8 Impact Identification and Evaluation – Normal Construction and Operations
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EACOP Project Uganda ESIA Section 8: Impact Identification and Evaluation – Normal Construction and Operations 8 IMPACT IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION – NORMAL CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS 8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 Scope This section describes and assesses the potential changes to the baseline biological, physical, socio-economic and health conditions of each valued environmental and social component (VEC) that are considered likely to be caused by the EACOP project planned activities described in Section 2.1 to 2.5. The methodology used to identify and evaluate potential project impacts is described in Section 5; specifically, Section 5.5 describes the process used to identify potential impacts and, Section 5.6.2.5 describes the methodology used to determine significance of each potential impact in terms of magnitude, duration, extent and the sensitivity of the VEC. Project effects that were considered likely to result in adverse or beneficial impacts have been evaluated; this process was informed by professional, industry specific experience and the characteristics of the AOI. Where appropriate, such as for air quality and acoustic environment VECs, PES have been used to inform the evaluation of impacts; PES is fully described in Appendix F in terms of Ugandan, East African and international standards. This section also addresses potential impacts of minor unplanned events; e.g., spills from refuelling vehicles and leaks from hydraulic hoses. Potential impacts associated with abnormal and unplanned events (e.g., traffic accidents, leaks) during construction and operations are described in Section 9. This section includes: • VEC-specific assessments of project and cumulative impacts and mitigations (Section 8.2 to 8.20) • a summary of ecosystem services impacts (Section 8.21) • a climate impact assessment (Section 8.22) • decommissioning of the pipeline (Section 8.23) • a summary of the key impacts of the associated facilities (Section 8.24). The methodology for defining project-related impacts, determining their significance before and after mitigation and assessing cumulative impacts is provided in Section 5. The approach used for describing impacts in this section is provided in Section 8.1.2. This section is best reviewed side by side with Section 5.6.2.5 for definitions of duration and extent, and Appendix D for magnitude and sensitivity grading for each VEC. February 2020 8-1 EACOP Project Section 8: Impact Identification and Evaluation – Normal Construction and Operations Uganda ESIA 8.1.2 Approach The approach to most VEC and other assessments, climate, decommissioning and associated facilities is described in this section including: • key baseline condition sensitivities and considerations • potential project impacts • mitigation measures • residual impacts and significance summary • transboundary impacts • cumulative impacts • transboundary cumulative impacts • ecosystem services. Key Baseline Condition Sensitivities and Considerations The key baseline conditions sensitivities and considerations section summarises the baseline condition, key sensitive VECs and receptors and ecosystem services provided by the VEC. Potential Project Impacts Potential generic and location-specific impacts (see Section 5.5.2.1) on VECs are identified and described by aspect and project phase (construction or operation). The impact type is identified (see Section 5.5.2.2), as are impacts affecting human rights and ecosystem services provided, where applicable, by the VEC. Impacts associated with a high level of stakeholder concern are also identified. The impacts are designated either not significant or significant based the methodology described in Section 5.5.2.5. At this stage impact significance is determined before the proposed application of mitigation. Project aspects are listed in Appendix E1 and the aspects, impacts and significance determination before mitigation are summarised in Appendix E2 for generic impacts and E3 for location-specific impacts. Mitigation Measures Impact mitigation methodology is described in Section 5.5.2.4. Mitigation measures to reduce impacts on a VEC are summarised by project phase (construction or operation) and referenced to the relevant management plan that will be developed to manage implementation. The mitigation measures are listed in Appendix E2 and E3 and the master commitments register (Appendix E4) and are summarised in the ESMP (see Section 10 and Appendix J). Impact significance is determined again, summarised and described after the proposed mitigation is applied. February 2020 8-2 EACOP Project Uganda ESIA Section 8: Impact Identification and Evaluation – Normal Construction and Operations Residual Impacts and Significance Summary This section summarises the residual impacts and includes the residual impact significance scoring presented in tables. The tables summarise the generic impacts table in Appendix E2 and the location-specific impacts in Appendix E3 for the VEC. Associated impacts on ecosystem services are also summarised. Transboundary Project Impacts Transboundary project impacts that extend or occur across a national boundary are identified, assessed and described as part of the project’s impact assessment process described above. Cumulative Impacts This section describes the potential cumulative impacts on VECs from the EACOP project, associated facilities and third-party developments that have been screened- in to the CIA. The screening of associated facilities and third party developments and identifying where cumulative impacts may occur is described in Section 5.5.2.3. Associated facilities and screened-in third party developments are listed in Section 2.5. A description of the screened-in associated facilities and third party developments, maps and the interactions between EACOP VECs and the screened-in developments are provided in Appendix H, Sections H1, H2 and H3, respectively. Where a high risk of a cumulative impact between screened-in developments and EACOP is identified in Appendix H3 (Category 1 and 21), the potential impacts on the VEC are summarised and described in the CIA section based on the information available. When information is limited, professional judgement is used to predict the likely impacts of the screened-in development. The criterion for qualitatively determining cumulative impact significance is either the preferred condition of the VEC, a threshold or the limit of acceptable change as recommended in IFC (2013), see Section 5.5.2.3. Additional mitigation measures are proposed to avoid or reduce significant cumulative impacts, see Section 5.5.2.4. Transboundary Cumulative Impacts Cumulative impacts may also be transboundary. Transboundary impacts are identified and assessed as an integral part of the VEC-specific cumulative impact assessments described above. 8.1.2.1 Ecosystem Services Consideration of ecosystem services is provided on a VEC-specific basis, so are fully integrated into each VEC impact assessment. Section 8.21: • guides the reader to the sections of the VEC impact assessments that describe impacts on ecosystem services 1 Category 1: High risk of potential cumulative impacts and the EACOP project is an important contributor to the cumulative impacts on a VEC. Category 2: High risk of potential cumulative impacts but the EACOP project is a small contributor to the cumulative impacts on a VEC. February 2020 8-3 EACOP Project Section 8: Impact Identification and Evaluation – Normal Construction and Operations Uganda ESIA • includes a high-level assessment of significant ecosystem services dependencies, i.e., where the project is dependent on an ecosystem service and summarises project resource use efficiency measures. 8.1.2.2 Climate Section 8.22 considers the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the project and includes: • quantification of the project’s main direct GHG emissions (direct emissions are those that occur from sources owned or controlled by the project) • comparison of project emissions against national total emissions and associated reduction commitments, as described in Section 6.4.3.17 • description of the key mitigation measures used to reduce GHG emissions. The impact of GHGs are placed in context rather than as a determination of significance because: • No specific impact location or magnitude can be attributed to a particular GHG emission. Climate scientists have developed models that predict macro-scale effects based on particular global emission scenarios, but it is not advised to attempt to allocate impacts to a specific emission. • GHG emissions are a source of the same cumulative, transboundary impact (climate change) on the same VEC (the global climate). The section also describes the potential impacts of climate change on the EACOP project and how these have been considered in project design and implementation. 8.1.2.3 Pipeline and AGI Decommissioning Section 8.23 provides an overview of the impacts and mitigation measures when the pipeline is decommissioned as described in Section 2.4.6.2 and 2.4.6.3. 8.1.2.4 Associated Facilities Section 8.24 summarises the significant impacts of the upstream AFs. 8.2 Biodiversity: Habitats of Conservation Importance This section describes potential impacts on habitats of conservation importance during construction, commissioning and operation of the EACOP project and associated mitigation measures to be adopted. 8.2.1 Key Sensitivities and Considerations The habitats of conservation importance baseline conditions are described in Section 6.3.1, as well as: