Environmental Impact Assessment Armenia: Sevan-Hrazdan Cascade
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Environmental Impact Assessment Project Number: 46941-014 (Loan 2996) October 2013 Armenia: Sevan-Hrazdan Cascade Hydropower System Rehabilitation Project Prepared by ATM Solutions LLC for International Energy Corporation, CJSC. This environmental impact assessment 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. Dredging Program for Yerevan-1 HPP Reservoir Environmental Impact Assessment Report October, 2013 Prepared for “International Energy Corporation” CJSC By “ATMS Solutions” LLC ATMS Solutions ATMS Solutions LLC Office 713, 26/3 V. Sargsyan str. Republic Square, 0010, Yerevan, Armenia Tel.+37410 5 83643, Mob. +37499 109495 [email protected], www.atms.am DREDGING PROGRAM FOR YEREVAN-1 HPP RESERVOIR Environmental Impact Assessment Report Table of Contents 0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 3 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Project Background .................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Objectives and Scope ................................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Environmental impact assessment for the Dredging program ............................................... 7 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................. 8 2.1 Project Alternatives .................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Description of the Dredging Works........................................................................................... 9 2.3 Project Timeframes ...................................................................................................................12 2.4 Sediment Disposal .....................................................................................................................12 3 ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ................................17 3.1 Legal and Regulatory Framework ............................................................................................17 3.2 Institutional Framework ............................................................................................................22 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................24 4.1 Climate and Meteorology ..........................................................................................................24 4.2 Air Quality ..................................................................................................................................24 4.3 Hydrology ...................................................................................................................................25 4.4 Geography and Geology ...........................................................................................................25 4.5 Biodiversity ................................................................................................................................26 4.5.1 Flora ....................................................................................................................................26 4.5.2 Fauna ..................................................................................................................................26 4.6 Surface Water Quality ...............................................................................................................28 5 ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES .............29 5.1 Noise Effects ..............................................................................................................................29 5.2 Odor Effects ...............................................................................................................................30 5.3 Dust Effects ...............................................................................................................................30 1/58 DREDGING PROGRAM FOR YEREVAN-1 HPP RESERVOIR Environmental Impact Assessment Report 5.4 Physical Effects of Spoil Disposal .............................................................................................31 5.5 Dredging Impacts on Water Quality and Aquatic Habitats ....................................................32 5.6 Need for Dredging and Sediment Disposal .............................................................................34 6 GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM ..........................................................................35 7 INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION ...................36 8 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ....................................................................38 9 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................40 ANNEX 1 ........................................................................................................................................42 ANNEX 2 ........................................................................................................................................47 ANNEX 3 ........................................................................................................................................56 2/58 DREDGING PROGRAM FOR YEREVAN-1 HPP RESERVOIR Environmental Impact Assessment Report 0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Introduction The “International Energy Corporation” CJSC (hereinafter - IEC) and its major shareholder “RusHydro” JSC intend to invest in rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure of Sevan-Hrazdan HPP cascade in order to improve technical condition of the hydropower facilities included in the cascade and improve the operation characteristics of power generation plants. In order to improve the system, the corporation has prepared the five years development/investment plan and has started implementation of some works based on own resources. Additionally company applied for the loan from banks and has asked EBRD and ADB to support the project. As a result, a loan agreement among IEC, ADB and EBRD has been signed, which includes the following rehabilitation works: (i) reconstruction of Yerevan 1 HPP - reconstruction of the weir, replacement of turbines, dredging of the reservoir; (ii) replacements of much of the electrical equipment in Sevan, Hrazdan, Argel, Arzni and Kanaker HPPs (accumulator battery, generator, excitation equipment, stators) (iii) reconstruction of diversion canals for Hrazdan, Argel and Arzni HPPs; (iv) replacements of hydro units in Argel, Hrazdan and Kanaker HPPs. One of the preconditions for the provision of the loan set by the banks was that IEC’s current operations and Project to be implemented should be in line with the Armenian and EU legal requirements, as well as EBRD’s and ADB’s environmental and social policies' requirements. To comply with the Banks’ requirements, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of the Project was conducted by DG Consulting Ltd. and Environmental and Social Review report together with Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) as well as Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) were submitted to IEC. Item #3.1 of the ESAP set the requirement that the program of the reservoir dredging at Yerevan-1 HPP (Dredging program) has to comply with local, international and Banks’ requirements and should undergo environmental impact assessment. The results of the assessment should be disclosed for public comments and the EIA document should be submitted to Lenders for review. General information The Yerevan HPP-1 was built in 1957-1962. Total length of the hydropower scheme is about 3 km. The headwork of the plant is located immediately downstream the Kanaker HPP, where tailwater is discharged. 21m high concrete faced rockfill dam is constructed for the plant to create daily regulation basin. The designed active volume of the basin is 320,000 m3, 138,000 m3 of which is occupied by sediment deposition (Source: Hydroproject institute calculations based on geodetic surveying). To restore active capacity of reservoir the partial removal of sediments is envisaged as part of current rehabilitation project. According to the estimate amount of sediment to be removed is 80,000 m3. The first goal of the planned rehabilitation project regarding the Yerevan-1 plant is replacement of turbines, generators and associated systems. Besides, dredging of the reservoir is planned within the investment program to restore its active capacity. Since disposal areas in Armenia are being selected by the state authorities, IEC approached Yerevan city municipality with a request for allocation of area for Yerevan-1 HPP reservoir removed sediments disposal and obtaining of disposal permission. As a result of this, the disposal area for dredged material has been authorized on 18.01.2013 by the Yerevan city municipality in basalt mine near the Shahumyan-2 cemetery. This