Koror-Airai Sanitation Project
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Environmental and Social Monitoring Report Semi-Annual Report February 2020 PAL: Koror-Airai Sanitation Project Prepared by Palau Public Utilities Corporation for the Asian Development Bank. This environmental and social monitoring report 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. 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 doe not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. ` Koror – Airai Sanitation Project Project Management Unit - Palau Public Utilities Corporation TA-8581 REG: Loan 3060(SF)/3061-PAL: SAFEGUARD MONITORING REPORT July - December 2020 Prepared by Palau Public Utilities Corporation for the Asian Development Bank. This safeguard monitoring report 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. 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. Safeguards Monitoring Report July - December 2019 Project title Koror – Airai Sanitation Project Document title DRAFT Safeguard Monitoring Report Date 25th January 2020 Author(s) Sonia CHIRGWIN Reference No. SMR-02 Quality control Version Date Written by: Checked by: Chris MARLOW Draft v1 25/01/20 Sonia CHIRGWIN Murielle GOUBON Distribution Sent to: Name Company Sent on: Steve BLAIK ADB 17/2/20 Taniela FALTAU ADB 17/2/20 Copy to: Name Company Sent on: Anthony RUDIMCH PPUC 14/2/20 David BAI PPUC 14/2/20 Laurent DENIAU Egis 14/2/20 Murielle GOUBON Egis 14/2/20 Chris MARLOW PIAC 14/2/20 Deidre YAMANGUCHI PIAC 14/2/20 Safeguards Monitoring Report July - December 2019 Acronyms and Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank CEMP Contractors Environmental Management Plan EA Executing Agency EQPB Environmental Quality Protection Board EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan GAP Gender Action Plan GFP Grievance Focal Point GIS Geographic Information System Ha Hectare HH Households HOTL House of Traditional Leaders IA Implementing Agency ICB International Competitive Bid IEE Initial Environmental Examination KASMP Koror-Airai Sanitation Master Plan KASP Koror-Airai Sanitation Project KSPLA Koror State Public Land Authority LAR Land Acquisition and Resettlement MOF Ministry of Finance MPIIC Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industry and Commerce NGOs Non-Government Organizations O&M Operation and Maintenance PAM Project Administration Manual PIA Project Implementation Assistance PIU Project Implementation Unit PMU Project Management Unit PPTA Project preparation technical assistance PPUC Palau Public Utilities Corporation PSA Poverty and Socio Economic Assessment PSC Program Steering Committee RP Resettlement Plan SPS Safeguard Policy Statement SPS Sewage pump station STP Sewage treatment plant TA Technical Assistance TOR Terms of Reference WB World Bank WSIP Water Sector Improvement Program WWO Water and Wastewater Operations (Palau Public Utilities Corporation) Safeguards Monitoring Report July - December 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 1 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Project Description ............................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Current Status of Project Activities ..................................................................................... 3 1.3 Institutional Arrangements .................................................................................................. 5 2 ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS .......................................................................................... 5 2.1 Environmental Safeguard Requirements ........................................................................... 5 2.2 Description of Environmental Safeguard Activities ............................................................. 7 2.3 Key Environmental Risks and Responses ......................................................................... 7 2.4 Capacity Building Activities .............................................................................................. 10 3 SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS .......................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Involuntary Resettlement Requirements .......................................................................... 10 3.2 Safeguards for Indigenous Persons ................................................................................. 10 3.3 Workplace Health and Safety ........................................................................................... 10 4 GENDER .................................................................................................................................. 10 4.1 Gender Action Plan Requirements ................................................................................... 10 5 CONSULTATION AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES ............................................................ 11 5.1 Information Disclosure, Consultation and Awareness ...................................................... 11 5.2 Grievance Redress Mechanism ....................................................................................... 12 ANNEX A: ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING REPORTS (PPUC) ANNEX B: OUTSTANDING ISSUES FOR ICB-03 PERMIT SPECIAL CONDITIONS, AND WORKPLAN TO ADDRESS ISSUES ANNEX C – COMMUNITY AWARENESS PLAN ANNEX D: MONITORING OF GENDER ACTION PLAN ANNEX E: DRAFT BROCHURES ON WASTEWATER SYSTEM AWARENESS iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This safeguard monitoring report for the Koror-Airai Sanitation Project has been prepared in accordance with the laws of the Government of the Republic of Palau and the related safeguards policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2. This is the second Safeguards Monitoring report for the Koror Airai Sanitation Project (KASP). The first report covered the period from October 2014 to June 2019. The reporting has now moved to a bi-annual basis in conformance to ADB safeguard reporting requirements. This report covers the 6 month period of July 2019 to December 2019. 3. The project’s outcome is improved delivery of sanitation services by the Palau Public Utilities Corporation (PPUC). 4. The project’s outputs are as follows: • Effective, efficient, and sustainable sewage collection systems in Koror and Airai; • Sewage treatment and disposal meets Palau’s environmental standards; • Safe and hygienic public toilet facilities in Koror are available; and • The Project is effectively managed. 5. For environmental safeguards the project was classified as category B, and an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) was prepared and approved at the processing stage. The IEE included a project Environmental Management Plan (EMP). During the detailed design stage, these EMPs were updated and incorporated into bidding documents. The selected contractors were required to submit Contractor Environmental Management Plans prior to commencing civil works, and the PMU submitted and obtained all necessary environmental approvals from the Environmental Quality Protection Board (EQPB). It is noted that each component had minor, temporary and localized environmental impacts, readily managed by proposed mitigation measures in the IEE and CEMPs. 6. In regard to the permit for ICB-03 contract works for the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), there are a number of special conditions for PPUC to meet as pre-operational requirements outlined by EQPB. In the past six months, a number of these requirements have been addressed, although most are in progress rather than complete. All aspects of the ongoing compliance tasks are detailed in this report. Discussions are ongoing with EQPB to ensure that all safeguard requirements can be met, particularly in relation to the effluent disposal from the STP. 7. A timeline to address the special condition requirements was proposed by PPUC (and accepted by EQPB), to allow adequate time for the external studies to be completed, and for the contractor to provide the necessary information to meet the EQPB requirements. PPUC also applied for a time extension for the permit to cover the longer construction period required given project delays. This was granted, with the current permit now expiring in November 2020. 8. The major environmental risk is contamination of the Malakal Harbor where the ocean outfall infrastructure is sited. An imperative is to accurately project the quantity and quality of the emissions from the STP, assess the suitability of the current ocean outfall structure, and model the predicted mixing zone. 9. Along with projecting potential impacts on the marine environment, PPUC are also seeking specialized engineering advice in relation to minimizing environmental risk. There is a need to assess infrastructure options, comparing options for additional treatment and/or