct under the project. The Power Africa EMMP serves as illustrative reference guide for staff or partners who are implementing projects in partnership with Power Africa. It is anticipated that the EMMP will simplify environmental due diligence for the feasibility and planning phase activities currently relevant under the project, while still assuring that adequate protective steps and mitigation are undertaken. The monitoring and mitigation activities will be incorporated into subsequent Annual Work Plans. The EMMP will be updated annually in consultation with the USAID Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Environmental Officer. 1 The project will not produce a significantly adverse impact on the environment 1 PATRP ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION AND MONITORING PLAN 2. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The EMMP is necessitated to fulfill the higher level obligations of the PATRP contract, guided by the conditions stipulated in the PATRP IEE (see mitigation and monitoring procedures in Section 4). At the country level, EMMPs are normally required as key deliverables of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process / report in application for an environmental approval of a project. Accordingly, the illustrative management plan (Section 6) serves to identify typical impact mitigation measures for PATRP activities in accordance with the IEE, and does not serve to replace EMMPs for specific projects or transactions in development by other Power Africa partners or project developers. In such cases, there is an Increasing need to bring the ESIAs and associated management plans in line with international standards and safeguards such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and Guidance notes as well as the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines and Operational Policies. As project-specific EMMPs (or EMPs depending on country terminology) are prepared by project developers outside of the ambit of this PATRP EMMP, the following must be observed: 2.1 Country Legislation All initial priority countries where PATRP has a presence exercise laws and regulations concerning environmental protection and the management of natural resources. Generally, these laws prescribe guidelines and define the role of the proponent, the state and other stakeholders while offering guidelines for undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), including: • Procedure to apply for an Environmental Authorization (EA)