Trung Son Hydropower Project Environmental and Social Management Plan
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SFG2795 REV Public Disclosure Authorized Trung Son Hydropower Project Public Disclosure Authorized Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Reservoir Impoundment Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized 22 December 2016 1 2 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 5 1.1 Background 5 1.2 Objectives of this report 6 1.3 Geographical scope of study 6 2 Methodology 7 2.1 Background 7 2.2 Approach 7 3 Review of possible technical solutions 8 4 Baseline information 10 4.1 Background 10 4.2 Receptors 10 4.2.1 Introduction 10 4.2.2 Riverine ecosystem 10 4.2.3 Resource users 11 5 Assessment of potential effects 11 5.1 Changes in river flow during reservoir filling 11 5.2 Potential effects 13 6 Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) 23 6.1 Management of reservoir area 23 6.2 Approach and measures for mitigate downstream impacts 23 6.3 Communications 28 6.4 Staffing and resource 29 6.5 Implementation arrangement 29 6.6 Reporting 29 6.7 Estimated cost for implementation of ESMP 30 Annex 1: Local authorities and communities consulted 33 Annex 2: Reservoir Filling Communications Plan 35 Annex 3: Monitoring team 37 Annex 4: Steering committee for reservoir impoundment 38 Annex 5: Small streams downstream 41 3 List of Abbreviations % Percent 0C Degrees Celsius CPC Communal peoples’ committee DPC District peoples’ committee D/S Downstream (of river flow) Ha Hectares kg/s Kilograms per second Km Kilometer 2 km/km Density (for stream network) 2 km Square kilometers kV Kilovolts M Meter m/s Meters per second m3 Cubic meters m3/day Cubic meters per day m3/ha Cubic meters per hectare m3/s Cubic meters per second m3/year Cubic meters per year Mm Millimeters MW Megawatt pH Potential of hydrogen ions RCC Roller compacted concrete 3 ton/m Tons per cubic meter TSHPP Trung Son Hydropower Project TSHPC Trung Son Hydropower Project Company USD U.S. Dollars V Volts VND Vietnam Dong 4 1 Introduction 1.1 Background The 260 MW TSHPP is located on the Ma River, approximately 700 m downstream of its confluence with Quanh brook, in the Trung Son commune, Quan Hoa district in the province of Thanh Hoa, Vietnam (See Figure 1-1). The project site is located near three protected areas, the Xuan Nha, Pu Hu and Hang Kia-Pa Co Nature Reserves. When completed the project components will be as follows: - An 84.5 m high dam with a crest length of 513 m. - A total reservoir area of 13.13 km2, with a volume of 348.5 million m3 at full supply level (FSL), at an elevation of 160 m (FSL) and a minimum operating level (MOL) at 150 m. - A 20.4 km access road from Co Luong (Mai Chau, Hoa Binh province) to Co Me (Trung Son, Thanh Hoa province); the access road includes two major bridges, one at its junction with National Road 15 and the other over the Ma River to access the right bank of the river. - 65 km of 220 kV double-circuit transmission l ine to connect the project to the Hoa Binh – Nho Quan 220kV line, in Tan Lac District. The construction of the main dam of Trung Son Hydropower Project (TSHPP) is almost complete and reservoir filling is scheduled for late December 2016. From the environmental and social perspective, guaranteeing minimum water releases (often referred to as environmental flows) during reservoir filling and at all times during subsequent operations is both an obligation under domestic law and regulations (reinforced by a ministerial order), and a key requirement of the project EMP. Trung Son Hydropower Project Company (TSHPC) thus is obliged to provide a design and an implementation plan that ensures compliance with this important environmental parameter. At the project appraisal, the reservoir impoundment was scheduled in the late rainy season requiring up to a week to complete the filling. Various studies demonstrated that there are no protected or threatened species existing in the project areas thus the potential downstream impacts were expected to be limited. Further, international experience showed that rivers are very resilient and can quickly recover from such short term impacts with limited water flow. The project was envisaged to release the required environmental flow via the sluicing outlet in 2-3 days after commencing reservoir filling. Hence, no technical solutions and environmental and social management plan for downstream during the reservoir impoundment were required. However, during project implementation, the dam safety review panel recommended not to fill the reservoir in the rainy season for safety reasons which resulted that the reservoir filling period increased to up 3 weeks before the project can release water through the spillway. As the sluicing outlet is located above the diversion culverts that need to be filled with concrete taking up to 3 months that outlet cannot be used to release water flows during the reservoir filling. Subsequently, TSHPCo investigated various alternative technical solutions but none of the alternatives were technically or economically feasible and viable to provide at least 15 cubic meter water flow downstream during reservoir filling (see section 3. Review of possible technical solutions). Therefore, this Environmental and Social Management Plan for Reservoir Impoundment (ESMP) was developed to monitor and mitigate adverse downstream impacts during the reservoir impoundment. The impacts and mitigation measures for the reservoir area and downstream due to construction and operation of the HPP have been included in the project Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) thus will not be covered under this ESMP. Mitigation measures included below have been satisfactorily completed to date: 5 - Completion of relocation of the affected households and compensation for resettlement and their asset losses including cultivation land in the reservoir areas. All these have been completed. - Preparation and implementation of a reservoir clearance plan for clearing the biomass and any wastes in the reservoir area. The plan was prepared and the reservoir was cleared according to the plan. MONRE has issue a letter on reservoir clearance completion. - Prepare and implement a plan for salvage of the PCRs located in the reservoir area. These have also been completed, the artefacts have been salvaged and the affected graves have been relocated. - Development of a water quality modelling for monitoring water quality changes in the reservoir area and downstream for adjustment of the operation of the hydropower plant if needed to ensure upstream and downstream water quality is not degraded due to the plant operation. This modelling is being implemented. 1.2 Objectives of this report The objectives of the study were to (i) identify and assess the anticipated environmental and social (E&S) impacts resulting from the planned reservoir filling at TSHPP; and (ii) develop effective and monitorable mitigation and management measures to minimize adverse impacts on valued environmental components as well as livelihoods downstream of the dam. This report reflects findings and conclusions from joint fieldwork conducted by TSHPC environmental and social staff and the World Bank’s consultant and task team. The joint mission covered the TSHPP and identified downstream impacted areas over the course of one week, and supplemented by additional ground work by TSHPC staff. This report constitutes an overview of the environmental and social aspects and impacts associated with the first reservoir impoundment, and a description of the approach and actual implementation of mitigation measures planned by TSHPC. 1.3 Geographical scope of study The geographical scope of the assessment covers 43km downstream of the dam to the confluence between Ma and Luong rivers. This area has been determined based on the fact that the additional flows from Luong river to Ma River at the confluence is exceeding the minimum environmental flow of 15m3/s as required in the project EMP. TSHPC however has extended the studied area to 85km downstream from the dam reaching to Ba Thuoc 2 HPP to assess broader impacts of reservoir filling on other water users such as aquaculture, sand mining, and chopstick making enterprises. 6 Figure 1-1 Location map showing Ma River Basin and project location 2 Methodology 2.1 Background The methodology used to conduct the assessment includes (i) information and data collection from various available documentation and sources, and site visits by the Bank’s consultant team and TSHPCo; (ii) technical discussions between TSHPCo, its design team, environmental and social team, supervision engineer and in consultations with the affected communities and local authorities; (iii) evaluation of the potential impacts; ESMP development and the requisite communication with stakeholders. The report includes an ESMP describing the plans of TSHPC and an account of the measures for stakeholder communication, management of anticipated impacts, and implementation of mitigation measures during the initial impoundment period with significantly reduced flows in Ma River. 2.2 Approach The report assessment of impacts comprises following elements: - Review of available project documentation including the project design, the initial ESIA, supplementary ESIA etc. - Identification and analysis of possible technical solutions enabling adequate environmental flow to the downstream during reservoir impoundment. - Provided the fact that none of the identified technical solutions are feasible and/or sufficiently meet the downstream flow requirements and that the downstream impacts are expected temporary and quickly recovered, a mitigation and management approach was considered consisting of an Environmental and Social Management Plan for Reservoir Impoundment to be implemented by TSHPCO during the reservoir impoundment. A preliminary assessment survey was jointly conducted by the TSHPC team and the Bank’s consultant during October 11-14 aiming to screen the potential environmental and social impacts during reservoir filling. The main activities included site visits and consultations with the downstream villages, commune authorities and provincial authority.