State EIA License No.2606 E4210v2Rev Public Disclosure Authorized

Environmental Impact Assessment for the World Bank financed

Public Disclosure Authorized Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project (For Appraisal)

Public Disclosure Authorized

Hubei Provincial Academy of Public Disclosure Authorized Environmental Sciences

June 2013

QXUTP EIA Report

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... I 1 GENERAL ...... 1

1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ...... 1

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE EIA ...... 5

1.3 APPROACH OF THE EIA ...... 6

1.4 EIA PROGRESS ...... 8

1.5 BASIS OF THE EIA ...... 9

1.6 APPLICABLE STANDARDS ...... 14

1.7 WORK GRADE OF THE EIA ...... 17

1.8 SCOPE OF THE EIA ...... 18

1.9 ASSESSMENT METHODS ...... 19

1.10 TIMEFRAME OF THE ASSESSMENT ...... 19

1.11 TARGETS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ...... 20 2 SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT CONTENTS ...... 26

2.1 GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION ...... 26

2.2 FUNCTIONS ...... 27

2.3 PROJECT CONTENTS ...... 29

2.4 URBAN ROADS ...... 30

2.5 PUBLIC TRANSPORT ...... 50

2.6 INTELLIGENT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMPONENT ...... 74

2.7 INSTITUTIONAL AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ...... 74

2.8 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AGENCIES ...... 75

2.9 LAND ACQUISITION AND DEMOLITION ...... 76

2.10 EARTH WORKS ...... 78

2.11 OVERALL SCHEDULE ...... 78

2.12 COST ESTIMATE AND FINANCING PLAN ...... 79 3 ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND ...... 80

3.1 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ...... 80

3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION IN THE PROJECT AREA ...... 85

3.3 SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ...... 85 4 ENGINEERING ANALYSIS ...... 89

4.1 COMPLIANCE WITH THE PLANS ...... 89

4.2 IDENTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...... 98

4.3 POSITIVE IMPACTS ...... 101

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4.4 ADVERSE IMPACTS ...... 102

4.5 IDENTIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS AND INDICATORS ...... 105

4.6 SOURCE INTENSITY ESTIMATE ...... 108 5 ALTERNATIVES COMPARISON ...... 116

5.1 HUANGSHUI RIVER BRIDGE ...... 116

5.2 YUNGUCHUAN BRIDGE ...... 117

5.3 BUS CORRIDOR (LT) ...... 120 6 BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ...... 124

6.1 AIR QUALITY ...... 124

6.2 SURFACE WATER ...... 128

6.3 SOUND ENVIRONMENT ...... 131

6.4 ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ...... 133 7 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ...... 137

7.1 IMPACTS ON THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM ...... 137

7.2 IMPACTS ON THE WATER ENVIRONMENT ...... 146

7.3 IMPACT ON THE SOUND ENVIRONMENT ...... 151

7.4 AMBIENT AIR ...... 168

7.5 ACCIDENT RISK ANALYSIS ...... 188

7.6 SOLID WASTE ...... 196

7.7 SOCIAL IMPACT ...... 199

7.8 ACCUMULATED IMPACTS ANALYSIS ...... 205 8 MITIGATION MEASURES ...... 207

8.1 DESIGN PHASE ...... 207

8.2 CONSTRUCTION PHASE ...... 208

8.3 OPERATION PHASE ...... 221 9 INFORMATION DISCLOSURE AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION ...... 239

9.1 PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION ...... 239

9.2 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SURVEY ...... 239

9.3 SURVEY CONTENTS ...... 240

9.4 SURVEY METHODS ...... 240

9.5 ASSESSMENT OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION RESULTS ...... 245

9.6 INFORMATION DISCLOSURE ...... 257

9.7 FEEDBACK OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION ...... 260

9.8 THE ADOPTION OF PUBLIC OPINIONS ...... 262 10 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ...... 264

10.1 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT ...... 264

10.2 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN ...... 269

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10.3 ENVIRONMENT SUPERVISION ...... 272

10.4 ACCEPTANCE TEST OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FACILITIES ...... 277

10.5 TRAINING PLAN...... 279 11 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COST AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT ANALYSIS ...... 281

11.1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COST ...... 281

11.2 ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC BENEFIT ANALYSIS ...... 285 12 CONCLUSIONS ...... 287

12.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ...... 287

12.2 BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ...... 287

12.3 COMPLIANCE ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRIAL POLICY AND RELEVANT PLANS ...... 289

12.4 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESULTS ...... 291

12.5 ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION MEASURES ...... 305

12.6 PUBLIC CONSULTATION ...... 313

12.7 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ...... 313

12.8 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS ...... 313

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Figures: Figure 1 Location of the Xining Urban Transport Project Figure 2-1 Xicheng Avenue Cross Sectional Design Figure2-2 Wusixi Road Cross Sectional Design Figure2-3 No. 5 Road Cross Sectional Design (1) Figure 3 Road Alignments and Layout of sensitive sites Figure 4 Project Layout Plan Figure 5 Proposed Roads and Existing Rivers in the Project Area Figure 6 Locations of the Environmental Monitoring Sites Figure 7 Land Use Plan in the Project Area

Annex: Annex 1 Service Agreement Annex 2 The Letter of the Applicable Standards for the Environmental Impact Assessment Annex 3 The project file Annex 4 Land pre-trial opinion accessories Annex 5 Registration Form of Environmental Protection Application for Development Projects

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Abbreviations AC Asphalt Cement AM Aide Memoire CNY Chinese Yuan CO Carbon Monoxide COD Chemical Oxygen Demand EA Environmental Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMC Environmental Management Consultant EMP Environmental Management Plan EOI Expression of Interest FS Feasibility Study FSR Feasibility Study Report GFA Gross Floor Area HAES Hubei Academy of Environment Sciences ITS Intelligent Transport System LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas NDRC National Development Reform Committee MCA Maximum Credible Accident MOF Ministry of Finance PCN Project Concept Notes PCO project coordination office PLG project leading group PMO project management office QXUTP Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project RAP Resettlement Action Plan SS Suspended Solids USD United States Dollars WB World Bank WBOB World Bank Beijing Office WTP Water Treatment Plant WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant

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XDRC Xining Development and Reform Committee XEPB Xining Environmental Protection Bureau XMG Xining Municipal Government XPD Xining Police Department XPTC Xining Public Transportation Company XTB Xining Transportation Bureau XTIC Xining Transportation Investment Company XURCC Xining Urban Rural Construction Commission

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1 General

1.1 Project Background

1.1.1 Background

The proposed World Bank financed Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project (hereinafter the QXUTP or the Project) is located at the Xining Municipality of Qinghai Province. According to the Xining City Master Plan (2001-2020), the urban road network layout will be a grid network along the Huangshui River with the framework showing a “four horizontal, eleven vertical and one circle (4-11-1)” pattern. As the road network is separated by the four rivers and by the railway, the 4-11-1 pattern is beginning to take shape. The location of the proposed Project is shown in Figure 1.1-1.

Figure 1.1-1 Project Location Map Xining City is the transportation hub and the merchandise distribution center in the Qinghai Province. As the provincial capital, it is also the most livable city in the

HAES -1- QXUTP EIA Report province. During holidays, the residents in the surrounding pastoral area will return to stay in the city, causing increasingly severe traffic congestion issues. Currently the city lacks trunk roads of the East-to-West direction to connect the old urban area and the new urban area. The bypass express ways in the west and in the south are not connected to the urban road network either. The problems in the existing urban transpiration system include: the City’s operation and dispatch system is not well designed and the management capacity are poor; the traffic signal system is using mixed types of equipments with low compatibility and low efficiency; only single point of control can be achieved with no optimization or regional coordination in most parts of the system; the data collection and guidance of the traffic are insufficient; there are insufficient monitoring stations for traffic violations; there is no public transpiration priority mechanism, integrated commanding system, or an effective evaluation system for the intelligent traffic development. The above mentioned issues raised concerns of the XMG. A new approach for urban transpiration has been proposed: (1) improve the urban road network and optimize the road network structure; (2) develop a modern transpiration hub and bus priority demonstration corridor; (3) strengthen the intersection channeling design and traffic management; (4) facilitate the development of intelligent traffic management system and improve the integration of bus priority and dispatching. By enhancing the traffic management and control efficiency, this approach can help achieve a traffic environment that has “smooth traffic; efficient management; strict and civilized law enforcement; enthusiastic and standardized service; extensive public campaign, and effective facilities”. In order to introduce the domestic and international advanced experiences in the development of public transportation, the Xining Development and Reform Committee (XDRC), together with other relevant agencies such as the Financial Bureau, the Construction Commission, and the Transportation Department, etc., proactively proposed the “World Bank financed Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project”. In the October of 2011, the Project was approved by the NDRC and the MoF and was enlisted in the World Bank loan candidate projects for 2012 to 2014 financial years. This Project will utilize the World Bank loan of 120 million USD to improve the urban roads, public transportation management, intelligent traffic

HAES -2- QXUTP EIA Report management system and institutional capacity building.

1.1.2 Project Preparation Progress

As required in the “Law of the People's Republic of China on Appraising of Environment Impacts” and the “Regulations on Environmental Protection Management of Development Projects” (Decree No. 253 of the State Council of the People's Republic of China), the PMO needed to invite a consultant to conduct the EIA for the Project. In the April 2012, the Hubei Academy of Environment Sciences (HAES) was selected by the PMO to be the EIA consultant. After a series of activities including the field investigation, the data collection, the engineering analysis, and the impact evaluation, HAES prepared the “Environment Impact Assessment Report for the World Bank financed Qinghai Xining Urban Transportation Project (for approval version)” (here in after “the Report”), based on the requirements in relevant documents including the “Technical Guideline of the Environmental Impact Assessment”, the “Specifications of Environmental Impact Assessment for Highway Projects”, and the “Catalogue for Classification and Management of Environmental Impact Assessment for Development Projects”. The World Bank organized a Pre-identification Mission and conducted the project identification and the technical investigation in the October 2011 and the November 2011, respectively. These two Missions provided detailed comments and suggestion and formed a solid basis for the project preparation. The World Bank organized a Project Identification Mission composed of specialists in disciplines including transportation, environment and resettlement in January 2012. The leaders from the World Bank Division of the International Department in the Ministry of Finance and from the relevant provincial and municipal governments also attended the Mission from January 16, 2012 to January 18, 2012. The Mission fully affirmed the efforts of the PMO and proposed to complete the project preparation work by the end of 2012 which requires the PMO to speed up the preparations of feasibility study report (FSR), the environmental impact assessment (EIA), and resettlement action plan (RAP), and to complete the processing procedures in 2013 including the project appraisal, the loan negotiation, the submission to the board of directors, the loan effectiveness. On May 10 and May 11, 2012, the WB Project Appraisal Technical Mission was

HAES -3- QXUTP EIA Report conducted to facilitate the preparations of FSR, EIA and RAP. The findings and consensus achieved was included in the technical mission minutes. To prepare for this consultation, HAES first published the basic informatio n of this Project on the website of XURCC (http://www.qhxnjw.gov.cn/two/detai l.jsp?lmbh=18&wdbh=3127). HAES conducted the first round of public consult ation in the field between June 27, 2012 and June 30, 2012. HAES engaged resident representatives from the Wangjiazhai village, the Taobei village, the Yanxiaocun village ,the wuzhongcun village and the zuoshucun village in the first round of public consultation in the form of posters, questionnaires and gr oup discussions. During the period between July 25, 2012 and July 27, 2012, the World Bank organized a Project Preparation Mission composed of transportation specialists to conduct progress review of the FS. As requested by the Bank and by the Client, HAES reported the EIA preparation progress in the form of a written report. On November 30, 2012, HAES completed the first draft of EIA report based on the materials collected by HAES and the preliminary FSR prepared by the WSP Group Company Ltd. in the September, 2012. On December 5 and December 6, 2012, HAES participated the technical coordination meeting at the World Bank Beijing Office (WBOB) in which the Consultants for FS, EIA and RAP each reported the progress of the document preparation. In the meeting the participants also discussed on the critical technical issues and the project schedules. A meeting minute was prepared for the meeting. During the period between January 22 and January 26, 2013, HAES conducted (1) the second round of public consultation in 4 villages (including the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Yanxiaocun Village and the Wuzhong Village) and with the representative enterprises, organizations and shops along the bus corridor.; (2) submitted the project applicable standards letter to the Xining Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau (XEPB); and requested the Xining Municipal Environmental Monitoring Station to submit the environmental monitoring report. In order to make the public information disclosure more effective, HAES suggested the Client should publish the project information on local influential medias. The Client adopted the suggestion and published the notice of project information disclosure at “Xining Evenings” (Page A17) on January 31, 2013.

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HAES submitted the EIA Report (Pre-Appraisal Version) for Client and WB review on February 5, 2013. This version of EIA report was developed based on materials including (1) the FSR (Volume 1 to Volume 4) prepared by the WSP Group Company Ltd. in the January 2013; (2) the RAP prepared by the Three Gorges University Involuntary Resettlement Research Center the January 2013; (3) the Soil Erosion Control Plan for Xicheng Avenue Huangshui River Bridge prepared by the Qinghai Provincial Hydraulic Survey and Design Institute in the January 2013. During the period between February 20 and February 22, 2013, a Project Pre-appraisal Mission was conducted in Xining, Qinghai Province. The Feasibility Study Consultant, the Environmental Assessment Consultant and the Resettlement Action Plan Consultant each presented their progresses. During the Mission the participants also discussed some critical technical issues. A meeting minute was prepared based on the discussion. After the Mission, HAES revised and improved the EIA draft based on the comments received during the Mission and prepared the EIA Report (Draft for Project Appraisal Version). On April 25, 2013, the client disclosed the full reports of the EIA and th e EMP on the official website of the XURCC. The URLs of the websites are “http://www.qhxnjw.gov.cn/two/detail.jsp?lmbh=18&wdbh=3828” and “http://www. qhxnjw.gov.cn/two/detail.jsp?lmbh=18&wdbh=3827”. During the period between June 3 and June 8, 2013, a Project Appraisal Mission was conducted in Xining, Qinghai Province. After the Mission, HAES revised and improved the EIA draft based on the comments received during the Mission and prepared the EIA Report（Draft for The final version）.

1.2 Objectives of the EIA

According to the classification requirements stipulated in the “Catalogue for Classification and Management of Environmental Impact Assessment for Development Projects”, this Project is an integrated urban transportation project. The Project consists of 4 components including the (1) Urban Roads, (2) Public Transport, (3) Intelligent Traffic Management, and (4) Institutional and Capacity Development. The estimated cost is 16.63 billion RMB in which 120 million USD

HAES -5- QXUTP EIA Report equivalent is from the World Bank loan. According to relevant regulations, the project will need to prepare an EIA report. In the World Bank Project Concept Notes (PCN) this Project was identified as Category B project. Two methods including the EIA and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will be used for environmental assessment. The below objectives should be achieved during the course of the environmental impact assessment: (1) Qualitatively or quantitatively analyze, estimate and evaluate the social environment, ecological environment, environment quality status and the impact and extent of the impact during construction phase and operation phase, and then identify the feasibility and reasonability of the Project from the aspect of environmental protection. (2) Based on the extent of impact on the environment, propose feasible environmental protection measures and recommendations to be used in the engineering design and in the construction management to minimize or mitigate the adverse impacts, so as to achieve coordinated project construction and environmental protection. (3) Propose an environmental management plan for the project construction phase and operation phase, which will serve as the scientific basis for the economic development, urban development and environmental planning along the roads.

1.3 Approach of the EIA

1.3.1 General Approach

The EIA should be prepared based on (1) the location and the nature of the Project; (2) the requirements in the Law of Appraising Environmental Impacts, the Regulations of Environmental Protection Management of Development Projects, and the Technical Guideline of Environmental Impact Assessment, (3) approved environmental plans of national, provincial and municipal levels, and the urban master plan. Based on the environmental impact assessment, the project pollution control and environmental protection measures will be identified and will serve as the scientific basis for the project construction and management.

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1.3.2 Detailed Approach

(1) This Project is a World Bank financed project focusing on urban transportation infrastructure improvement, public transportation and intelligent traffic management improvement. The proposed four components include the urban roads, the public transport, the intelligent traffic management, and the institutional and capacity building. This Project is special in that it integrates the urban transportation infrastructure, public transportation and intelligent traffic managements together. Therefore this project will have significant overall project benefits. The focus of the EIA will be the impacts of the construction on the local environment and the pollutant control and impact mitigation measures. The EIA will investigate the impacts of not only the individual components but also of the packaged Project in a whole to mitigate the adverse impacts and to protect the local environment. The EIA Report and the EMP (a standalone document) will be prepared based on the relevant requirements in the documents including the Catalogue for Classification and Management of Environmental Impact Assessment for Development Projects and the World Bank Safeguard Policy OP4.01. (2) The construction and operation of the transportation infrastructures will cause certain impacts on the local environment. Based on the field investigation to the project area, this EIA will conduct engineering analysis and predict the impacts on environment, and then will propose pollution control and impact mitigation measures as guidance for the environmental management during design, construction and operation phases to achieve the integrated economic, social and environmental benefits. (3) Most parts of the project area are located at the west edge of the city with a number of environmental sensitive sites such as enterprises and institutions, cultural, educational and residential areas along the proposed roads. Special attentions should be paid to the impact of the pollution source with variable intensities during the project implementation on the local environment, including the cultural environment and ecological environment. (4) There will be some land acquisition and resettlement involved in this Project. The land acquisition and resettlement will be a key issue in the EIA. To maximize

HAES -7- QXUTP EIA Report the project benefits, it is also important to propose feasible environmental protection measures and institutional development measures to improve the urban infrastructure and to promote well organized development of urban environment. In the EIA, the positive environmental impact will be highlighted to protect the local cultural and historical features. (5) The environmental impact during construction phase and operation phase and the relevant mitigation measures and environmental management measures will be emphasized in the EIA to minimize the adverse impacts on the cultural environmental, health and ecological environment. (6) Public consultation will be used to compensate the possible defects or flaws in the EIA so that the project plan, the project design and the environmental management can be improved to (i) optimize the integrated project benefits in terms of environmental, social and economic benefits; (ii) provide a solid basis for the project operational management and environmental management, for the economic development plan and environmental plan, and for the decision making to achieve coordinated environmental protection and development.

1.4 EIA progress

In the November of 2011, the XURCC invited HAES to participate the world bank pre-appraisal mission (November 29 to December 2, 2011) and invited HAES to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the environmental assessment (EA) consulting service. At the same time, XURCC and HAES conducted the first round of discussion on potential service contract. In the January of 2012, the XURCC invited HAES to attend the World Bank Project Appraisal Mission (January 16 to January 18, 2012), and invited HAES to submit a full proposal including a fee proposal. At the same time, both parties conducted the second round of discussion on potential service contract. In the March 2012, as requested by the XURCC, HAES conducted further field investigation at Xining City and both parties conducted the third round of discussion. On May 18, 2012, HAES was officially engaged by the XURCC to carry out the environmental impact assessment assignment for the Project. After receiving the invitation from the client, HAES mobilized a team to conduct the environmental impact assessment. With the help from the XURCC and other

HAES -8- QXUTP EIA Report relevant government agencies, and based on the project proposal prepared by the Xining City Engineering Consulting Institute, the team conducted three rounds of site visits and data collections, in December 2011, January 2012 and March 2012, respectively, and the first round of public consultation and information disclosure on June 21, 2012. After that the team prepared the outline of environmental impact assessment, and submitted to World Bank preparation mission for review in July 2012. Responding to the requirements in the Aide Memoire (AM) of the WB Project Identification Mission, HAES prepared the first draft (Chinese only) of the EIA Report based on the project proposal prepared by the Xining City Engineering Consulting Institute and the intermediate reports (such as inception report and progress reports) of the FSR prepared by the Shanghai WSP Group Company Ltd. The draft EIA report was submitted to Xining Municipal PMO and WB for review in November 2012. According to the meeting minute of the technical discussion held at the World Bank on December 5 and December 6, 2012, HAES prepared the EIA Report (first version, in Chinese) based on the FSR report dated January 2013. The EIA report was then reviewed by the WB pre-Evaluation mission in February 2013. Based on the finding in the site investigations, HAES suggested the XURCC should engage a professional consultant to prepare the special reports such as the Soil Erosion Conservation Report. The issues identified, the proposed mitigation measures and the conclusions in these reports will be integrated into the EIA report.

1.5 Basis of the EIA

1.5.1 Laws and Regulations

(1) Law of the People's Republic of China on Environmental Protection, December 26, 1989; (2) Law of the People's Republic of China on Appraising of Environmental Impacts, October 28, 2002; (3) Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, September 1, 2000; (4) Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution， June 1, 2008;

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(5) Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes, April 1, 2005; (6) Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Pollution From Environmental Noise, March 1, 1997; (7) Land Administration Law of the Peoples Republic of China, August 28, 2004; (8) Highway Law of the People's Republic of China, August 28, 2004; (9) Water and Soil Conservation Law, June 29, 1991; (10) Law of Flood Control, January 1, 1998; (11) Law of the People's Republic of China on Protection of Cultural Relics, December 29, 2007; (12) Water Law, October 1, 2002; (13) Fishery Law, December 1, 2000; (14) Wild Animal Protection Law, August 28, 2004; (15) Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Wild Plants Protection, State Council Order No. 204, January 1, 1977; (16) Regulations on Environmental Protection and Management for Development Projects, State Council Order No. 253, November 29, 1998; (17) Regulations on Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, State Council Order No. 344; (18) Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of China, State Council Order No. 284 (19) Regulations on the Basic Farm Land Protection, State Council Order No. 257, December 27, 1998; (20) Regulations on the Management of Landscape and Famous Scene, State Council, September 19, 2006 (21) List of State Key Protection Target for Wild Plants (First Batch), National Department of Forest, Ministry of Agriculture Order No. 4; (22) Environmental Management Method for Transportation Projects, Ministry of Transportation Order No. 5, May 13, 2003; (23) Notice on the ban of occupying basic farmland for tree planting. State Council Order No.1, March 21, 2004; (24) Notice on environmental noise related issues in Environmental Impact

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Assessment for Development of Highways and Railways (including Light Rail). NEPA Document No. 94 (2003); (25) Temporary Methods of Public Consultation for EIA, Ministry of Environmental Protection No. 28 (2006), March 18, 2006; (26) Notice on Further Promoting Basic Farm Land Protection, Ministry of Land Resource, Ministry of Agriculture No. 196 (2005); (27) Notice on the Enforcement of the Strictest Farm Land Protection Policy in Highway Development, Ministry of Transportation No. 164 (2004); (28) Notice on the Environmental Supervision for Transportation Project, Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Environmental Protection, No. 314 (2004); (29) Catalogue for Classification and Management of Environmental Impact Assessment for Development Projects, Ministry of Environmental Protection, January 1, 2003; (30) Requirements on Soil Conservation for Highway Development Projects, No. 12 (2001); (31) Notice on the Enforcement of the Strictest Farm Land Protection Policy in Highway Development, Ministry of Transportation No. 164 (2004), April 2004; (32) Notice on Further Enhancement of Ecological Protection and Soil Erosion Control for Mountainous Highway Development, Ministry of Transportation, No. 441 (2005), September 2005.

1.5.2 Technical Standards

(1) Technical Guidelines of Environmental Impact Assessment – General (HJ2.1-2011); (2) Technical Guidelines of Environmental Impact Assessment – Ambient Air Environment (HJ2.2-2008); (3) Technical Guidelines of Environmental Impact Assessment – Surface Water Environment (HJ/T2.3-93); (4) Technical Guidelines of Environmental Impact Assessment – Sound Environment (HJ2.4-2009）; (5) Technical Guidelines of Environmental Impact Assessment – Ecological Environment (HJ19-2011）; (6) Technical Guidelines of Environmental Impact Assessment – Ground

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Water (HJ610-2011); (7) Specifications for Environmental Impact Assessment of Highway Projects (JTJ005-96); (8) Design Code of Highway Environmental Protection (JTJ/T006-98); (9) Design Code of urban road public transportation stop, terminus and depot (CJJ15-87); (10) Technical Standards for Highway Projects (JTGB01-2003); (11) Design Code of Urban Roads (CJJ 37-90); (12) Notice on the Issues regarding the Noises in Environmental Impact Assessment for Development Projects of Highways or Railways (including Light Rail), Ministry of Environmental Protection No. 94 (2003); (13) The Letter on the Applicable Standards for the Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project Environmental Impact Assessment, Xining Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

1.5.3 World Bank Policies

(1) Environmental Assessment (OP/BP4.01, January 1999), fully applicable. (2) Natural Habitats (OP4.04, June 2001）. There are no important natural habitats as defined in this OP involved in the Project. Thus this OP is not applicable. (3) Pest Management (OP4.09, December 1998). There is no pest management involved in this Project. Thus this OP is not applicable. (4) Indigenous People (OP4.10, September 1991). There are no people of indigenous residents as defined in OP 4.10. Thus this OP is not applicable. (5) Physical Cultural Resources (OP4.11, August 1999). There are culture heritage and tourist sites involved. Thus this OP is applicable. (6) Involuntary Resettlement (OP4.12, December 2001). There is resettlement involved. Thus this OP is applicable. (7) Forests (OP4.36, September 1993). There will be forest land acquired in this Project. However these lands are not primeval forest, or tropical rain forest, or commercial timber forest either. Thus this OP is only partially applicable. (8) Safety of Dams (OP4.37, October 2001), there is no dam involved in this Project. Thus this OP is not applicable. (9) Projects on International Waterways (OP7.50, June 2001). There is no

HAES -12- QXUTP EIA Report international waterway involved in this Project. Thus this OP is not applicable. (10) Projects in Disputed Areas (OP7.60, June 2001). There is no disputed area involved in this Project. Thus this OP is not applicable. (11) Disclosure of Information (BP17.50, September 1993). This policy is fully applicable in this Project. (12) Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines (IFC), (WB). This policy is fully applicable.

1.5.4 Relevant Plans

(1) Qinghai Province Xining City Master Plan (2001-2020); (2) Development plan for urban space of Xining City (2030); (3) Xining City State Highway Transportation Hub Master Plan (June 2011); (4) Xining City State Highway Transportation Hub Master Plan (June 2011); (5) Xining Municipality Water Environment Function Zoning (2004) (6) Xining Municipality Environmental Function Zoning (7) Relevant Xining Statistics Year Book or Reports

1.5.5 Project Documents

(1) Service Agreement (Annex 1); (2) Project Proposal for the World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, Xining Engineering Consulting Institute, January 2012; (3) Preliminary Feasibility Study Report for the World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, Shanghai WSP Group Company Ltd., September 2012; (4) The World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project - Urban Road (Volume 1, Draft FSR), Shanghai WSP Group Company Ltd., January 2013; (5) The World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project - Urban Road (Volume 1, Drawings of the Draft FSR), Shanghai WSP Group Company Ltd., January 2013; (6) The World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project - Public Transport (Volume 2, Draft FSR), Shanghai WSP Group Company Ltd., January 2013; (7) The World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project - Public Transport (Volume 2, Drawings of the Draft FSR), Shanghai WSP Group Company

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Ltd., January 2013; (8) The World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project – Intelligent Traffic Management (Volume 3, Draft FSR), Shanghai WSP Group Company Ltd., January 2013; (9) The World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project – Institutional and Capacity Building (Volume 4, Draft FSR), Shanghai WSP Group Company Ltd., January 2013; (10) 2012.10 Planning and Design of the Xining Xichuan (Yanxiaocun) Interchange Hub, China Building Technique Group Company Ltd., October 2012. (11) Soil and Water Conservation Plan of the World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, Qinghai Provincial Water Conservancy and Hydropower Survey and Design Institute (12) Resettlement Action Plan of the World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, Three Gorge University Involuntary Resettlement Research Center, December 2012. (13) Geotechnical Survey Report; (14) Mine Resource Survey Report; (15) Project Appraisal Mission Aide Memoire for the Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, January 16-18, 2012; (16) Terms of Reference for the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, January 2012; (17) Technical Investigation Mission Aide Memoire for the Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, May 10-11, 2012; (18) Project Preparation Mission Aide Memoire for the Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, July 25-27, 2012; (19) Technical Discussion Meeting Minutes for the Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project, December 5-6, 2012.

1.6 Applicable Standards

The identification of the applicable standards is based on the environmental function zoning of the project area and the Letter of the Applicable Standards for the Environmental Impact Assessment of the World Bank Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project (Annex 2). The details are discussed below.

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1.6.1 Water Environment

For the Huangshui River section in the project area, the Class III standard of the Surface Water Environmental Quality Standards (GB3838-2002) is applicable. For the Yunguchuan River section in the project area, the Class II standard of the Standards is applicable. Detailed values are listed in the Table 1.6-1.

Table 1.6-1 Surface Water Environmental Quality Standards (GB3838-2002) , mg/L Water Body Huangshui River Yunguchuan River Applicable Standards Class III Class II 1 pH(dimensionless) 6～9 6～9 2 DO≥ 5 6 3 permanganate Index≤ 6 4 4 CODcr ≤ 20 15 5 BOD5 ≤ 4 3 6 TP≤ 0.2 0.1 7 Ammonia≤ 1.0 0.5 8 Oil≤ 0.05 0.05 9 E. Coli≤ 10000 2000 The wastewater produced is not allowed to be discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River. During the construction phase, the domestic wastewater will be used for the farmland irrigation in the area after being treated in the septic tanks, and the construction wastewater will be fully recycled after greasy segregation and sedimentation treatment. During the operation phase the wastewater will be discharged into the city sewer network and be transported to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The class III standard of Comprehensive Wastewater Discharge Standards (GB8978-1996) will be adopted as the discharge standard. The detailed values are listed in the Table 1.6-2.

Table1.6-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Discharge Standards (GB8978-1996) Standards Name of the Standard value Classification Pollutants Number Standards （mg/L） pH 6～9 SS 400 Comprehensive BOD5 300 wastewater COD 500 GB8978-1996 Class III discharge Oil 20 standard Fats 100 Ammonia / LAS 20

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1.6.2 Ambient Air

Applicable standards for the ambient air quality along the roads in this Project include the Class II standard of the Environmental Air Quality Standards (GB3095-1996), and the Class II standard of the Comprehensive Emission Standards of Air Pollutants (GB16297-1996). Detailed values are listed in the Tables 1.6-3 and 1.6-4.

Table 1.6-3 Environmental Air Quality Standards（GB3095-1996） Standard Name of the Value Classification Pollutant Number Standard （mg/m³） Yearly Average 0.2 TSP Daily Average 0.3 Yearly Average 0.10 PM10 Daily Average 0.15 Environmental GB3095-1996 Air Quality Class II Yearly Average 0.08 Standards NO2 Daily Average 0.12 1-hour average 0.24 Daily Average 4.0 CO 1-hour average 10.0

Table1.6-4 Emission Standards of Air Pollutants (GB16297-1996) Maximum Allowable Discharg- Threshold Conce- Maximum Allowable e Rate (kg/h) ntration for Fugiti Pollutants Discharge Concen Exhaust Stac- Class II stand ve Emission tration (mg/m³) k Height (m) -ard value (mg/m³) 15 3.5 Maximum Concentr Particles 120 20 5.9 ation outside the b 30 23 oundary is 1.0 1.6.3 Sound Environment

For the concentrated residential areas within the project area, the Class 2 standard of the Sound Environment Quality Standards (GB3096-2008) is applicable. For the area within 35 meters distance from the red lines of the proposed roads, the Class 4a standard of the Standards is applicable. Class 2 standard of the Standards is applicable for areas that are more than 35 meters away from the red lines. The detailed values of the Standards are listed in the Table 1.6-5. For the Yanxiaocun Interchange, the noise level at the boundary should comply with the Class II standard of the Emission Standards for Industrial

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Enterprises Noise at Boundary (GB12348-2008). For the construction sites, The Emission Standards for Construction Sites (GB12523-2011) will be applicable. The detailed values are listed in the Tables 1.6-6 and 1.6-7.

Table 1.6-5 Sound Environment Quality Standards（GB3096-2008） Class Day Time dB(A) Night Time dB(A) 2 60 50 4a 70 55

Table 1.6-6 Industrial Enterprises Noise at Boundary（GB12348-2008） Day Time Night Time Applicable Area Within 1 meter distance of Class II Area 60dB（A） 50dB（A） the Interchange boundary

Table 1.6-7 The Emission Standards for Construction Sites (GB12523-2011) Day Time Night Time 70 dB 55 dB

1.7 Work Grade of the EIA

The topics and work grade of the assessment work are determined based on the nature of the components and the environmental characteristics of the project sites, with reference to the Technical Guideline of Environmental Impact Assessment and the Specifications of the Environmental Impact Assessment for Highway Projects. The results are listed in the Table 1.7-1.

Table 1.7-1 Topics and Work Grades of the Assessment Works Component Topic Grade Basis Reference: HJ19-2011 Project Area <2km² Ecology III Road Length<50km No important ecological sensitive sites. Reference: HJ/T2.4-2009 There is significant increase in noise before and after Noise I the Project ( by 5-10 dBA or more); And the number of affected people increases. Urban Roads Reference: HJ2.2-2008 The minimum grade of evaluation work for new or Ambient Air II upgraded urban roads (express road or trunk roads) projects is grade II. Reference: HJ/T2.3-93 Water Low amount of rain water/wastewater during III Environment operation stage; Water pollutant complexity is simple;

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Component Topic Grade Basis Receiving water body is medium to small river with Class IV surface water standard. Reference: HJ19-2011 Ecology III Project area<2km² No important ecological sensitive sites. Reference: HJ/T2.4-2009 There is insignificant increase in noise before and Noise III after the Project ( by <3 dBA); And the number of affected people has no significant change. There is no centralized pollutant source in the hub, Public Ambient Air III therefore the grade is III. Transport Reference: HJ/T2.3-93 Wastewater Volume < 200 m³/d; Pollutants are mainly degradable Number of water quality parameters to be predicted Water III <7; Environment Water quality complexity is simple; Wastewater will enter the sewer after primary treatment, and then be transported to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. This project was identified as a Category B project based on the World Bank Safeguard Policy OP 4.01 (Environmental Assessment), the predicted impact during the construction phase and the operation phase, and the World Bank Project Concept Note (PCN).

1.8 Scope of the EIA

The identified scope is listed in the Table 1.8-1.

Table 1.8-1 Topics and Scope of the EIA Component Topics Scope Within 300 meters from the central line of the road, and the Ecology disturbed area along the road (including the pit/spoil ground and temporary land use area). Within 200 meters from the central line of the road. During the Noise construction stage, noise sensitive sites in the temporary construction camp site should be included. Ambient Within 200 meters from the central line of the new road. Air Urban Roads Water From the proposed bridge location: Environme -Upstream: 1km nt -Downstream: affected area. From the proposed bridge location: Environme -Upstream: 1km ntal Risks -Downstream: affected area. Social Within 200 meters from the central line of the road. The scope Environme of survey should include all the area that is directly impacted by nt the proposed new roads.

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Component Topics Scope The project site and areas that will be affected during Ecology construction. Noise Within 60 meters from the boundary. Ambient The project site and areas that will be affected during Public Air construction. Water Transport No definite scope identified. Only the compliance analysis will Environme be conducted. nt Social Environme Local traffic nt

1.9 Assessment Methods

The principle to be followed in the process of this EIA is to focus on the representative locations or representative road sections to reflect the whole area. To evaluate the impacts on social environment, the survey method will mainly be used. To evaluate the noise impact, the modeling method will mainly be used. To evaluate the impact on the ambient air quality, a combination of survey and modeling will mainly be used. To evaluate the impact on the surface water environment, a combination of analogy analysis and forecast calculation will mainly be used. To evaluate the impact on ecological environment, the methods of data collection, field investigation and public consultation will mainly be used.

1.10 Timeframe of the Assessment

There are two phases including the construction phase and the operation phase. The timeframe of the construction phase is in line with that of the project implementation and the timeframe of the operation phase are the same as that used for traffic flow projection. Construction phase. The project construction period is 5 years starting from 2013 and ending at 2017. Operation phase. The near term is referring to 2018, the midterm is referring to 2024 and the long term is referring to 2032, respectively.

HAES -19- QXUTP EIA Report

1.11 Targets of Environmental Protection

1.11.1 Ecological Targets

It is confirmed in the field investigation that there is no ecological sensitive sites in the assessment scope, such as the nature reserve, the landscape and famous scenery, the forest, the cultural heritage protection unit, or the basic farm land reserve.

1.11.2 Ambient Air and Noise Protection Targets

The protection targets for noise and ambient air pollution are listed in the Table 1.11-1. There are 5 sensitive targets indentified and all of them are located along the new road. There is only 1 sensitive site (Yanxiaocun) in the assessment scope for the Yanxiaocun Interchange. There is no sensitive site near the pit ground and spoil ground. The urban road involved in the proposed Wusi Road Bus Corridor is part of the Xining city Road Network. Along the road there are many enterprises, residential areas, hotel and different kinds of shops. The adverse impacts from the development of the Bus Corridor are mainly from the upgrade of the bus stations. In this EIA, the sensitive sites around the bus stations such as schools, hospitals and nursing homes are investigated. There are five sensitive sites identified, including the Xining Modern Maternity Hospital, the Qinghai Radio and Television University, the Qinghai Normal University, the Huangchuan High School and the Huangchuan High School No. 2 Campus. The details are listed in the Table 1.11-2.

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Table 1-11.1 Noise and Ambient Air Sensitive Sites in the Assessment Scope of the Roads and the Interchange

Shortest distance（m） Name of Positional Brief Road the Stake From From Elevati relationship description of Environme No. Photograph Name sensitive No. the the on with the the sensitive ntal Impact sites central red differe roads site line lines nce

2 stories. Brick Social Wusixi Taobei K1+800- and concrete 1 35 5 0 Both sides activities Road Village K2+540 structure. 215 noise households.

One story. Brick Social No. 5 Taobei and concrete 2 K0+290 100 80 0 East side activities Road Village structure. 6 noise households.

2 stories. Brick Social Xicheng Wuzhong and concrete 3 K3+260 195 170 3 West side activities Avenue Village structure. 3 noise households.

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Shortest distance（m） Name of Positional Brief Road the Stake From From Elevati relationship description of Environme No. Photograph Name sensitive No. the the on with the the sensitive ntal Impact sites central red differe roads site line lines nce

2 stories. Brick Wangjiaz Social Xicheng K2+200- and concrete 4 hai 28 3 0 Both sides activities Avenue K2+660 structure.102 Village noise households.

2 stories. Brick Social Xicheng Zuoshu and concrete 5 K0+230 95 70 -8 East side activities Avenue Village structure. 37 noise households.

Traffic Yanxiaoc 2 stories. Brick Yanxiaoc 45m from the North side, noise and un and concrete 6 un interchange 0 facing the Social interchan structure. 12 Village boundary road activities ge households. noise

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Table 1.11-2 Noise and Ambient Air Sensitive Sites in the Assessment Scope of the Wusi Road Bus Corridor Name of the Name of bus Platform No. Stake No. Note Photograph Layout Sensitive site station type The Modern Maternity Hospital is Xining Xining Modern located to the Modern Center-posi Bus stop 1 Maternity K14+200 south east at 50 Maternity tioned Hospital m distance. The Modern Hospital entrance gate Maternity faces towards Hospital the Wusi Road.

The university is located to the southeast of the Qinghai Radio Bus stop Center-posi station at 20 m 2 and Television Wangjiazhai K13+80 tioned distance. The University entrance gate Qinghai Radio faces towards and Television University the Wusi Road.

The university is located to the northeast of the Qinghai Qinghai Normal Qinghai Normal Center-posi station at 20 m University 3 Normal K12+100 University tioned distance. The University entrance gate faces towards Bus Stop the Wusi Road.

HAES -23- EIA Report for the QXUTP Name of the Name of bus Platform No. Stake No. Note Photograph Layout Sensitive site station type The school is located to the southwest of Huangchuan Huangchuan the station at High School Center-posi 4 High School No. K11+20 180 m distance. Bus Stop No. 2 tioned 2 Campus The entrance Campus gate faces No. 2 toward the Cam Wenbo Road. pus

The school is located to the south of the Huangchuan Huangchuan Center-posi station at 15 m 5 K8+200 Bus Stop High School High School tioned distance. The entrance gate Huangchuan faces toward Highschool the Wusi Road.

HAES -24- QXUTP EIA Report

1.11.3 Water Environment Protection Targets

Currently there are 7 water treatment plants (WTPs) providing water supplies to the city. Among the 7 WTPs, 6 of them are using ground water as raw water and the other one is using surface water as raw water. According to the Notice of the Centralized Drinking Water Protection Zoning (No. 120, 2009), the Huangshui River is a Class III water body. However, because it is the replenishment source for the Groundwater Protection Zone in Duoba Area, it is also considered as a drinking water protection area. There are no water intakes (surface water or groundwater) around the proposed works. The surface water protection targets are listed in the Table 1.11-3, the Figure 1.11-1 and the Figure 5 in the appendix.

Table 1.11-3 Water Environment Protection Targets Name of the Relation to the Functional Water Body No. sensitive Stake Number Road Category Function targets Drinking water Huangshui Overcross the 1 K1+257-K1+617 Class III source protection River river as a bridge area centralized Cross the river as a 2 Yunguchuan Class II drinking water K1+760 box culvert source

Huangshui River Crossing Yunguchuan River Crossing Figure 1.11-1 Current conditions of the river crossing sites

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2 Summary of the Project contents

2.1 Geographic Location

There are 4 components in the Project, including the urban roads, the public transport, the intelligent traffic management, and the institutional and capacity building. Component 1: Urban Roads. This component includes three new roads including (1) the Xicheng Avenue with length of 3.7 km, (2) the Wusixi Road, a trunk road (east-to-west direction) with length of 3.49 km, and (3) the No.5 Road, a trunk road (south-to-north direction) with the length of 1.02 km. The Xicheng Avenue runs from south to north, starting at the South Bypass Highway poll station, underpassing the South Bypass Highway, the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway, intersecting with the Xichuan Road South at the same level, then overcrossing the Huangshui River and passing by the Kunlun Road, the Guihua Road, the Wusixi Road, the Xingmao Road, and finally ending at the Chaidamu Road. The total length is 3.7 km. The Wusixi Road goes from west to east, starting at the Xicheng Avenue, passing by the Guihua Road, the Yunguchuan River, the No. 5 Road, the No. 22 Road and ending at the No. 4 Road. The total length is 3.49 km. The No. 5 Road goes from south to north, starting from the Wusixi Road, passing by No. 19 Road, the Guihua 1 Road, and ending at the Chaidamu Road. The total length is 1.02 km. The locations and the road alignments are shown in the Figure 1 in the appendix. Component 2: Public Transport. This component includes the Yanxiaocun Interchange (including relevant Maintenance facility and a public dispatching center), the Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road, the Bus Priority Measures from the Wusixi Road to the city center including the traffic signal upgrading, the bus exclusive lanes, and the bus stops and terminals, the intelligent bus operation and management system for the dispatching center, and the advanced vehicles with larger capacity. The Yanxiaocun Interchange is located to the south of the Chaidamu Road, (or the Xihuang Highway, a Class I highway and Provincial Highway S103), at the Xichuan area of the Chengxi District, and to the north the farm produces facility at the Taobei Village. It is at the south-east corner of the intersection of the Chaidamu

HAES -26- QXUTP EIA Report Road and the proposed No. 5 Road. The land area is 14.19 hm². It is approximately 10 km from the city center. The Guihua 1 Road is located to the south of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. The designed starting point is at the intersection with No.5 Road. The road goes from west to east and end at the Guihua 2 Road. The total length is 328 m. The Guihua 2 road is located to the east of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. It starts from the Guihua 1 Road in the south and ends at the Chaidamu Road in the north. The total length is 392.75 m. The locations and the road alignments are shown in the Figure 1 in the appendix. Component 3: Intelligent Traffic Management. Establishment of the Intelligent Traffic Management system for the Wusixi Road, to control the traffic signals for this road section. Associated systems include: Electronic police systems, TV surveillance systems, traffic flow and incident detection systems, traffic violations monitoring and recording systems, traffic information / guidance systems. Component 4: Institutional and Capacity Development. To ensure smooth project implementation, operation and management, and sustainable urban transportation, Research, training and studies, consulting services, urban transportation strategy planning capacity building will be provided.

2.2 Functions

The functions of the three new roads (the Xicheng Avenue, the Wusixi Road and the No. 5 Road) in the Component 1 and the Yanxiaocun Interchange and two associated roads (Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road) are defined as below. Component 1: The Xicheng Avenue. According to the land use plan in the Road Network Plan of the Urban Space Use (2030), the Xicheng Avenue will be a long road connecting the Lijiashan Town, the Xichuan New Urban Area, the Lushaer Town, and the Ganhetan Town. The land along the road is planed mostly for residential use. The both ends of the road in the south and in the north are connected with the South Bypass Highway and the existing Beijing-to-Tibet Express Way, respectively. The designed function of the Xicheng Avenue is to serve as a trunk road for transportation use. It will be a major passage way for the South-to-North traffic in the region, for the connection with external express ways and for the Huangshui

HAES -27- QXUTP EIA Report River crossing in the new urban area. (1) The Wusixi Road. According to the land use plan in the Road Network Plan of the Urban Space Use (2030), the Wusixi Road Extension Section will be a bus corridor which connects the Changjiang Road in the urban area in the east and the Duoba Road in the west. The total length is 25 km. It is a major bus corridor that runs in the east-to-west direction. It can serve many travel origins along the route in the urban area, the Haihu, the Xigang, the Xichuan and the Duoba areas. The Wusixi Road Extension Section is located in the Xichuan new urban area and is a major part of the bus corridor. The land along both sides of the road is mainly for residential use, and some commercial and public use. The designed function of the road is to serve as a trunk road for transportation use. It will be a major passage way for the East-to-West traffic in the region, for the connection between districts in the urban area, and for the medium and long distance bus routes going east to west. (2) The No. 5 Road. According to the land use plan in the Road Network Plan of the Urban Space Use (2030), the No.5 Road will be a major trunk road in the west urban area going from south to north, connecting several east-to-west trunk roads including the Chaidamu Road, the Wusixi Road, and the Kunlun Avenue. It is located in the center of the new urban area. The land on both sides of the road is mainly for commercial, leisure and social activities use and will be the major area for commercial and social gathering. The Yanxiaocun Interchange is also arranged along the No.5 road. The designed function of the road is to serve as a trunk road for urban life use. It will be the major passage way for the south to north traffic, serving the traffic between districts, bus corridors and the municipal level transportation hubs. Component 2. (1) The Yanxiaocun Interchange. The Interchange is located in the new urban area in the western Xining City, and at the north side of the Chaidamu Road, east side of the No. 5 Road. It is approximately 12 km away from the Xining urban area. The Interchange will become the major transfer station connecting the internal and external transportation for Xining City. The Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road. are both the boundary roads of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. They are also the major access roads of the Logistic Center. The Guihua 1 Road has the logistic center and

HAES -28- QXUTP EIA Report the Interchange on each side. The major entrance for the logistic center is on the south side of the road. The Guihua 2 Road has a commercial land on the east side and the Interchange and the logistic center on the west side. In the future the Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road will be extended to the east-west direction and the south-north direction, respectively, and become the major tributary roads connecting the trunk roads, diverting the traffic and serving the local traffic. (2) Wusi Road Bus Corridor: The bus corridor is planned to be a trunk road for urban life use. The focus of its functions is to provide access to surrounding areas. At the same time, it can serve the transportation need among urban districts.

2.3 Project Contents

This Project is an integrated project covering both structural interventions and non-structural interventions. There are 4 components grouped by their natures, including the urban roads, the public transport, the intelligent traffic management, and the institutional and capacity building. 120 million USD of World Bank loan will be used to finance this Project. The detailed contents of the construction are listed in the Table 2.3-1.

Table 2.3-1 Project Contents Static Name of Construction Contents Project Nature Investment Component (10000 CNY) The new Xicheng Avenue, Wusixi Road Component 1: Structural Trunk Road Extension section, No. 105274.50 Urban Roads Intervention 5 Road. Total length 8.21 km. A new bus priority demonstration corridor with total length of Wusi Road 15.6 km. The Structural Bus Priority procurement and Intervention Corridor installation of relevant equipments are also included. Component 2: A new Xichuan Public 52163.01 Interchange with total Transport land area of 14.19 hm². The Gross Floor Xichuan Area (GFA) is Structural (Yanxiaocun) 152,517.3 m². Intervention Interchange A new Guihua 1 Road of 238 m length and a new Guihua 2 Road of 392.751 m.

HAES -29- QXUTP EIA Report Static Name of Construction Contents Project Nature Investment Component (10000 CNY)

Establishment of the Intelligent Traffic Management system for the Wusixi Road, to control the traffic signals for Component 3: Non-structural this road section. Associated systems Intelligent Intervention include: Electronic police systems, TV Traffic (Software 5584.17 surveillance systems, traffic flow and Management improvement incident detection systems, traffic System and upgrading) violations monitoring and recording systems, traffic information / guidance systems. To ensure smooth project implementation, operation and Component 4: management, and sustainable urban Institutional Consulting transportation, Research, training and 3117.20 and capacity Service studies, consulting services, urban Building transportation strategy planning capacity building will be provided.

2.4 Urban Roads

The Urban Roads component aims at connecting the old urban area and the new urban area, levitating the traffic pressure on the Chaidamu Road and on the Xichuan Road South in the urban area and the Xichuan area, and strengthening the connections between the central urban areas and the surrounding areas. This component includes 3 new trunk roads (the Xicheng Avenue, the Wusixi Road Extension Section, and the No. 5 Road). The total length of the roads is 8.21 km. The total investment of this component is 1052.745 million CNY.

2.4.1 Road Construction Plan This component includes 3 trunk roads and 2 branch roads, all of which are located in the Xichuan district. The proposed roads plan is as below: 1) The Xicheng Avenue. The road alignment is in the south-to-north direction. It starts at the poll station of the South Bypass Highway, underpassing the South Bypass Highway and the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway, intersecting with the Xichuan Road South at the same level, overpassing the Huangshui River, bypassing the Kunlun Avenue, the Guihua Road, the Wusixi Road, the Xingmao Road, and ending at the Chaidamu Road. The designed length is 3.7 km, including a bridge crossing the Huangshui River, a frame bridge, and 7 intersections. The width between the red lines is 50 meters. The road has a two-way, six-lane, and dual carriageway

HAES -30- QXUTP EIA Report configuration. The road design is shown in the Figure 2.1-1.

Figure 2.1-1 Schematic Diagram of the Xicheng Avenue 2) The Wusixi Road Extension Section. The road alignment is in the west-to-east direction. It starts at the Xicheng Avenue, going eastwards through the Guihua Road, the Yunguchuan River, the No. 5 Road, the No. 22 Road, and ending at the No.4 Road. The design length is 3.49 km, including a crossing Yunguchuan bridge and 5 intersections with other trunk roads. The width between the red lines is 60 m. It has a two-way, six-lane and dual carriageway configuration for the short term and a two-way, eight-lane and dual carriageway configuration for the long term. The road design is shown in the Figure 2.1-2

Figure 2.1-2 Schematic Diagram of Wusixi Road Extension Section 3) The No.5 Road. The road alignment is in the south-to-north direction. It starts at the Wusixi Road, going north through the No. 19 Road and the Guihua 1 Road, and ends at the Chaidamu Road. The total length is 1.02 km, including 3 intersections. The width between the red lines is 40 meters. It has a two-way, six-lane and dual carriageway configuration. The road design is shown in the Figure 2.1-3.

HAES -31- QXUTP EIA Report Figure 2.1-3 Schematic Diagram of the No. 5 Road

2.4.2 Traffic Flow Projection According to the engineering feasibility study report, the time frames used for projection are 2018 (the first year of operation as the short-term), 2024 (the seventh year of operation as the mid-term) and 2032 (the fifteenth year of operation as the long-term). The vehicle type ratio and the daytime ratio (the ratio between the traffic flow of the 16 hours day time and that of the whole day) of each road are listed in the Table 2.4-2 and the Table 2.4-3. The results of the traffic flow projection are listed in the Table 2.4-4.

Table 2.4-2 The Daytime Ratio Time Frame 2018 (Short-term) 2025 (Mid-term) 2032 (long-term) Daytime Ratio (%) 89% 85% 83%

Table 2.4-3 Vehicle Type Ratio Projections Small-sized Mid-sized Large-sized Time Frame Vehicle% Vehicle% Vehicle% 2018 (Short-term) 76% 3% 21% Wusixi 2025 (Mid-term) 75% 2% 23% Road 2032 (long-term) 76% 2% 22% 2018 (Short-term) 49% 29% 22% Xicheng 2025 (Mid-term) 56% 27% 17% Avenue 2032 (long-term) 73% 18% 9% 2018 (Short-term) 68% 9% 23% No. 5 Road 2025 (Mid-term) 76% 7% 17% 2032 (long-term) 82% 5% 13% 2018 (Short-term) 91% 2% 7% Guihua 1 2025 (Mid-term) 87% 4% 9% Road 2032 (long-term) 83% 3% 14% 2018 (Short-term) 90% 2% 8% Guihua 2 2025 (Mid-term) 85% 4% 11% Road 2032 (long-term) 84% 3% 13%

Table 2.4-4 Traffic Flow Projection of Each Road Total Traffic (No. of Peak Hour Hourly Flow in Hourly Flow at Vehicles/day) Flow Daytime (No. Nighttime (No. Year Standard Absolute (No. of of of Passage Number of Vehicles/hour) Vehicles/hour) Vehicles/hour) Car Vehicles

HAES -32- QXUTP EIA Report Total Traffic (No. of Peak Hour Hourly Flow in Hourly Flow at Vehicles/day) Flow Daytime (No. Nighttime (No. Year Standard Absolute (No. of of of Passage Number of Vehicles/hour) Vehicles/hour) Vehicles/hour) Car Vehicles 2018 26771 21176 1790 1178 291 (Short-term) Wusixi 2024 36031 28560 2185 1517 536 Road (Mid-term) 2032 43638 33281 2348 1726 707 (long-term) 2018 5360 3595 304 200 49 (Short-term) Xicheng 2024 21957 14727 1127 782 276 Avenue (Mid-term) 2032 46873 37567 2650 1949 798 (long-term) 2018 3648 2620 222 146 36 (Short-term) No. 5 2024 13783 9899 757 526 186 Road (Mid-term) 2032 34175 28967 2044 1503 616 (long-term)

Source: the FSR Consultant

2.4.3 Intersections Design According to the road network plans, the intersections for the 3 roads are listed in the Tables 2.4-5, 2.4-6 and 2.4-7.

Table 2.4-5 Intersections for the Xicheng Avenue Stake Planned Number Road Name Intersection Type Notes Number width 1 K0+87.138 Poll station A Ramp 19.5 T-Intersection Planned Xichuan Road South Planned 2 K1+184.852 30（12） X-Intersection and （Country Road 109） existing 3 K1+729.958 Kunlun Avenue 60 Cross-Intersection Planned 4 K2+300.101 Guihua Road 30 Cross-Intersection Planned 5 K2+796.842 Wusixi Road 60 Cross-Intersection Planned 6 K3+278.442 Xingmao Road 30 Cross-Intersection Planned 7 K3+740 Chaidamu Road (S103) 40（8） Cross-Intersection Planned

Table 2.4-6 Intersections for the Wusixi Road Extension Section Stake Planned Number Road Name Intersection Type Notes Number width 1 K0+080 Xicheng Avenue 50 Cross-Intersection Planned 2 K1+014.196 Guihua Road 30 Cross-Intersection Planned 3 K1+761.624 No. 5 Road 40 Cross-Intersection Planned

HAES -33- QXUTP EIA Report 4 K2+639.894 No. 22 Road 30 Cross-Intersection Planned 5 K3+687.262 No. 4 Road 50 Cross-Intersection Planned

Table 2.4-7 Intersections for the No. 5 Road Stake Planned Number Road Name Intersection Type Notes Number width 1 K0+080 Wusixi Road 60 Cross-Intersection Planned 2 K0+645.836 No. 19 Road 30 Cross-Intersection Planned 3 K0+910.779 Guihua 1 Road 18 Cross-Intersection Planned 40 Planned 4 K1+162.245 Chaidamu Road Cross-Intersection and （24.5） existing 2.4.4 Design Standard

(1) Road Classification Based on the designed functions and the traffic flow projections, and with reference to the Design Codes for Urban Roads (CJJ37-90), the Xining City Master Plan (2001-2020), and the Xining Urban Space Development Plan (2030), it is determined that the Xicheng Avenue, the Wusixi Road Extension Section and the No. 5 Road will be trunk roads, and that the Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road will be branch roads. (2) Design Speed According to the Plan, the design speed is 60 km/h for the Xicheng Avenue, 50 km/h for the Wusixi Road Extension Section, 50 km/h for the No. 5 Road and 30 km/h for the Guihua 1 Road and the Guihua 2 Road. (3) Width of the motorized traffic lanes The width is 3.25m-3.5m for regular sections, 3 m – 3.25 m for intersections and 2.5 m – 3.0 m for bus bays. (4)Load standard Standard Axial Load for the roads: BZZ-100kN； Design Truck Load for the bridges: City-A. Design Load for pedestrian for the bridge will be selected from the General Specifications of Highway Bridge and Culverts. (5) Net Distance for Structure Clearance Net distance for structure clearance is 4.5 meters for regular sections, and 5.2 meters for highways connecting sections. (6)Seismic Protection Standard

HAES -34- QXUTP EIA Report The seismic fortification intensity in Xining City is 7 degrees and the seismic acceleration is 0.1g. (7) Drainage system The designed storm reoccurrence frequency is once every year. The drainage system adopts separate systems for the wastewater and the storm water.

Table 2.4-8 Technical Standards for the Urban Roads, m Item Xicheng Avenue Wusixi Road No. 5 Road Road Classification Trunk Road Trunk Road Trunk Road Width between Red Lines 50 60 40 Design Speed 60 50 50 Motor Road sections 3.25-3.5 Vehicle Intersections 3-3.25 Lane Width（m） Bus Bays 2.5-3 Motorized 2% Vehicle Lanes Lateral Sidewalk and Slope and Non-motor -1.5% vehicle lanes Net clearance（m） 4.5m for regular sections, 5.0 m for highway connections. Stopping sight distance（m） 70 Design Load for roads BZZ-100 Design load for City-A bridges/culverts Load standard City-A Seismic acceleration 0.1g Designed storm water reoccurrence frequency is once Drainage every year; runoff coefficient 0.6.

2.4.5 Overall Plan

The Xicheng Avenue: Trunk road, two-way and 6-lane on the ground. The Wusixi Road Extension Section: Trunk road, two-way and 6-lane on the ground. The No. 5 Road: Trunk road, two-way and 4-lane on the ground.

2.4.6 Design Plan for the Xicheng Avenue

The Xicheng Avenue starts at the South Bypass Highway, going north and ending at the Chaidamu Road. It passes by the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway, Xichuan Road South, Huangshui River, and Wusixi Road, successively. The villages it passes by include Zuoshu Village and Wangjiazhai Village. Currently the site is

HAES -35- QXUTP EIA Report mostly farm land in the sites with some ponds and few buildings, which are mostly residential houses. The Xicheng Avenue is planned to be a trunk road with two-ways and 6-lane configuration. The design speed is 60 km/h. With considerations of the road function, the characteristics of the travel demand along the road, the location, the nature of the environment and the demand forecast, and with reference to the Design Codes for Urban Roads (CJJ37-2012), it is determined that the lane width is 3.5 m for large size vehicles or mixed vehicles, and 3.25 m for the exclusive lanes small sized passenger cars. The width between the red lines is 50m. The detailed settings are as follows: 50.0 m = 10.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab) + 11.0 m (Motorized traffic lanes) + 8.0 m (Central green belt divider) + 11.0 m (Motorized traffic lanes) + 10.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab). They are also shown in the Figure 2.4-1.

Figure 2.4-1 Cross Section Design for the Xicheng Avenue

2.4.7 Design Plan for the Wusixi Road Extension Section

The Wusixi Road Extension Section starts at the intersection with the Xicheng Avenue and ends at the intersection with the No. 4 Road. It connects with the Wusixi Road at the intersection with No. 4 Road. The Road runs through the Taobei Village and passes by the Wangjiazhai Village from the south side. Currently the area along the alignment is mostly farm land with some ponds and a few buildings, which are mostly two stories residential houses. The Wusixi Road Extension Section is planned to be a trunk road with two-way and 8-lane configuration. When the traffic flow is relatively low in the short term, 6 lanes will be used as carriage ways with the lanes on the outside used for parking.

HAES -36- QXUTP EIA Report The design speed is 50 km/h. With consideration of the road function, the characteristics of the travel demand along the road, the location, the nature of the environment and the demand forecast, and with reference to the Design Codes for Urban Roads (CJJ37-2012), it is determined that the lane width is 3.5 m for large size vehicles or mixed vehicles, 3.25 m for the exclusive lanes for small sized passenger cars. The width between the red lines is 60m. The detailed settings are as follows: 60.0 m = 10.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab) + 14.0 m (Motorized traffic lanes) + 12.0 m (Central green belt divider) + 14.0 m (Motorized traffic lanes) + 10.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab). They are also shown in the Figure 2.4-2.

Figure 2.4-2 Cross Section Design for the Wusixi Road Extension Section

2.4.8 Design Plan for the No. 5 Road

The No.5 Road starts at the Wusixi Road and ends at the intersection with the Chaidamu Road. Currently the area along the alignment is mostly farm land with some ponds and a few buildings, which are mostly residential houses. The No. 5 Road is planned to be a trunk road with two-way and 6-lane configuration. The design speed is 50 km/h. With consideration of the road function, the characteristics of the travel demand along the road, the location, the nature of the environment and the demand forecast, and with reference to the Design Codes for Urban Roads (CJJ37-2012), it is determined that the lane width is 3.5 m for large size vehicles or mixed vehicles, 3.25 m for the exclusive lanes for small sized passenger cars. The width between the red lines is 40m. The detailed settings are as follows: 40.0 m = 8.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab) + 11.0 m

HAES -37- QXUTP EIA Report (Motorized traffic lanes) + 2.0 m (Central green belt divider) + 11.0 m (Motorized traffic lanes) + 8.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab). They are also shown in the Figure 2.4-3.

Figure 2.4-3 Cross Section design for the No. 5 Road

2.4.9 Road Base and Road Surface Design

2.4.9.1 Road Base Design (1) Road Base Filling General methods. The roads in this project are all new roads built on farm lands. For the road base treatment, 30 cm of top soil should be removed followed by compacting of newly exposed soil. If the strength still cannot meet the requirement, a 60 cm back fill with 6% limestone soil should be applied by stratified compacting to ensure the design requirements are met. For the road section with excessive water content, in order to ensure the construction quality, a 15 cm thick of permeable gravel layer (10-20 mm) should be placed below the road surface. Below the permeable layer is a permeable geotextile layer followed by an impermeable geotextile layer. On both sides of the road are 0.4*0.4 m drainage blind ditches with DN200 PVC drainage pipes to send the water to the nearest storm water pit. For the road section crossing rivers or ponds, cofferdam should be first placed outside the slope foot, followed by pumping and sediment dredging until undisturbed soil is exposed. The slope will be made into steps with width no less than 30 cm and height approximately 20 cm. The dimensions should be determined based on the natural slope. The bottom should be filled with gravel (30 cm thick) above which is a layer of geotextile composite non-woven fabric. The filling material

HAES -38- QXUTP EIA Report is lime soil (6%). Each layer of filling will be 20 cm thick until it reaches the design elevation of the road bed elevation. During the filling process, no water compoundment is allowed. Besides, the stability against sliding should be checked. For collapsible loess roadbed, 6% of lime soil will be used for filling until 60 cm below the road bed top elevation. The filling is compressed by each layer to ensure the compaction degree and the subgrade resilient coefficients are sufficient. For the road base behind the bridge pile, the two-ash mixture (fly ash: lime = 95:5 in volume) plus geogrid is used. The length for filling with this material is 40-60 m. To avoid uneven settling, 8m of reinforced concrete slab is also used. (2) Road base protection design A combination of engineering protection measures and vegetation protection measures is used to protect the road base. The slope protection measures include mortar rubbles, arch skeletons and grass planting. For fill slope that has a height less than 3 meters, grass planting will be used. For the fill slope that has a height larger than 3 meters, mortar rubble and arch skeleton will be used. Grass will be planted within the arches. For the roads along rivers, the water front side will be protected by mortar rubble. For the cut slopes, the protection methods should be based on the height of the cutting and the geological conditions. Applicable methods including the retaining wall and the mortar and stone arch skeleton with grass in the arch. For the approach roads to the bridges, precasted hollow hexagonal block will be used for slope protection. Retain wall can be used to reduce the land requirement when the fill slope is too high. However, if the land requirement is not a concern, the design will take advantage of the area reserved for greenbelt and adopt the natural slope method on both sides. The slope can be decided with consideration of factors including the land requirement and the landscaping. With a slow slope together with green lands, a pleasant landscaping effect can be produced at the bridge ends.

2.4.9.2 Road surface design BZZ-100 is selected as the standard axle load for the road surface design. The design service life is 15 years. The road surface structure is as below: (1) Motorized traffic lane The upper surface layer: 4 cm thick of fine modified asphalt cement (AC-13C)/

HAES -39- QXUTP EIA Report gravel mixture of colored asphalt mastic (SMA-13, modified). The medium surface layer: 5 cm thick of medium sized asphalt cement (AC-20) The lower surface layer: 7 cm thick of large sized asphalt cement (AC-25C) 0.6 cm thick of slurry seal. 35 cm thick of 6% cement stabilized gravel subbase 40 cm thick of natural graded gravel cushion. (2) Non-motorized traffic lane 4 cm thick of fine modified asphalt cement (AC-13C) 6 cm thick of medium sized asphalt cement (AC-20) 25 cm thick of 6% cement stabilized gravel subbase 35 cm thick of natural graded gravel cushion (3) Sidewalk 10 cm anti-slippery machine made C30 bricks 2 cm M10 slurry 20 cm C20 concrete 25 cm thick of natural graded gravel cushion Note: gravel mixture of colored asphalt mastic (SMA-13, modified) will be used for bus-exclusive lanes

2.4.10 Associated facilities

(1)Public transport system According to the public transport plan, bus stops/stations will be arranged at appropriate locations. As a part of the Wusi Road Bus Corridor, the Wusixi Road Extension Section will adopt the center-positioned bus exclusive lane. The lane width will be 3.5 meters. The intervals between stops will be 500-600 meters. The platform will be 30-45 meters long and 3 meters wide. The bus parking lane will be 3 meters wide. For the Xicheng Avenue and the No. 5 Road, roadside bus stops/stations will be arranged near intersections. The intervals between bus stops/stations will be 500-600 meters. The platform will be 30 meters long. Based on the road design and bus demand, different bus stop/station types will be selected, including the bus bay type or other types. (2) Pedestrian and street crossing

HAES -40- QXUTP EIA Report The pedestrian crossing will be arranged for the entire roads, with intervals between 250-300 meters. When the crossings are arranged at intersections, they should not be arranged at places including (1) the curves or slopes where the sight is blocked for moving vehicles, (2) where there is large demand for turning or merging, and (3) the bottleneck road section where smooth traffic flow is important. The minimum width of the pedestrian crossing is 3 meters. The pedestrian crossing should be well equipped with sign boards, including the “watch out for pedestrians”, the “pedestrian crossing” and the “stop” signs. 1) Crossings at intersections The below principles will be followed for the crossings at intersections. The location of the pedestrian crossing shall not interfere with the moving or turning traffic. The stop line on the trunk roads should be at least 2 meters behind the crossing. At the intersections where the right turning traffic can easily conflict with the street crossing pedestrian, the crossings at two directions should not intersect and should keep a distance enough for a right turning vehicle. For roads with central dividers and long pedestrian crossings, safety Islands should be arranged at the central divider place. Pedestrian safety should be the first priority concerns in the design followed by the left turning traffic. Usually there will be 1-2 meters reserved area arranged at the end of the central divider for the safety of pedestrians making a temporary stop. In order for the pedestrian to know the remaining time available for him/her to cross the street, it is recommended that a countdown signal should be arranged. 2) Crossings at non-intersection places The below principles should be followed for the design of crossings at non-intersection places. For the trunk roads and secondary trunk roads, the street crossings intervals should be 250-300 meters. If the distances between road intersections are small or the road is divided by physical separation such as the separation fences, the crossings at non-intersection places should not be allowed. The minimum width of the pedestrian crossing marking is 3.0 meters. The width can be increased at an increment of 1 meter according to the crossing demand. For roads with considerable street crossing demand, the options of overpass

HAES -41- QXUTP EIA Report or underpass should be considered. When these options are not feasible, pedestrian crossing signals should be arranged. When the road is too wide for the pedestrian to cross in one attempt, a secondary street crossing signal should be arranged. The pedestrian crossing should clearly labeled with traffic marks and traffic signs, including the “watch out for pedestrians”, “pedestrian crossing“ and “stop “ signs. (3) Speed reducing facility The safety measures for the center-positioned bus-exclusive lane are: Arrange traffic signals at the street crossings; Protect the pedestrians on the platform using three levels of safety measures; guide the traffic on the neighboring lanes to avoid accidents of vehicle collision into the platform. i. Install road spikes at the edge of the bus platform as the dividing line of the traffic lanes. ii. Place plastic reflective warning column at the end of the separation line of the bus lane and other lanes. Together with the spikes, they will help warn the vehicle drivers of the obstacles ahead. iii. Use the bus bay transition zone island as the secondary protection. (4) Accessible (disability) facilities 1) Road accessible facilities Blind lane is designed on the sidewalk for blind or sight-impaired pedestrians. The blind lane should be paved with no intervals. The lane width is usually 30-60 cm. it is usually placed 0.25 – 0.5 meters from the greenbelt at the outside. The exact place of the blind lane can be adjusted according to the width of the sidewalk. When the lane turns, blind cue should be provided. 2) Intersection accessible facilities A 3-way slope with the gradient 1:12 will be designed on the sidewalk near the pedestrian crossing. The selection of the slope width is based on the actual sidewalk width. The lower end of the slope should be less than 20 mm higher than the traffic lane. The pedestrian crossing should be modified at the central divider to allow the wheelchair to pass. Blind cue way should be arranged at the intersection and be connected with the blind lane on the sidewalk.

HAES -42- QXUTP EIA Report 3) Accessible facilities for access roads For accesses roads that are narrow and that the traffic is light, a 3-way slope with the gradient of 1:20 on the sidewalk direction will be designed. The blind lane will not be interrupted. For access roads that are wide and that have heavy traffic, a one-way slope with gradient of 1:20 will be designed at the edge stone place. Blind cue way will be arranged at upper end of the slope. 4) Accessible facilities for bus stations Blind cue way and wheelchair slope are designed for bus stations for disabled people to board/offboard the buses. The blind cue way is connected with the blind lane on the sidewalk. The blind cue is designed at where the blind lane turns and near the information board. (5) Crossing culvert The project area is currently farm land with many irrigation ditches. Though this area has been included in the urban planning to be changed to land of construction use, these farm lands will remain being farmed for a certain period of time. Therefore the connection between the irrigation systems on both sides of the roads should be considered. Based on the field survey, the Φ1.0-2.0 sized pipe culverts are selected for the street crossing. There are 5 places on the Xicheng Avenue, 2 places on the Wusixi Road Extension Section, and 2 places on the No. 5 Road selected for the culvert crossing.

2.4.11 Bridge design

The Xicheng Avenues will cross the Huangshui River and the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway. There will be a new Huangshui River Bridge to overcross the river and a frame bridge to underpass the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway. The Wusixi Road Extension Section will cross the Yunguchuan River. There will be a new Yunguchuan Bridge to cross the river. According to the road network plan, there will be a pedestrian overpass that crosses the Xicheng Avenue at the location of the intersection with the South Bypass. It will serve the pedestrian and non-motorized traffic to cross the Xicheng Avenue.

HAES -43- QXUTP EIA Report 2.4.11.1 Technical standards The profiles of the bridge should comply with the urban roads design specifications. It should also be able to match the surrounding environment and the local development. The main indicators are: Load standard: City-A. Pedestrian load: 3.5 kN/m² Horizontal slope: 2.0% Design flood reoccurrence frequency: 1/100. Net distance clearance: ≥5.0m for the Xicheng Avenue The seismic fortification intensity in Xining is 7 degree and seismic acceleration is 0.1g. Wind: once every 100 years wind speed 28.6 m/s; once every 10 years wind speed 22.6 m/s Safety factor of structural design: Class I for the Huangshui River Bridge main bridge section and the frame bridge, (γ0＝1.1); Class II for the Huangshui River

Bridge approach bridge section and the Yunguchuan Box Culvert. (γ0＝1.0);

2.4.11.2 Design plan (1) The Huangshui River Bridge The Huangshui River Bridge on the Xicheng Avenue will use the main span to cross the river channel with no piers in the water channel. The design plan is: (3 * 30m) precast small box girders + (80 +110 +80) continuous box girder variable cross-sections = 360 m. The main bridge is 270 m long (80+110+80). The hanging basket cantilever construction method will be used for the construction of the prestressed concrete continuous girder with variable cross-sections. It will be a two-deck bridge with 2% horizontal slope in both directions. The cross section design is: 3.5m (sidewalk) + 3.5m (non-motorized traffic lane) + 0.5 m (divider) + 11 m (motorized traffic lane) + 0.5 m (collision barrier) + 7 m (central divider) + 0.5 m (collision barrier) + 11 m (motorized traffic lane) + 0.5 m (divider) + 3.5m (non-motorized traffic lane) + 3.5m (sidewalk) = 45 m. The approach bridge is 90 m long (30+30+30). It is made of precast continuous prestressed concrete box girder. It has a two-deck bridge surface with 2%

HAES -44- QXUTP EIA Report horizontal slope in both directions. The cross section design is: 3.5m (sidewalk) + 3.5m (non-motorized traffic lane) + 0.5 m (divider) + 11 m (motorized traffic lane) + 0.5 m (collision barrier) + 7 m (central divider) + 0.5 m (collision barrier) + 11 m (motorized traffic lane) + 0.5 m (divider) + 3.5m (non-motorized traffic lane) + 3.5m (sidewalk) = 45 m. (2) The Qinghai-to-Tibet underpassing frame bridge The frame bridge should meet the requirement of the two-way 6 lane road section design with no non-motorized traffic lane and sidewalks. The 15+15 m long frame bridge will be jacked in under the existing railway. The total length is 30.7 m and the total width is 33 m. (3) The Yunguchuan Bridge on the Wusixi Road The Wusixi road will overcross the Yunguchuan River by a culvert. The culvert has a two-hole cross section with the size of 3*4 m each. There will be new embankment to connect with the existing river embankment within a 60 m range outside the culvert. The total length is 120 m.

2.4.12 Associated facilities

The associated facilities include the drainage system, the lighting system, the landscaping and the traffic management system.

2.4.12.1 Drainage system Separated storm water and sewer systems are adopted for the drainage system in the Xining City. (1) Storm water 1) The Xicheng Avenue a、 To the north of the Huangshui River. Starting from the intersection with the Chaidamu Road and under the shared lanes for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on both sides, a DN400-DN500 pipe (2245 m) and a DN 500-DN1200 pipe (2246 m) will be laid in the north to south direction. They will be both dischanged to the Huangshui River by gravity flow. 240 m length of connections pipes will be reserved at the intersections with the Chaidamu Road, the Xingmao Road, the Wusixi Road, the Guihua Road and the Kunlun Avenue. 38 community connections will be reserved along the pipelines. The road surface rain water will be collected in the rainwater pit along the roads located outside the motorized lanes.

HAES -45- QXUTP EIA Report b、 To the south of the Huangshui River. This area wasn’t covered by the drainage special plan. The drainage ditch will be used for rainwater collection. No drainage pipelines will be designed. 2) The Wusixi Road Starting from the intersection with the Xicheng Avenue and under the shared lanes for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on both sides, DN500-DN600 pipes (3490 m and 3496 m) will be laid in the west to east direction. They will be both connected to the existing drainage system under the Wusixi Road and discharged into the Shier River. 111 m length of connections pipes (DN800-DN1000) will be reserved at the intersections with the Guihua Road, the No. 5 Road and the No. 22 Road. 60 community connections (DN400) will be reserved along the pipelines. The road surface rain water will be collected in the rainwater pit along the roads outside the motorized lanes. To enhance the reliability and safety of the drainage system, a 14 meters overflow pipe (DN500) and a 12 meters long overflow pipe (DN500) will be placed on each side of the No. 5 Road, respectively. The overflowed rainwater will be discharged into the Yunguchuan River. 3) The No.5 Road. Starting from the intersection with the Chaidamu Road and under the shared lane for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on the west side, a DN600-DN800 pipe (1020 m) will be laid in the north to south direction. The pipe will be connected to the reserved connections (DN800) of the designed drainage pipelines under the Wusixi Road. The rainwater collected will be discharged into the Shier River. 59 m length of connections pipes (DN500-DN600) will be reserved at the intersections with the Guihua 1 Road and No. 19 Road. 9 pairs of community connections (DN400) will be reserved along the pipelines. The road surface rain water will be collected in the rainwater pit along the roads outside the motorized lanes. (2) Wastewater 1) The Xicheng Avenue a、 Sections between the Chaidamu Road and the Wusixi Road. Starting from the intersection with the Chaidamu Road and under the shared lanes for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on both sides, a DN400-DN500 pipe (839 m) and a DN 300 pipe (730 m) will be laid in the north to south direction. Through a 72

HAES -46- QXUTP EIA Report m connection pipe (DN600) they will be connected to the existing sewer under the Wusixi Road. Then the wastewater will be discharged to the No. 4 WWTP. b、 Sections between the Wusixi Road and the Huangshui Road. Under the shared lanes for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on both sides, a DN400-DN500 pipe (1182 m) and a DN 300 pipe (1128 m) will be laid in the north to south direction. They will merge at the Stake No. K0+630 into a DN 500 pipe (119m) going southwards along the red line on the east side of the road. It will then be connected to the DN 1200 sewer main along the north bank of the Huangshui River. Through the sewer main, the wastewater will be discharged to the No. 4 WWTP. 198 m length of connections pipes (DN400-DN800) will be reserved at the intersections with the Wusixi Road and the Guihua Road. 38 community connections pipes (DN300) will be reserved along the pipelines. c、 To the south of the Huangshui River. This area wasn’t covered by the drainage special plan. No sewer pipelines will be designed. 2) The Wusixi Road Starting from the intersection with the Xicheng Avenue and under the shared lanes for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on both sides, a DN400 pipe (3412 m) and a DN 600-800 pipe (3497 m) will be laid in the west to east direction. They will be connected to the existing sewer under the east section of the Wusixi Road. And then the wastewater will be discharged to the No. 4 WWTP. 34 m length of connections pipes (DN500) will be reserved at the intersections with the Guihua Road, the No. 5 Road and the No. 22 Road. 60 community connections pipes (DN300) will be reserved along the pipelines. 3) The No. 5 Road. Starting from the intersection with the Chaidamu Road and under the shared lane for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on the east side, a DN400-DN500 pipe (954 m) will be laid in the north to south direction. The pipe will be connected to the reserved connections (DN500) of the designed sewer under the Wusixi Road. The wastewater collected will be discharged into the No. 4 WWTP. 85 m length of connections pipes (DN400) will be reserved at the intersections with the Guihua 1 Road and No. 19 Road. 9 pairs of community connections (DN400) will be reserved along the pipelines.

HAES -47- QXUTP EIA Report 2.4.12.2 Lighting system Lighting is provided for all the roads sections under this Project. The double arms road lamps will be adopted and symmetrically arranged on the sidewalks on both sides of the road. For the trunk roads, the mounting elevation is 12 m and the interval between lamps is 35 m. The arm on the motorized traffic lane is 2 m long with 400W high pressure sodium lamp (HPS lamp). The full cutoff lighting type of lamp will be adopted and mounted at the 12 m elevation. On the other side the arm is 1.5 m long with 250 W colored HPS lamp. The semi-cutoff lighting type of lamp will be selected and mounted at the 10 m elevation. When the road underpass the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway and the South Bypass highway, project-light lamp will be adopted with 100W HPS lamps.

2.4.12.3 Landscaping System The landscaping includes the central divider, road side divider and the roadside trees. The central divider is close to the overtaking lane. The characteristics of its environmental condition include strong wind, strong pollution and high temperature. Therefore the plant species that can tolerate drought, coldness, pollution and pest hazard should be selected for the central divider. As the traffic flow increase continuously, the exhaust gas emission will also increase, bringing in more air pollution. The species that can tolerate the pollution should be considered first. The combination of the plant species can be decided based on the size of the divider. Layered vertical planting can be considered to increase the overall leaf surface area and increase the biological benefits. According to the literature, a piece of greenland combining the trees, the shrubs and the lawns can have a biological benefit 5 times higher than that of the lawn only. The road sides trees can help clean up the air, produce shade, reduce the noise, and produce aesthetic effect. As the three roads are all urban trunk roads and the Wusixi Road and the Xicheng Avenue are both the city portals, tree species with net tree crowns and can tolerate cutting should be selected in the design to form a landscape effect of tree rows. At the same time, the layout of the trees should avoid the underground pipelines so that their growth is not hindered by the pipelines.

HAES -48- QXUTP EIA Report 2.4.12.4 City 110 high definition surveillance system The surveillance system will be developed along both sides of the three new roads with total length of 8.2 km, in which the Wusixi Road Extension Section accounts for 3.49 km, the Xicheng Avenue accounts for 3.7 km and the No. 5 Road accounts for 1.02 km. The surveillance system will be able to provide full-range monitoring of the three trunk roads by fix frame cameras (with 100 m interval) and dome cameras (with 1 km interval). For the three roads (both sides), a total of 170 surveillance cameras is needed, including 20 dome cameras and 150 fixed frame cameras. To be more specific, the Wusixi Road Extension Section will need 8 dome cameras and 64 fixed frame cameras, the Xicheng Avenue will need 8 dome cameras and 68 fixed frame cameras, and the No. 5 Road will need 4 dome cameras and 18 fixed frame cameras.

2.4.12.5 Traffic management facilities The traffic facilities include the traffic signs, fences and traffic signals. (1) Traffic Signs and Markings 1) Traffic signs The traffic signs include the signs of warning, prohibitions, guide, and directions. The traffic signs will be placed on the single pole that is made of galvanized steel pipe and docking channel steel. The pole surface will be painted with light yellow color. The color, size and shape of the sign board will follow the requirements in the Road Traffic Signs and Markings (GB5768-2009). The sign board is made of aluminum alloy plate with surface treatment of high intensity grade reflective material. 2) Traffic Markings The traffic markings include the traffic lanes divider, the traffic lane edge, the diversion line and the pedestrian crossings markings. The traffic lanes divider line will adopt the white dash line with 15 cm of line width. The dash is 2 m long with 4 m intervals. The traffic edge line will adopt the white solid line with 15 cm of line width. The diversion line and the pedestrian

HAES -49- QXUTP EIA Report crossing markings will follow the requirements in the Road Traffic Signs and Markings (GB5768-2009). (2) Railing Railings (or fences) are designed for road sections near ponds or the high filling sections. The bridges will adopt the dual carriageway pattern. Collision barrier made of reinforced concrete (SB Grade) will be placed outside the motorized traffic lanes. Outside the sidewalk the simple steel railings or the plain natural bluestone railing will be adopted. (3)Traffic signals To facilitate effective traffic management for the road intersections, traffic signals are designed for all the intersection with existing roads. The intersection with planned roads will not be provided with traffic signal under this Project. Instead, cables will be reserved for the future traffic signals.

2.5 Public Transport

The Public Transport Component includes the Bus Corridor on the Wusi Road and the Yanxiaocun Interchange. The first part of the component is to develop a bus priority demonstration corridor with total length of 15.6 km. The second part of the component is to develop an integrated public transport interchange hub in the western part of the Xining City. The Interchange will occupy 14.19 ha of land. The total ground floor area will be 222081.6 m². The total capital investment of this component will be 521.63 million CNY. The detailed content of the component will be discussed below.

2.5.1 Bus Corridor

2.5.1.1 Design parameters The design parameters are listed in the Table 2.5-1.

Table 2.5-1 Design parameters for the bus corridor Design parameter Value Classification of the road Trunk road Design speed 50km/h 3.5m. it can be reduced near intersections but should be larger Width of the corridor than 3 m. Intervals between stops 500-800m

HAES -50- QXUTP EIA Report Design parameter Value width 3.0m Bus stop parking 2-3 vehicle, with total length 30-45 m length Bus height 15-20cm platform width 2.0-3.0m, the minimum is1.5m length of the transition zone >40m 2.5.1.2 Bus Routes and Stops The design parameters for bus routes and stops are listed in the Table 2.5-2.

HAES -51- QXUTP EIA Report

Table 2.5-2 The design parameters for bus routes and bus stops Bus Bus flow (no.s) Passenger Passenger platform Stake No. Name of stops position Road section Rout West East boarding(peo offboarding type No. Total e bound bound ple-times) (people-times) Road Changjiang Road 1 Central square B12 K15-600 24 240 244 484 643 846 side to Huanghe Road Wucha Road Road Huanghe Road to 2 B212 K15-140 10 192 191 383 296 427 Intersection center Tongren Road Road B212 Huanghe Road to 3 Qixiangxiang K14-800 14 192 191 383 257 1042 center B213 Tongren Road Modern Road Tongren Road to 4 Maternity B212 K14-200 15 192 192 384 559 763 center Xinning Road Hospital Road B211 Tongren Road to 5 Jiaotongxiang K13-780 13 192 192 384 977 2241 center B213 Xinning Road Xinning Road Tongren Road to 6 B211 K13-380 15 192 192 384 1165 1553 Square center Xinning Road Road Xinning Road to 7 Yangjiazhai B211 K13-80 9 150 147 297 364 514 center Lenghu Road Hutai Road Xinning Road to 8 B211 K12-720 9 150 147 297 465 310 community center Lenghu Road Lenghu Road Road Lenghu Road to 9 B212 K12-380 9 150 148 299 637 407 north entrance center Haihu Road Normal Road Lenghu Road to 10 B212 K12-100 9 150 148 299 1303 1003 University center Haihu Road West entrance Road B212 Haihu Road to 11 of Wusixi K11-600 9 129 131 260 823 1663 center B213 Wenhui Road Road Huangchuan Road B212 Haihu Road to 12 K11-20 8 129 131 260 581 2239 No.2 campus center B213 Wenhui Road Road B212 Haihu Road to 13 Liujiazhai K10-360 10 129 131 260 2729 4762 center B213 Wenhui Road Wenyuan Road B212 Wenhui Road to 14 K9-100 9 114 102 216 74 602 Road center B213 Wenyuan Road

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Bus Bus flow (no.s) Passenger Passenger platform Stake No. Name of stops position Road section Rout West East boarding(peo offboarding type No. Total e bound bound ple-times) (people-times) East entrance Road B212 Wenyuan Road 15 of Tonghai K8-640 8 114 99 214 331 793 center B213 to Tonghai Road Road Huangchuan Road Tonghai Road to 16 B212 K8-200 8 116 99 214 653 707 High School center Fucheng Road Road B212 Tonghai Road to 17 Xueshi Road K7-720 8 116 99 214 386 386 center B213 Fucheng Road Xueyuan Road B211 Tonghai Road to 18 K7-120 9 116 99 214 347 300 Road center B213 Fucheng Road Road Fucheng Road to 19 Fuhan Road B212 K6-360 5 102 81 183 717 688 center No. 4 Road West Road B211 Fucheng Road to 20 Huangshui K5-380 4 102 81 183 91 91 center B213 No. 4 Road River Haihu new Road Fucheng Road to 21 B212 K4-820 4 102 81 183 124 311 district west center No. 4 Road West entrance Road No. 4 Road to 22 B212 K3-160 6 89 84 172 195 612 of No.4 Road center No.5 Road Road No. 4 Road to 23 No. 22 Road B211 K2-640 7 89 84 172 708 328 center No.5 Road Road No. 4 Road to 24 No. 5 Road B212 K1-900 6 89 84 172 212 605 center No.5 Road West entrance Road No. 5 Road to 25 B212 K1-420 6 75 75 149 1000 657 of No.5 Road center Xicheng Avenue Road No. 5 Road to 26 Guihua Road B211 K0-960 5 75 75 149 451 141 center Xicheng Avenue East of Road No. 5 Road to 27 Xicheng B212 K0-560 4 75 75 149 145 231 center Xicheng Avenue Avenue Xicheng Road No. 5 Road to 28 B211 K0-80 5 75 75 149 2279 6591 Avenue center Xicheng Avenue

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2.5.1.3 Design Plan (1)The overview The bus corridor is a major part of this component. Bus priority demonstration corridor will be developed on the Wusixi Road and the No.5 Road..

1)The Wusixi Road Bus Corridor The Wusixi Road Bus Corridor starts from the Xicheng Avenue in the west and ends at the Changjiang Road in the east in the city center. The total length of the corridor is 15.6 km. It can be divided into 5 sections according to the different cross section design. Section 1-Changjiang Road to Huanghe Road. The designed length is 0.357 km. This section of road has a two-way 2-lane configuration. It is part of the existing Wusi Road. The road side bus corridor is adopted for this road section. Section 2-Huanghe Road to Xinning Road. The designed length is 1.959 km. This section of road has a two-way 4-lane configuration. It is part of the existing Wusi Road. The center-positioned bus corridor is adopted for this road section. Section 3-Xinning road to Haihu Road. This section of road goes across the Hutai District with total length of 1.620 km. The existing road width is 40 m with two-way 6-lane configuration. It is part of the existing Wusi Road. The center-positioned bus corridor is adopted for this road section. Section 4-Haihu Road to Huangshui River. This section of the road is located in the Haihu New District with total length of 5.54 km. The width between the red lines is 60 m. This section of road has a two-way 8-lane configuration. Currently this section of road is under construction and the paved lane for motorized traffic to the location between the Fucheng Road and Fuhan Road has been completed. The center-positioned bus corridor is adopted for this road section. Section 5-Huangshui River to Xicheng Avenue. This section of road goes across the new urban area in the west and the Huangshui River. The design length is 6.219 km. The width between the red lines is 60 m. This section of road has a two-way 6-lane configuration. It is a planned new road for the corridor. The

HAES -54- QXUTP EIA Report center-positioned bus corridor is adopted for this road section.

Figure 2.5-1 Location map of the bus corridor along the Wusixi Road 2) The No.5 Road.. Bus Corridor The No.5 Road starts at the Wusixi Road and ends at the intersection with the Chaidamu Road. The design length is 1021.105 m. The width between the red lines is 40 m. It 7 has a two-way, six-lane configuration. It is a planned new road for the corridor. The road side bus corridor is adopted for this road section.

(2) The detailed design plan The detailed design plan of the bus corridor is as below. (1) Section 1-Changjiang Road to Huanghe Road This section is at the east end of the road. The existing configuration is two-way 6-lane. The total carriage way width is 22 m. The bus exclusive lanes are arranged at the lanes on the curb lanes. No road widening is needed. The cross sectional design is: B = 5 m (Sidewalk) + 11 m (Motorized and non-motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 11 m (Motorized and non-motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 5 m (Sidewalk) The lane width for non-motorized traffic is 1.5 m. The bus exclusive lane width is 3.5 m. (2) Section 2- Huanghe Road to Xinning Road This section of road is part of the existing Wusi Road. The existing configuration is two-way 4-lane. The total carriage way width is 18 m. Center-positioned bus corridor will be arranged on existing median lanes. The road

HAES -55- QXUTP EIA Report width will not be change. Bus station platform will be designed at the road center, with length of 30-45 m and width of 1.5 m. the parking lane width for buses is 3 m. The cross sectional design is: B = 5-10.0 m (Sidewalk) + 9 m (Motorized and non-motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 9 m (Motorized and non-motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 5-10.0 m (Sidewalk) The lane width for non-motorized traffic is 1.5 m. The bus exclusive lane width is 3.5 m. (3) Section 3-Xinning Road to Haihu Road This section of road is part of the existing Wusi Road. The existing configuration is two-way 6-lane. The total carriage way width is 26 m. Center-positioned bus corridor will be arranged on existing median lanes. Bus station platform will be designed at the road center, with length of 30-45 m and width of 2.0 m. The parking lane width for buses is 3 m. The cross sectional design is: B = 5 m (Sidewalk) + 13 m (Motorized and non-motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 13 m (Motorized and non-motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 5 m (Sidewalk) = 40 m The lane width for non-motorized traffic is 2 m. The bus exclusive lane width is 3.5 m. (4) Section 4-Haihu Road to Huangshui River This section of road is part of the Wusixi Road under construction. The planned configuration is two-way 8-lane. The total road width is 60 m. Bus bays are designed near the intersection side. As part of the Wusi Road Bus Corridor, the center-positioned bus corridor will be adopted and the locations of the bus stations are arranged near the original bus bays. The cross sectional design is: B = 10 m (Pedestrian and non-motorized traffic shared lane) + 14 m (Motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 12 m (central divider) + 14 m (Motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 12 m (Pedestrian and non-motorized traffic shared lane) = 60 m The bus exclusive lane width is 3.5 m. The width of the parking lane at the

HAES -56- QXUTP EIA Report station is 3 m. the platform width is 3m. The width of the original bus bay divider is reduced to 1m. The other cross-sectional parameters remain unchanged. (5) Section 5-Huangshui River to Xicheng Avenue This section is the new roads to be developed under this Project. Center-positioned bus exclusive lane will be adopted. The cross sectional design is: B = 10 m (Pedestrian and non-motorized traffic shared lane) + 14 m (Motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 12 m (central divider) + 14 m (Motorized traffic + bus exclusive lane) + 12 m (Pedestrian and non-motorized traffic shared lane) = 60 m The bus exclusive lane width is 3.5 m. The width of the parking lane at the station is 3 m. The platform width is 3m. The motorized traffic lane will be moved towards the outside by 1 m. The width of the sidewalk will be reduced to 9 m. the redline width will remain unchanged.

2.5.1.4 Road surface and road base design

(1) Road surface To avoid other vehicles using the bus-exclusive lane and affecting the bus traffic, the bus exclusive lane will be paved with colored asphalt concrete. 1) The section 1 to section 4 is all existing roads. The road surface structure is as below: Table 2.5-3 Road surface design for the Section 1 to Section 4 Bus exclusive lane Bus Station Platform The top 10 cm of original asphalt pavement will be removed and replaced with colored asphalt pavement. The road surface structure of the 4 cm thick of gravel mixture of colored asphalt mastic widening part of the road for bus (SMA-13, modified) as upper surface layer station platforms is identical to that of 6 cm thick of Medium sized asphalt cement (AC-20C) the proposed road. as medium surface layer.

2) The Section 5 is a proposed road under this Project. The structure is as below: Table 2.5-4 Road surface design for the Section 5 Motorized traffic lane Non-motorized traffic lane Sidewalk *The upper surface layer: 4 cm thick of fine 4 cm thick of fine modified 10 cm modified asphalt cement (AC-13C)/ gravel asphalt cement (AC-13C) anti-slippery mixture of colored asphalt mastic 6 cm thick of medium sized machine made

HAES -57- QXUTP EIA Report (SMA-13, modified). asphalt cement (AC-20) C30 bricks The medium surface layer: 5 cm thick of 25 cm thick of 6% cement 2 cm M10 slurry medium sized asphalt cement (AC-20) stabilized gravel subbase 20 cm C20 The lower surface layer: 7 cm thick of large 35 cm thick of natural concrete sized asphalt cement (AC-25C) graded gravel cushion 25 cm thick of 0.6 cm thick of slurry seal natural graded 35 cm thick of 6% cement stabilized gravel gravel cushion subbase 40 cm thick of natural graded gravel cushion * The gravel mixture of colored asphalt mastic (SMA-13, modified) is for the bus exclusive lane. (2) Road base The section 5 of the bus corridor (proposed road under this Project) has been discussed in the Urban Roads Component section. The road bases of the section 1 to section 4 of the bus corridor (existing roads) will remain largely unchanged. In section 4 (Haihu Road to Huangshui River), the road surface at the bus station platform will be widened by 1 m. The original 1 m greenbelt will be changed to paved motorized traffic lane. Therefore there will be some road base stitch work. In order to reduce uneven settling and avoid the reflective cracking at the road base stitching place, the road surface within 2 m range will be removed and repaved with the widened area together. Before the road surface pavement, 2 layer of 2 m wide geogrid will be placed above the road base to connect the old and new bases together.

2.5.1.5 Associated facilities

(1) Street crossing 1) Crossings at intersections The pedestrian crossings should be arranged at places where vehicle drivers can have clear sight. They should be close to the intersections in the same direction of the pedestrian traffic. The crossing should be vertical to the motorized traffic lanes to reduce the walk distance for crossing. For long pedestrian crossings, safety Islands should be arranged at the central divider place. If there is no central divider space available, the traffic lane width can be reduced to save up space for the safety island.

HAES -58- QXUTP EIA Report 2) Crossings at non-intersection places For the trunk roads and secondary trunk roads, the street crossings intervals should be 250-300 meters. The pedestrian crossing should clearly labeled with traffic marks and traffic signs, including the “watch out for pedestrians”, “pedestrian crossing “and “Yield “signs. The minimum width of the crossing is 3.0 m. When the road is too wide for the pedestrian to cross the street by one attempt, a safety island should be arranged by using the central divider space or by reducing the traffic lane width to save up space. (2) Accesses roads or branch roads There are a lot of access roads along the Wusi Road. They should be well arranged so that the entrances traffic and the exits traffic are from the right side to avoid interference of the traffic on the main lanes. At the intersection with major branch roads, the left turning is also allowed. In this case, there will be an opening on the central divider. Traffic lights or other signs and speed reducing facilities should be arranged. (3) Traffic safety 1) Traffic safety and management measures The facilities include the traffic signs, markings and traffic signals and separation facilities. Requirements in the Road Traffic Signs and Markings (GB5768-2009) should be followed. The signs and markings on the Wusi Road Corridor and the No. 5 Road Corridor should be arranged assuming the traffic speed is 50 km/h. 2) Traffic signs Warning: yellow background (reflective), black font and border (non-reflective). Prohibition: Red border, red strips, white background (reflective), black font (non-reflective). Guide: blue background and white symbols (reflective). Direction: white font (reflective) and blue background (non-reflective). Road information: blue background with white graphics of square or rectangle

HAES -59- QXUTP EIA Report shape. The size of the Chinese words should be at least 20 cm. The sign board will be made of aluminum alloy plate. The round shaped sign board will be reinforced by curling the edges. The large sized sign board will be reinforced by edge piping. The sign post will be made of steel pipe and docking channel steel painted in grey color. The surface of the sign board will use high intensity grade reflective material for graphics and words, and engineering grade reflective material for others. 3) Markings The lane divider- white dashed line. The dash length is 2 m. The dash interval is 4 m. the dash width is 15 cm. Diversion line - Yellow solid line with 15 cm width. Lane edge line - White solid line with 10 cm width Central dividing line - Double yellow solid line with width of 15 cm. The distance between the two lines is 30 cm (from the centers). Channel marking - White, parallel and wide-sized solid line. Pedestrian crossing - white, 3.0-5.0 m wide. The line width is 40 cm. The line interval is 60 cm. Besides, the signs and markings should take into consideration of Accessiblefacilities and comply with the requirements in the AccessibleFacility Design for Urban Roads and Buildings (JGJ50-2001). 4) Signal To facilitate effective traffic management for the road intersections, traffic signals are designed for all the intersection with existing roads. The intersection with planned roads will not be provided with traffic signal under this Project. Instead, cables will be reserved for the future traffic signals. For the center-positioned bus station platform, the pedestrian crossing signals should be arranged. The further design of the traffic signals should be responsive to the requirement of the traffic management department (4) TOD street features

HAES -60- QXUTP EIA Report Overall street planning needs to be prepared before the detailed design of the streetscape. The street planning has three parts including the traffic and layout plan, vertical plan, and public space plan. The public space includes the below facilities. ① Utilities, including power, telecommunication, street lights, decoration lights and sanitation facilities; ②Transportation infrastructure: parking lots for vehicles, bus stations, pedestrian crossing, blind lane, etc. ③Advertising plaque and light boxes: based on the nature of the advertisement select the location, size, material and color. ④ Shops design: design the windows, doors and walls based on the nature of the store, the buiding structure, and the street color environment. The streetscape design is focused on the public space and key locations along the roads and based on the overall street plan. The key contents include: ① City features: including the road lamps, garbage bins, post box, public telephone booth, street name sign, information sign, statues, etc. ② Landscapge: divider, street side trees, roadside greenbelt, green land, etc. ③ Nighttime building lighting: the lighting design should take consideration of the building structure and use the nighttime lighting to create a different landscaping effect so that the building can become a local signature structure. The lighting design should be based on the structural characteristics and be compatible with the surrounding environment. It should also be creative and spectacular. The lamps should be well selected so that they can perform the lighting without causing disturbance to the traffic.

2.5.2 Yanxiaocun Interchange

According to the industry standard of the Requirement on the Bus Stations Classification and Development (JT/T200-2004) issued by the Ministry of Transportation, and the Xining City Highway Transportation Hub Master Plan, the Yanxiaocun Interchange was identified as the Class I transportation hub.

HAES -61- QXUTP EIA Report The Yanxiaocun Interchange is located to the south of the Chaidamu Road in the Xichuang area of the Chengxi District, to the north of the farm produces facility at Taobei Village. It is at the south-east corner of the intersection of Chaidamu Road and the proposed No. 5 Road. The land area is 14.19 hm². It is approximately 10 km from the city center (Figure 2.5-2).

Figure 2.5-2 The location map of the Yanxiaocun Interchange 2.5.2.1 Layout Plan

The Yanxiaocun Interchange includes the functional area, the associated service area, dispatching center, commercial and business area, and logistic area (Figure 2.5-3).

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Figure 2.5-3 Layout Plan of the Yanxiaocun Interchange (1)The functional area (approximately 2.3 hm²) is located at the center of the northern area. It serves the Interchange center, the square, the bus terminal, and the connection station with other transportation methods. (2)The associated service area (approximately 2.5 hm²) is located immediately to the south of the functional area. It includes the bus workshop, the Interchange office building, the staff domitory and the gas station. The gas station serves only the buses entering the Interchange. (3)The Information dispatching center (approximately 5600 m²) is located in the eastern area. It collects information and provides service to both the inter-city buses and long distance buses connections. The functional area includes 6 parts including the service building, the parking lot, the square, the taxi service area and the long distance and city bus terminals.

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Figure 2.5-4 Layout of the functional area  The service building is the core building of the Interchange. It needs to meet the passenger service demand with capacity of future sustainable development. It should be able to provide high quality service and safe and confortable travel environment.  The parking lot is located next to the Chaidamu Road and to the west of the square. It mainly serves the temporary parking demand for passenger pickup and drop off.  The taxi service area is located to the east of the square near the long distance bus exit because most of the demands are from the long distance passengers.  The square is located to the north of the service building with area of 2500 m². It is connected to the taxi service area in the east, parking lot to the west, the service building to the south and the Chaidamu road to the north. Bus stops are arranged near the square. The access to line 1 light rail is reserved for the square to provide access to the light rail system and  The non-motorized parking space is located to the west of the square. According to the demand projection, the non-motorized vehicle will account for approximately 2% of the demand by 2030 as a feature of the green transporation and sustainable transporation. The parking space is 360 m² in area with 200

HAES -64- QXUTP EIA Report parking spots.  The city bus terminal is located to the west of the service building with two levels (ground level and basement level). It connects the Interchange exit to the north and the transfer lobby to the east.  The long distance bus terminal is located to the east of the service building with two levels (ground level and basement level). The ground level is for arrival while the basement level is for passenger departure.

2.5.2.2 Land use and economic indicators The development of the Interchange under this Project will focus on the area to the north of the Guihua 2 Road. The area to the south of the Guihua 2 Road is reserved for future development. The base area is 12.4 hm². The ground floor area (GFA) is 222,000 m² with a floor area ratio of 1.32. The core functional building, the Interchange center or the passenger building, has a GFA of 28,000 m². There are 202 parking spots for the large sized vehicles and 400 parking spots open to public. The detailed indicators are as below:

Table 2.5-5 Land areas of buildings Above Base Total GFA Underground Name ground Stories area (m²) (m²) GFA (m²) GFA (m²) Interchange Underground 1; 6038.4 28294.0 19783.2 8510.8 Center Aboveground 2 Underground 1; Hotel 4824.4 61501.9 10107.9 51394 Aboveground 22 Dispatching Underground 1; 1919.7 6933.9 center Aboveground 5 40462.1 9596.2 Commercial Underground 1; Under 2533.6 23932 this office building Aboveground 22 Underground 0; Project Workshop 5214.9 20773.5 / 20773.5 Aboveground 6 Connection Underground 0; / 1275.0 / 1275.0 bridge Aboveground 2 Underground 0; Gas station 210.8 210.8 / 210.8 Aboveground 1 Total 20741.8 152517.3 39487.3 113030.0 / Table 2.5-6 Economic indicators Under this Project 81288 land Reserve 42668 use(m²) Total 123956 Aboveground 182594.3 Underground 39487.3 GFA(m²) Total 222081.6 Total base area 39101.7

HAES -65- QXUTP EIA Report Above ground for buses 82 Parking Underground for buses 120 spot Aboveground for private cars 223 (No.s) Above ground for taxis 20 Underground motorized vehicles approximately 400 Floor area ratio 1.32 Building coverage ratio (%) 31 Landscape coverage ratio (%) 30 Source: the building areas and economic indiators are from the Xining Transportation Investment Company Limited. 2.5.2.3 Access Roads: Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road

(1) Road Plan The Guihua 1 Road is located to the south of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. It starts at the intersection with No. 5 Road, running from west to east and ending at Guihua 2 Road. The length is 328 m. The width between the red lines is 18 m. The Guihua 2 Road is located to the east of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. It starts in the south at the intersection with Guihua 1 Road and ends at the intersection with the Chaidamu Road. The length is 392.751 m. The width between the red lines is 18 m. (2) Traffic Flow Projection The results of the traffic flow projection are listed in the tables below.

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Table 2.5-7 Vehicle Type Ratio Projections Small-sized Mid-sized Large-sized Time Frame Vehicle% Vehicle% Vehicle% 2018 91% 2% 7% Guihua 1 2024 87% 4% 9% Road 2032 83% 3% 14% 2018 90% 2% 8% Guihua 2 2024 85% 4% 11% Road 2032 84% 3% 13% Table 2.5-8 Traffic Flow Projection of Each Road Total Traffic (No. of Hourly Flow in Hourly Flow at Vehicles/day) Peak Hour Flow Daytime Nighttime Year Standard Absolute (No. of (No. of (No. of Passage Number of Vehicles/hour) Vehicles/hour) Vehicles/hour) Car Vehicles 2018 423 385 33 21 5 Guihua 2024 1349 1173 90 62 22 1 Road 2032 3268 2692 190 140 57 2018 912 829 70 46 11 Guihua 2024 3112 2706 207 144 51 2 Road 2032 9696 6727 475 349 143 Source: The traffic flow projection is from the WSP. (1) Design Standard 1) Road Classification Both the Guihua 1 Road and the Guihua 2 Road are urban branch roads. 2) Design Speed The design speed is 30 km/h for the Guihua 1 Road and the Guihua 2 Road. 3) Red line width The width between the red lines is 18 m. 4) Width of the motorized traffic lanes The width is 3.25m-3.5m for regular sections, 3 m – 3.25 m for intersections. 5)Load standard Standard Axial Load for the roads: BZZ-100kN； 6) Net Distance for Structure Clearance Net distance for structure clearance is 4.5 meters for motorized traffic lanes, and 2.5 meters sidewalks and non-motorized traffic lanes. 7)Seismic Protection Standard

HAES -67- QXUTP EIA Report The seismic fortification intensity in Xining City is 7 degrees and the seismic acceleration is 0.1g. 8) Drainage The designed storm reoccurrence frequency is once every year for regular road sections, and once every 3 years for key sections, overpass intersections, underground squares, underpass crossing, and low elevation areas. The resident time: t1=10 min. The runoff coefficient: Ψ= 0.60.

Table 2.5-9 Technical Standards for the Urban Roads Item Guihua 1 Road Guihua 2 Road Road Classification Urban branch roads Width between Red Lines 18 Design Speed 30 Motor Vehicle Road sections 3.25-3.5 Lane Width (m) Intersections 3-3.25 Motor Vehicle Lanes 2% Lateral Slope Sidewalk and Non-motor vehicle -1.5% lanes 4.5 meters for motorized traffic lanes, and 2.5 Net clearance, m meters sidewalks and non-motorized traffic lanes. Design Load for roads BZZ-100 Seismic acceleration 0.1g The designed storm reoccurrence frequency is once every year for regular road sections, and once every Drainage 3 years for key sections, overpass intersections, underground squares, underpass crossing, and low elevation areas. (1) Overall Design Plan The Guihua 1 Road: Branch road, two-way and 2-lane on the ground level. The Guihua 2 Road: Branch road, two-way and 2-lane on the ground level. (2) Design Plans for the Guihua 1 Road and the Guihua 2 Road Both the Guihua 1 Road and the Guihua 2 Road are branch roads. The Guihua 1 Road is located to the south of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. It starts at the intersection with No. 5 Road, running from west to east and ending at Guihua 2 Road. The length is 328 m. The Guihua 2 Road is located to the east of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. It starts in the south at the intersection with Guihua 1 Road and ends at the intersection with the Chaidamu Road. The length is 392.751 m. The widths between the red lines are both 18 m. And the design speeds are both

HAES -68- QXUTP EIA Report 30 km/h. The Guihua 1 Road and the Guihua 2 Road have the same cross section settings as follows: 18.0 m = 4.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab) + 3.75 m×2 (Motorized traffic lanes) + 2.5 m (parking lane) + 4.0 m (Sidewalk and Non-Motorized Lane shared slab). They are also shown in the Figure 2.4-4.

Figure 2.5-5 Cross Section design for the Guihua 1 and 2 Roads (3) Road surface and road base design 1)Road Base The roads in this project are all new roads built on farm lands. For the road base treatment, 30 cm of top soil should be removed followed by compacting of newly exposed soil. The geotechnical conditions along the roads are mostly the Class I non-gravity collapse soil with some areas Class II gravity collapse soil, therefore a 60 cm back fill with 6% limestone soil should be applied by stratified compacting to ensure the design requirements are met. The requirement for the road base is listed in the table below. The compact degree for the road base of the sidewalk should be higher than 90%.

Table 2.5-10 Requirements on the road base compaction Cut/Fill The depth from road bed top, cm Compact degree（%） 0～80 ≥92% Fill 80～150 ≥91% ＞150 ≥90% 0～30 ≥92% Cut 30～80 —— The requirements on the strength and particle size are listed in the table below. Table 2.5-11 Minimum strength and maximum size of the filling material

HAES -69- QXUTP EIA Report Minimum strength CBR, % Depth under the Cut/Fill Branch roads or secondary Maximum size, cm trench, cm trunk roads 0～80 6.0 10 Fill ＞80 4.0 10 Cut 0～30 6.0 10 2)Road surface design BZZ-100 is selected as the standard axle load for the road surface design. The design service life is 15 years. The road surface structure is as below: (a) Motorized traffic lane The upper surface layer: 4 cm thick of fine modified asphalt cement (AC-13C) The lower surface layer: 8 cm thick of large sized asphalt cement (AC-25C) 0.6 cm thick of slurry seal. 35 cm thick of 6% cement stabilized gravel subbase 40 cm thick of natural graded gravel cushion. (b) Non-motorized traffic lane 4 cm thick of fine modified asphalt cement (AC-13C) 6 cm thick of medium sized asphalt cement (AC-20) 25 cm thick of 6% cement stabilized gravel subbase 35 cm thick of natural graded gravel cushion. (c) Sidewalk 10 cm anti-slippery machine made C30 bricks 2 cm M10 slurry 20 cm C20 concrete 25 cm thick of natural graded gravel cushion (4) Pedestrian and street crossing 1) Pedestrian and street crossing The pedestrian crossings should be arranged at places where vehicle drivers can have clear sight. They should be close to the intersections in the same direction of the pedestrian traffic. The crossing should be vertical to the motorized traffic lanes to reduce the walk distance for crossing. The width of the crossing should be between 3 m and 5 m. The location of the pedestrian crossing shall not interfere with the moving or turning traffic. The stop line on the trunk roads should be at least 1 meter behind the crossing. At the intersections where the right turning traffic can easily conflict with

HAES -70- QXUTP EIA Report the street crossing pedestrian, the crossings at two directions should not intersect and should keep a distance enough for a right turning vehicle. In order for the pedestrian to know the remaining time available for him/her to cross the street, it is recommended that a countdown signal should be arranged. 2) Accessiblefacilities a) Road Accessiblefacilities Blind lane is designed on the sidewalk for blind or sight-impaired pedestrians. The blind lane should be paved with no intervals. The lane width is usually 30-60 cm. it is usually placed 0.25 – 0.5 meters from the greenbelt at the outside. The exact place of the blind lane can be adjusted according to the width of the sidewalk. When the blind lane turns, blind cue should be provided. b) Intersection Accessiblefacilities A 3-way slope with the gradient 1:12 will be designed on the sidewalk near the pedestrian crossing. The selection of the slope width is based on the actual sidewalk width. The lower end of the slope should be less than 20 mm higher than the traffic lane. The pedestrian crossing should be modified at the central divider to allow the wheelchair to pass. Blind cue way should be arranged at the intersection and be connected with the blind lane on the sidewalk. (5) Associated facilities The associated facilities include the drainage system, the lighting system, and the traffic management system. 1) Drainage system a) Storm water i. Guihua 1 Road Starting from the road end and under the shared lane for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on the south side, a DN500 pipe (329 m) will be laid in the east to west direction. The pipe will be connected to the reserved connections (DN500) of the designed drainage pipelines under the No.5 Road. 3 pairs of community connections (DN400) will be reserved along the pipelines. The road surface rain water will be collected in the rainwater pit along the roads outside the motorized lanes. ii. Guihua 2 Road Starting from both the road ends and under the shared lanes for pedestrian

HAES -71- QXUTP EIA Report and non-motorized traffic on both sides, DN400 pipes (130 m and 261 m) will be laid towards the Guihua 1 Road direction. The pipe will be merged into a DN 500 connection pipe (15 m) connecting to the designed drainage pipelines under the Guihua 1 Road. 3 pairs of community connections (DN400) will be reserved along the pipelines. The road surface rain water will be collected in the rainwater pit along the roads outside the motorized lanes. b) Wastewater i. Guihua 1 Road Starting from the road end and under the shared lane for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on the north side, a DN400 pipe (329 m) will be laid in the east to west direction. The pipe will be connected to the reserved connections (DN400) of the designed sewer under the No.5 Road. 3 pairs of community connections (DN300) will be reserved along the pipelines. ii. Guihua 2 Road Starting from both the road ends and under the shared lanes for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic on both sides, DN300 pipes (84 m and 180 m) will be laid towards the Guihua 1 Road direction. The pipe will be merged into a DN 400 connection pipe (29 m) connecting to the designed sewer under the Guihua 1 Road. 3 pairs of community connections (DN300) will be reserved along the pipeline. 2) Lighting Lighting is provided for all the roads sections under this Project. The lamps are symmetrically arranged on the sidewalks on both sides of the road. The semi cutoff type of lamps with 250W HPS lamp will be adopted. The mounting elevation is 10 m. The arms length will be 1.5 m and the interval between lamps is 30 m. 3) Traffic facilities The traffic facilities include the traffic signs, fences and traffic signals. a) Traffic Signs and Markings i. Traffic signs The traffic signs include the signs of warning, prohibitions, guide, and directions. The traffic signs will be placed on the single pole that is made of galvanized steel pipe and docking channel steel. The pole surface will be painted with light yellow color.

HAES -72- QXUTP EIA Report The color, size and shape of the sign board will follow the requirements in the Road Traffic Signs and Markings (GB5768-2009). The sign board is made of aluminum alloy plate with surface treatment of high intensity grade reflective material. ii. Traffic Markings The traffic markings include the traffic lanes divider, the traffic lane edge, the diversion line and the pedestrian crossings markings. The traffic lanes divider line will adopt the white dash line with 15 cm of line width. The dash is 2 m long with 4 m intervals. The traffic edge line will adopt the white solid line with 15 cm of line width. The diversion line and the pedestrian crossing markings will follow the requirements in the Road Traffic Signs and Markings (GB5768-2009). b) Traffic Signals To facilitate effective traffic management for the road intersections, traffic signals are designed for all the intersection with existing roads. The intersection with planned roads will not be provided with traffic signal under this Project. Instead, cables will be reserved for the future traffic signals.

2.5.3 Intelligent Transport System (ITS)

2.5.3.1 ITS for public transport The ITS for public transport includes the bus monitoring and commanding center, the vehicle monitoring system, the dispatching system, the electronic bus station board system, and the public transport smart card system. The monitoring and commanding center will need 12 work stations equipped with computer hardware. Each workstation will need 2 LED displays for the bus monitoring (via GPS) and the bus station monitoring, respectively. The vehicle monitoring system will include a video monitoring system and GPS monitoring system.

2.5.3.2 ITS for the Interchange The ITS for the interchange will include the intelligent operational management system, passenger information service system and a monitoring and warning system.

HAES -73- QXUTP EIA Report 2.6 Intelligent Traffic Management Component

The detailed contents of this component are listed in the Table 2.6-1.

Table 2.6-1 Contents of the Intelligent Traffic Management Component No. Item Content The development of the new or relocated traffic signals along the Wusi Upgrade of traffic Road and the intersections. It will integrate the traffic signal system to 1 signal control achieve centralized control and linkage. The green wave coordinated system control will also be achieved. Bus priority The additional bus priority signals based on the Wusi Road traffic signal 2 signals system system. It can ensure the high efficiency in the bus corridor operation. Traffic video Video cameras will be installed along the Wusi Road for seamless 3 monitoring monitoring and control. The key areas will be monitored from the system highest elevation. Traffic guidance A traffic guidance system will be developed for traffic enter or exit the 4 system Wusi Road. It will help drivers in route selections. This system will work with the traffic guidance system to collect traffic Traffic flow flow information on Wusi Road and parallel roads. It will be connected 5 detection system to the central control system and upload the realtime and historical data. Electronic police The electronic violation police system will be developed or upgraded to 6 system ensure the traffic on the bus corridor is in order. Traffic incident It will help monitoring the traffic incidents along the key sections and 7 detection system key areas along the Wusi Road. Bus exclusive The development a system that helps capture the bus exclusive lane 8 lane enforcement violations and ensures the smooth operation of the bus exclusive lane. system The development of a mobile police office system that can ensure the Mobile police hand-held device can receive data from the central data bank via the 9 office system network. It will support the police officer’s field duty and improve the traffic incidents response speed and the work efficiency. Upgrade of An upgrade of the existing integration platform and the 10 commanding hardware/software. It is also to meet the demand of ITS from the new center of ITS bus corridor.

2.7 Institutional and Capacity Development

The purpose of the institutional and capacity building component is to improve the human resource capacity and the institution’s functional capacity for the Xining city traffic planning and management, especially in the urban road network planning, traffic and transport safety management, public transport planning and operations, etc. In order to ensure the success in project implementation, the approach of whole-process institutional development and post-implementation training will be adopted. Through the implementation of the Project, the sustainable transportation planning, construction and operation management can be improved. This component includes below details.

HAES -74- QXUTP EIA Report (1) Studies related to urban transportation. They will focus on the public transport, slow traffic management, and parking strategy. (2) Project management and technical assistance. It will improve the institutional capacity from the aspects of project management and technology, to ensure the project is smoothly implemented. (3) Technical skills training. It includes the regular training for the key staffs in the organization. The training topics include 4 areas, namely the urban transport planning, public transportation, traffic safety, and urban transportation management and slow traffic management. The domestic and international study tour will select appropriate case studies with focus on the bus corridor, slow traffic and green transportation, etc. (4) Public awareness campaign. It will focus on promoting the bus priority and green transportation concepts in the project implementation, and guiding the local residents to use the bus corridor facilities properly.

2.8 Project Implementation Agencies

A project leading group (PLG) led by the government leader will be formed by the Xining Municipal Government to be responsible for the overall decision making and coordination. A project coordination office (PCO) under the PLG will be established at the Xining City Development and Reform Commission. The PCO will be responsible for coordinating the activities among different government agencies, and communicate and coordinate between the World Bank and the relevant provincial government agencies during the project preparation and implementation. A project management office (PMO) under the PCO will be established at the Xining Construction Commission. The PMO will be responsible for the daily management of the project including the preparation of the engineering design, social and environmental safeguard reports, monitoring and assessment, financial management and procurement management according to the requirement of the WB policy and guidelines. Component 1. Xining City Construction Commission. Component 2. There are three IAs for the Component 2. For the Interchange the IA will be the Xining City Transport Investment Company. For the bus dispatching center, the IA will be the Xining City Public Transport Company. For the

HAES -75- QXUTP EIA Report Bus Corridor the IA will be the Xining City Public Security Bureau. Component 3. Xining City Transport Bureau. Component 4. The PCO/PMO.

2.9 Land Acquisition and Demolition

(1) Land acquisition Permanent land acquisition. The permanent land acquisition is 43.52 hm² for the Urban Roads Component, 14.19 hm² for the Yanxiaocun Interchange and 57.71 hm² for the whole Project. Temporary land acquisition. Temporary land acquisition usually includes the construction camp, the access roads, the earth borrow pit or disposal, temporary earth storage sites, etc. According to the Water and Soil Conservation Plan prepared by the Provincial Water Resource and Hydropower Survey Design and Research Institute, there will be temporary land acquisition for 1 construction camp, 1 concrete beam prefabrication site and 200 m of access roads. It is suggested that these sites should be arranged within the proposed area of permanent land acquisition. In this case, there will be no need of temporary land acquisition. The impact on vegetation and soil erosion will be reduced. The details are as below: (i) For this Project, the construction camp will be developed on the permanent land acquisition area with no need of new land acquisition. (ii) The construction material will be transferred by vehicles. The existing road condition can meet the demand for construction material transportation and there is no need of additional access roads. (iii) The spoils and the construction waste from demolition will be sent to the Wuzhong Dagou landfill in the Chengbei District for disposal. Therefore there is no need of additional temporary land acquisition for spoil ground. (iv) 4 temporary earth storage sites will be needed for the construction with total area of 2.08 hm². The lands to be acquired are mostly farm land. Therefore the overall temporary land acquisition is 2.08hm² for temporary earth storage. The detailed land acquisition need and the existing condition of land are listed in the Table 2.9-1.

Table 2.9-1 Summary of land acquisition, hm² Land acquisition Construction Agriculture Forest Water body total purpose use land

HAES -76- QXUTP EIA Report Urban Roads 29.76 1.02 0.82 11.92 43.52 Yanxiaocun 13.38 0.81 14.19 Interchange Subtotal 43.14 1.02 0.82 12.73 57.71 Temporary storage 2.08 2.08 sites Total 45.22 1.02 0.82 12.73 59.79 (2) Demolition The overall demolishing area is 150,261 m², in which, 47,806 m² was identified in the first round of survey and 102,455 m² was identified in the second round of survey. There will be 121 affected household or 527 affected people with demolishment of private houses of 144,468 m², in which 42,013 m² was identified in the first round of survey and 102,455 m² was identified in the second round of survey. There will be 7 affected institutes with demolishment of buildings of 5,792.73 m². (3)Remaining issues According to the survey results, there will be 7 affected enterprises and institutes with buildings area of 5,792.73 m² to be demolished. Most of them are in the Zuoshu Village. Brick and Bricks and Name of affected units Total Mortar Woods Huangzhong County Metal Products 4562.25 Factory (Rolling Mill) Duoba Yunbei Cement Works 223.69 Jielin Recycling Company 102.58 Xining No.1 Vocational School 152.25 Xichuan Concrete Pipe Works 483.23 25.3 Wangjiazhai Village Committee 243.43 Total 5767.43 25.3 5792.73

Xichuan Concrete Pipe Works Xichuan Rolling Mill The proposed project will run through the southwest corners of the

HAES -77- QXUTP EIA Report Huangzhong County Metal Products Factory (Rolling Mill) and of the Xichuan Concrete Pipe Works. For the rolling mill, the warehouse needs to be demolished, therefore the cleaning up of the waste metal product needs to be conducted prior to the demolishing to avoid any remaining issues. For the concrete pipe works, only some deserted old buildings need to be demolished. There will not be any remaining issues regarding these buildings.

2.10 Earth Works

The waste earths are mainly from the soil excavation and the construction waste from building demolishing. Excavation. According to the engineering design, the earth excavated will be fully utilized in the project. From the estimate, the total excavation will be 0.5986 million m³ while the fill is approximately 0.1855 million m³. The amount of permanent spoil will be 344,900 m³ which will be send to the construction waste landfill. There are also temporary spoils of 68,200 m³ which are mostly the top soil that can be stored for future landscaping use. Construction waste. According to the survey results in the resettlement action plan, there will be 150,261 m² of building demolishing, producing construction waste of 168,800 m³. The waste will be sent to the proposed Wuzhong Dagou construction waste landfill in the Chengbei district of the city for disposal.

2.11 Overall Schedule

The project passed the World Bank project identification in January 2012. According to the schedule arrangement in the World Bank Project Preparation Mission Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the project pre-appraisal was conducted in February 2013; the project appraisal was conducted in April 2013. The Loan Negotiation will be conducted in July or August 2013. The Loan will be submitted to the WB Board of directors for approval in October or November 2013. The construction period is 5 years starting from 2013 and ending at 2017. The proposed implementation schedule is as below: 2013-2014: Completion of the Component 2 including the civil works, equipment supply and installation for the Interchange.

HAES -78- QXUTP EIA Report 2014-2016: Completion of the road, drainage and landscaping of the trunk roads including the Xicheng Avenue, the Wusixi Road Extension Section, and the No. 5 Road. And also the completion of the supply and installation of the equipments for the dispatching center. 2016-2017: Completion of the supply and installation of the equipments for the bus corridor and ITS systems on the Wusixi Road. 2013-2017: Completion of the institutional and capacity development.

2.12 Cost Estimate and Financing Plan

The overall cost is 1.6632639 billion CNY. The costs for each component and financing plan are listed in the Table 2.12-1. Table 2.12-1 Project cost estimate and financing plan Component Cost, 10000CNY financing Total cost 105274.50 The WB loan 120 million USD. The others Engineering will be covered by the domestic 47464.23 cost counterpart funding. The world bank debt Land service will be included in the local acquisition and 39709.13 financial budget and provided by the local Urban Roads resettlement government. The loan repayment period is Other cost 6906.70 30 years with 5 years grace period (2013-2017) during which the interests need to be paid. Starting from 2018, the 4.8 Contingency 11194.44 million USD of principles need to be paid every year for a period of 25 years. 55% from the WB loan and 45% from the Public Transport 52163.01 domestic counterpart funding. Intelligent traffic 5584.17 100% from the WB loan management Institutional and capacity 3117.20 100% from the WB loan development Front end fee 187.50 100% from the WB loan

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3 Environmental Background

3.1 Natural Environment

3.1.1 Geological Location

The Xining City is located in the eastern part of the Qinghai Province. It is in the Huangshui valley to the east of the Riyueshan Mountain, and at the boundary between the Tibetan Plateau and the Loess Plateau. It connects the Hainan Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the southwest, the Pingan County in the east, the Mengyuan Hui Autonomous County and the Huzhu Tu Autonomous County in the north, and the Haian County in the west. The Huangshui River and its tributaries (the Nanchuan River and the Beichuan River) merges in the city and flow eastwards across the city. Xining is the portal of the Tibetan Plateau. It is also a pivotal location of the ancient “South Silk Way” and the ancient “Tang-bo Road”. Xining is the capital of the Qinghai Province, and the provincial center for politics, economy, culture, education, science, transportation and communication. It is the biggest city on the Tibetan plateau. The geological location is at the longitude between 101o54′ and 101 o56' and north latitude between 36 o 13' and 37 o 23'. It has an administrative area of 7649 km², of which the urban area is 380 km². 3.1.2 Topography

The Xining City is located within the eastern Huangshui Valley. The terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. The shape of the Xining Municipality is long and narrow which looks like a boat. The Xining City is surrounded by the Laji Mountain, the Riyueshan, and the Dabanshan Mountain. Together they form a Huangshui River Lower Stream Basin which extends from the northwest to the southeast and can be represented by the Xining Basin. There are three type geomorphologic zone in the area between the Huangshui River to the edge of the basin, including the wide valley and low trench type in the outside, the deep valley and beam-like low hills type in the middle, and the deep valley low hills type in the center. The highest elevation is 4620 m and the lowest elevation is 2173 m. 3.1.3 Hydrogeology

(1) Surface Water

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The Xining City is located within the Huangshui River Basin. The water content in the air mainly comes from the Bengal Bay of the Indian Ocean in the southwest. The surface runoff comes mainly from the precipitation. The average yearly runoff is 2.289 billion m³ in which approximately 20 million m³, or 0.9%, is in the region of Xining Municipality. The river flow is 24.5 million m³, 18.8 million m³, 15.5 million m³, and 13.3 million m³ at guarantee rate of 20%, 50%, 75%, and 90%, respectively. (2) Ground Water Constrained by the geological structure, lithology and geomorphologic conditions, the groundwater distribution in the Xining Municipality has some regularity. Based on groundwater formation, distribution pattern, and the hydrological and hydrodynamic characteristics the groundwater type divided into two groups: pore water in the look rock layer and the pore water in the fractured rock layer. 1) Pore water in the loose rock layer The pore water in loose rock is the main groundwater type in Xining City. It is mainly replenished by the infiltration of river water. The aquifer typically has a two-layer structure, with the upper layer composed of gravel and the lower composed of muddy gravel layer. The both sides and bottom of the aquifer is clay-containing and is impermeable. The hydraulic gradient is approximately 5 to 10 degrees. The aquifer thickness depends on a variety of factors including the soil structure, the replenishment and discharge of ground water, the base shape of the valley, and the change of ancient river channels. The depth varies significantly in different directions. In the area between the Heizu (in the west) and the Xining Steel Mill, because it is close to the river base and there is infiltration from the Xinachuan River, Kangchengchuan River, the Yunguchuan River and the Huangshui River, the replenishment is sufficient. The aquifer depth is 15-20 meters with buried depth of 10-20 meters. The single well capacity is 1000-5000 m³/day. The water has good quality with mineral contents below 1g/L. In the highland areas that are far from the river base the aquifer thickness deceases and the buried depth increase. The buried depth is typically between 10 and 30 meters, sometimes it can reach 60 meters. The single well capacity decreases to below 100 m³/day. In other areas, due to poor replenishment conditions, the aquifer thickness is below 10 meters with buried depth between 5 and 10 meters. The single well capacity is usually between

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100 and 1000 m³/day. 2) Pore water in fractured rocks The pore water in fracture rocks can be further divided into two subgroups based on the soil type, the distribution condition and pattern, the hydrological and hydrodynamic characteristics. The two groups include the latent water in loose rocks and the pressurized water in loose rocks. a) Latent water in loose rocks This type of ground water is distributed in the loess on both sides of the Huangshui River and in the hilly area, and in the underlying gravel layer. With the erosion effect of the hydraulic conditions, the terrain of the loess and hilly area has become fragmented. The distribution condition of the ground water has change. Some of the low end loose rock has dried out. Only in some few areas that are favorable for precipitation impoundment, there is groundwater remaining. Because the groundwater distribution is fragmented, each remaining ground water has its separated replenishment, flow and discharge system. b) Pressurized water in loose rocks. The pressured water in loose rocks is distributed in the bottom of the valley plain. Based on the hydraulic survey, there are no works with ground water involved such as long tunnels in the proposed works. This report will only provide very brief discussions on the ground water. 3.1.4 Climate Meteorology

The Xining City has a dry summer and long winter. It has a typical continental plateau climate. The main meteorological characteristics including (i) low air pressure (yearly average at 775 mbar); (ii) long sunshine durations (annual sum of annual duration at 2560-2830 hours) with abundant solar energy resource; (iii) intense irradiation (annual sunshine irradiation at 6123.7 MJ/m²); (iv) annual average wind speed of 2.0 m/s, with low wind speed in spring and fall seasons. The annual number of days for which the wind is stronger than 8th scale is averaged at 32.2. The wind of southeast direction is dominant; (v) the average precipitation is 380 mm. 85% of the precipitation is concentrated from May to September and the precipitation between from December to February only accounts for 1% of the annual precipitation; (vi) annual evaporation is 1363.6 mm and the annual relative

HAES -82- QXUTP EIA Report humidity is 56%; (vii) the number of days with sand storm is 8.1; (viii) the average temperature is 7.6 oC with the high at 34.6oC and the low at 18.9 oC. The average summer temperature is 17-19 oC with significant temperature difference between days and nights. It is a pleasant resort for summers and has a reputation of “the Summer Capital of China”. 3.1.5 Hydraulic Network

Major rivers in the Xining City includes the Huangshui River, the Beichuan River, the Xichuan River and the Nanchuan River, all of which belong to the Huangshui Water Network. The Huangshui River is a major tributary of the upstream Yellow River. The Huangshui River origins at the South side of the Datong Mountain, which is part of the Qilian Mountains. The Huangshui River flows though 8 counties and 1 city, and converges with the Datong River at the Xiangtang Township within the province, and merges into the Yellow river at the Hekou in Gansu Province. The total length of the Huangshui River is 373.9 km with a basin area of 16120 km². The river section in the Xining Municipality is 35 km long, with a basin area of 260.6 km². The gradient in the Xining Municipality is 0.32% - 0.4% and the natural river bed width is 50-150 m. there are three major tributaries for the Huangshui River within the Qinghai Province, namely the Xichuang River, the Beichuan River and the Nanchuan River. After these tributaries merges, they become the Huangshui River. The Xichuan River is the official source of the Huangshui River. It starts from where the Mapisi River merges with the Halijian River in the Haian County and ends at where it merges into the Huangshui River. It has a length of 173.9 km, an average gradient of 0.767%, and a basin area of 9022 km². The elevation is between 2225 m and 4000m. The Beichuan River is the largest tributary that origins at the south side of the Daban Mountain. The Beichuan River merges into the Xichuan River from the north at the distance of 171.7 km from its origins. The Beichuan River has a total length of 154.2 km, an average gradient of 0.6%, and a basin area of 3371 km². Within the Xining Municipality the basin area is 42.8 km², the river length is 11.3 km, and the natural river bed width is 30-100 m. the upstream of the basin area has good vegetation coverage while the downstream of the basin area has poor vegetation coverage.

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The Nanchuan River is also a first class tributary which origins at the place 1 km to the northwest of the Lajishan Mountain located in the southern area of Huangzhong County. The Nanchuan River merges into the Xichuan River from the south side at 173.9 km distance from its origin. The Nanchuan River has a length of 40.6 km, an average gradient of 0.7%, and a basin area of 398 km². Within the Xining Municipality, the river length is 8.3km, the basin area is 29 km and the natural river bed width is 30-90 m. the elevation is between 2225 – 3800 m. Other than the Beichuan River and the Nanchuan River, there are also 27 seasonal flash flood channels, of which 11 channels flow through the urban area. The Huanshui River is one of the largest tributaries of the upstream Yellow River. The river is replenished mainly from precipitation. The yearly average runoff is 1.66 billion m³ with the runoff depth over 230 mm. The runoff profile shows significant seasonal variance with the runoff from June to September accounting for 55-85% of annual runoff. This project involved both the Huangshui River and the Yungguchuan River. The Yunguchuan River is one of the tributaries of the Xichuan River networks. It origins at the Xianglin Valley of the Niangniangshan mountain in the Huangzhong County. It flows pass the Huangzhong County and the Xining City and merges into the Xichuan River at the Taonan Village in the Dapuzi Township. The total length of the river is 41 km. The average flow is 0.77 m³/s. The average runoff in its catchment is 24 million m³ per year. 3.1.6 Soil Environment

There are many different soil types in the Xining City. Among them, the chestnut soil and sierozem are the dominating two types. The soil types include, from the highest elevation to the lowest elevation, alpine cold desert soil, alpine meadow soil, mountain meadow soil, gray brownsoil, chernozem, chestnut soil, sierozem marsh soil. There are also some northern laterite irrigated soil and aquic soil in the area. Chestnut soil is a grass land soil type that is widely distributed in the northern China. This type of soil usually shows an apparent trait of humus accumulation and lime leaching and deposition, some of the soil also shows a trait of gypsification and mineralization. The soil usually has a maroon or dark maroon color humus layer of 25 to 45 cm thickness on the top. The organic content in the humus layer is usually

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1.5 to 4.0%. Below the humus layer, there is always a calcic layer which contains large amounts of grey white porphyritic or powdered lime. The lime content is between 10% and 30 %. The sierozem soil is a dry soil for which the surface layer slightly humified with the organic content of 1-2.5%. At the 15-30 cm depth it has a pseudohyphal-like or blotchy calcic layer. Below that there can be a gypsum deposited layer or a soluble salts deposited layer. The cross section profile is similar to that of the brown soil, however it is not as dry as the brown soil and the soil layer is often thicker.

3.2 Environmental Condition in the Project Area

The proposed No. 5 Road, the Wusixi Road, the Xicheng Avenue (the section to the north of the Huangshui River), and the Yanxiaocun are all within the planned Xichuan New Urban Area. The area along Xicheng Avenue to the south of the Huangshui River hasn’t been planned. The current statuses of the land along the 3 roads are mostly farm land, low-rise residential housing, and a few enterprises. The current qualities of the water and sound environment are all in good condition with little or no existing pollution sources.

3.3 Social Environment

3.3.1 Background

Xining is the capital of the Qinghai Province, and the provincial center for politics, economy, culture, education, science, transportation and communication. It is the biggest city on the Tibetan plateau. The geological location city center is at the longitude of 101o45′ and the north latitude of 36 o 43'. It has an administrative area of 7,649 km², of which the urban area accounts for 510 km². Currently there are 4 urban districts (Chengdong, Chengxi, Chengzhong, and Chengbei districts) and 3 counties (Datong Hui Autonomous County, Huangzhong County and Huangyuan County) within its Administrative jurisdiction. The population is 2.228 million, in which 1.4579 is urban population and 0.7701 million is rural population. The Xining city is located at the boundary of the Loess Plateau and the Tibetan Plateau, of the Agriculture region and Pastoral region, and of the Han ethnic group culture and Zhang ethnic group culture. The Xining City is the only city that has a population exceeding 1 million. There are 34 ethnic groups in the municipality

HAES -85- QXUTP EIA Report including the Han, Hui, Zhang, Tu, Mongolia, and Sarah. The ethnic minority groups account for 25.96% of the total population. Hui, Zhang and Tu are the three biggest ethnic groups, accounting for 16.26%, 5.5% and 2.6% of the total population, respectively.

3.3.2 Economy The annual GDP in the Xining City in 2011 was 77.07 billion CNY, with a yearly increase of 15.0% over the previous year. The first industry accounted for 2.741 billion CNY with a yearly increase of 5.1%. The second industrial accounted for 41.128 billion CNY with a yearly increase of 18.4%. The tertiary industry accounted for 33.201 billion CNY with a yearly increase of 12.0%. The three industries ratio changed from the previous year's 3.90:51.05:45.05 to 3.56:53.36:43.08. The annual per capita GDP was 34,743 CNY with a yearly increase of 14.4%. On the income side, the city realized the general budget revenue of 8.711 billion CNY, of which the local general budget revenue accounted for 4.525 billion CNY, the central government tax revenue accounted for 3.745 billion CNY, and the designated provincial income accounted 441 million CNY. The city also realized 438 million CNY in value-added tax, of which the local industrial and commercial tax revenues accounted for 3.584 billion CNY, the corporate income tax accounted for 449 million CNY, and the personal income tax accounted for 205 million CNY. The Xining City also realized Non-tax revenue of 503 million CNY. On the expense side, the Xining City realized the general budget expenditure of 15.004 billion CNY, of which the education spending accounted for 2.448 billion CNY, the social security and employment spending accounted for 1.616 billion CNY, the health care spending accounted for 1.135 billion CNY, the forestry and water affairs spending accounted for 1.519 billion CNY, the transportation spending accounted for 302 million CNY, and the housing security spending accounted for 23.20 billion CNY. The overall industrial added value was 35.628 billion CNY, with a yearly increase of 19.4% over the previous year. 3.3.3 Education and Healthcare

In 2011 there were 9 colleges with 58,661 enrolled students in the Xining City, 137 high schools with 120,563 enrolled students (an increase of 0.79%), 21 secondary vocational schools with 42,364 enrolled students, 275 primary schools

HAES -86- QXUTP EIA Report with 158,146 enrolled students (a decrease of 1.46%), 3 special education schools with 917 enrolled students (a decrease of 8.3%), 309 kindergartens with 59,956 enrolled children (an increase of 6.3%). The enrollment rate of school-age children was 100%. The junior high school enrollment rate was 94%. The senior high school enrollment rate was 86%. In 2011 there were 711 various kinds of medical and health institutions, including 45 hospitals at the county level or above, 14,400 health care workers, 13,028 beds. The health care worker ratio was 64.9 per 10,000 residents. 3.3.4 Urban Infrastructure

In 2011, the per capita residential ground floor area was 26.12 m². The per capita water consumption was 197.94 liters/day with water supply coverage of 99.79%. The bus population ratio was 16.5 vehicles per 10,000 people. The gas supply coverage was 94.53%. The per capita road area and green land area was 7.01m² and 9.5m², respectively. There were 67 bridges, 4 flyover intersections, 76080 street lights and 40 km flood control dikes. In 2011 in the Xining City, there were 7 water treatment plants with 944.77 km of distribution system. The total water supply amount was 140.3 million tons. The total heat supply amount was 0.6 million GJ with 0.362 million m² of concentrated heating areas and 8 km of total heat supply pipelines. 3.3.5 Transportation

The Xining city located at a pivotal location of the ancient "South Silk Road" and the “Tangfangudao". Since the ancient times, it had become a transportation hub and military town in the northwest region with a reputation of "the throat of the Tibet". With the facilitated “develop of the west” and the modern transportation development, a transportation network across the whole province with the Xining City as the center has been formed. The Country Road (CR) 315 and the CR109 run across the whole area. The total railway length was over 1300 km. The operation of Qinghai-to-Tibet railway has made the Xining City the hub of the railways system on the Tibetan Plateau. The Xining Airport’s annual passenger throughput has been increasing at a yearly rate of 33%, and it has flights to most of the cities in the country. By the end of 2011, the city's annual freight volume reached 30.83 million tons,

HAES -87- QXUTP EIA Report of which: the railway system accounted for 4.85 million tons, the road system accounted for 25.97 million tons, and the aviation accounted for 3,400 tons. The cargo turnover was 21.15 billion tons-km, of which the railway system accounted for 13.7 billion tons-km, the highway accounted for 7.444 billion tons-km, the aviation accounted for 0.06 billion ton-km. The annual total passenger traffic was 50.5 million people, of which the railway system accounted for 3.97 million, the highway system accounted for 4559 people, and the aviation system accounted for 93.88 million. The passenger turnover 7.325 billion person-kilometers, of which the railway system accounted for 3.482 billion person-kilometers, the highway system accounted for 2.397 billion person-kilometers and the aviation system accounted for 1.445 billion person-kilometers. 3.3.6 Physical Cultural Resource

Within the Xining City, there are currently 1 cultural heritage management organization and 1 museum at the provincial level, 3 cultural heritage management organizations and 3 museums at the municipal or county level. There are 28 cultural heritage specialists. Within the jurisdiction area of the Xining Municipality, there are 705 cultural heritage sites identified, among which there is 1 national key cultural heritage protection unit (the Ta’er Temple), 64 provincial cultural heritage protection units, and 77 county level cultural heritage protection units. The museums are currently hosting 14 pieces of class I cultural relics. The pottery with colored dancing paints discovered in the Sunjiazhai in Xining is the oldest colored pottery with dancing graphics. According to the site investigation, there is no cultural heritage protection units involved in this project. However, there are 24 tombs that need to be relocated, all of which are located in the Wangjiazhai Village.

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4 Engineering Analysis

This Project is an urban transport improvement project which aims at improving the urban transport infrastructure and improving the management capacity to alleviate the traffic congestion condition and to improve the environmental quality. The construction activities will cause some adverse impact to the local ecological and social environment. The operation of some component will also produce noise, wastewater, exhaust gas and solid waste. However, if certain environmental protection measures are properly taken, the pollutant discharge can be controlled to be in compliance with the national discharge standards and the adverse impacts can be mitigated. The engineering analysis will approach the impact on the natural and social environment from the two angles including both the positive impacts and the negative impacts.

4.1 Compliance with the Plans

4.1.1 The Industrial Policy The Clause 5 of Interim Provisions for the Promotion of Industrial Restructuring " (State Council Order No. 40, 2005) states “strengthen the construction of infrastructure of energy, transportation, water conservancy and information sectors and enhance the protection capacity for economic and social development". The Industrial Restructuring Catalog (2011) by National Development and Reform Commission Order No. 9, Item 24 Highway and Road Transport (including urban passenger) states “Passenger and Cargo Terminals, Citybus Stations; Intelligent Transport, Rapid Transport for passenger and freights, Highways Transport System development and construction; Road Management services, development and construction of the Emergency Protection System; application of large span bridge construction and conservation technologies; City bus". The content of Project is in the list. Therefore this Project is in compliance with the industrial policy. 4.1.2 Qinghai Provincial Highway and Water way Transport 12th Five Year Plan

The Qinghai Province Highway and Waterway Transport 12th Five-Year Plan states: “… during the 12th five-year period Qinghai Province will follow the guidance

HAES -89- QXUTP EIA Report of the national policy, ... facilitating the development of the east city cluster centered at the Xining City”; “to promote the technology advance in transportation sector, ...... to comprehensively improve the efficiency and level of the transportation services”; “while strengthening the infrastructure development, advancement in technology should be emphasized to improve the safety management and emergency response capacity.”; “The highway and waterway transportation in Qinghai Province has strategic significance and is the basis for the promotion of the four-development. The development of highway and waterway transportation is the basis of modernized transportation, the economic prosperity and the harmonized society”. All of these quotes indicate the road development is very important in the 12th five year development. The plan also pointed out some remaining issues in the transportation sector, including (i) not all passenger cars are equipped with GPS system; (ii) the overall road network capacity is insufficient, and the network is not optimized. Therefore further development of the transportation infrastructure is a key objective in the 12th five year development plan. In the Development Principles section, the plan states: “The development of the transportation sector should be people oriented and livelihood focused. It should set out from improving the public service and effectively improve the travel conditions of local urban residents and farmers”. In the Development Target section, the plan states: “to develop a sophisticated and information technology based transportation sector.” In the Main Tasks section, the plan pointed out: “To implement the bus priority strategy, increase the support to the urban public transportation in policy making, strengthen the investment in public transportation infrastructure and alleviate the congestions in urban area. By following the public transportation plan, promote the development of bus stations and increase the bus service coverage”. This Project includes the development of three urban trunk roads, two branch roads, one bus corridor, one interchange center, one bus dispatch center, and associated intelligent traffic management system. The development of this Project will provide convenient travel service and alleviate the urban traffic pressure. The development of the interchange will improve the city image, and promote the integration of the urban and the rural transportations, of the short-distance and the long-distance travel, and of different travel methods. The intelligent traffic

HAES -90- QXUTP EIA Report management will improve the management capacity of the transportation sector and enhance the traffic safety. In summary, the development of this Project is in line with the Qinghai Province Highway and Waterway Transport 12th Five-Year Plan. 4.1.3 Xining State Highway Transportation Hub Master Plan

The Xining City State Highway Transportation Hub Master Plan states in the Urban Transportation Section: the urban road network will adopt a grid network layout with the framework formed by 4 east-to-west trunk roads, 11 south-to-north trunk roads and 1 circle trunk road associated with secondary trunk roads and branch roads. The framework of the network will demonstrate a “4-horizontals, 11-verticals and 1 circle” shape, in which the “4 horizontals” are referring to the Chaidamu Road-Qilian Road- Huzhu Road, Bayi Road-Dongdajie Avenue-Xidajie Avenue-Wusi Road, South Bypass Highway and Fenghuangshan Road; the 11-verticals are referring to the Xicheng Avenue, Chaka Road, Haihu Road, Xinning Road-Xiaoqiao Avenue-Ningda Road, Tongren Road-Hainan Road, Changjiang Road-Nanchuandong Road, Jianguo Road, Huangzhong Road, Minghe Road, Dongminghe Road and Tuanjie Road; the “1 circle” is referring to the circle road composed of the Tianjun Road, Xianshan No.1 Road, Tonghai Road, Xishan No. 2 Road, Nanshan No. 2 Road, Fenghuangshan Road, and part of the Xi-Ping Highway. The classifications of the roads include the express way, the trunk road, the secondary trunk road and the branch roads. The total length of the trunk roads and secondary trunk roads is 359.01 km, with a road network density of 2.796 km/km² and per capita road area of 12.6 m². In the Urban Public Transportation Section, the plan suggests that the bus corridors network will show a “3-horizontals and 2-verticals” shape, in which the “3-horizontals” are referring to the Wusi Road-Dongxi Avenue-Dongguan Avenue-Bayi Road, the South Bypass Highway, and the Nanguan Road-Guoluo Road. The “2-verticals” are referring to the Xining Road-Xiaoqiao Avenue-Ningda Road, and the Changjiang Road-Nanchuan Road East. The proposed Wusixi Road is part of Bayi Road-Dongdajie Avenue-Xidajie Avenue-Wusi Road, which is one of the important “4-horizontals”, and part of the Wusi Road-Dongguan Avenue-Bayi Road, which is one the important “3-horizaontals”. The proposed Xicheng Avenue is one of the “11 verticals”. Therefore, the proposed Project is in line with the Xining City State Highway

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Transportation Hub Master Plan. 4.1.4 Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan

According to the Xining City water environment function zoning plan, the surface waters in the municipality are divided into five categories. The sections of main stream of the Huangshui River between the Dongxia and Zhamalong (18.8 km) and between the Zhamalong and Xigang Bridge (25.4 km) are Category III water bodies. The sections of the Yunguchuan River from the water reservoir to the Yanggouwan (19.35 km) where it merges into the Huangshui River are Category II water body. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. According to the zoning plan, the category II water body is for centralized drinking water source protection area (Class I), valuable fish protection area and spawn area. The Category III water body is for centralized drinking water source protection area (Class II), fish protection area and swimming area. The zoning plan also states that in the drinking water protection zone, these activities are not allowed. These activities include: (i) using seepage pits, seepage wells or caves for wastewater discharge or other hazardous waste discharge; (ii) using permeable layer pores, caves or deserted mines for storage of petroleum, natural gas, radioactive materials, toxic chemicals or pesticides; (iii) groundwater contamination during artificial groundwater replenishment; (iv) development of storage sites for city garbage, night soils, or soluble and toxic wastes. In special occasions that a transfer station has to be installed, approval from relevant agencies and necessary anti-leakage measures are needed. The Project is located within the Huangshui River Basin. The water bodies involved are the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River. The proposed Xicheng Ave will cross the Huangshui River as a bridge at K1+257-K1+617 and the proposed Wusixi Road will cross the Yunguchuan Rive using a box culvert at K1+760. According to the Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan, the Huangshui River is a Class III water body near the crossing location, and the Yunguchuan is a Class II water body near the crossing location. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. From the engineering design, the above mentioned forbidden activities will not occur in this Project during the construction phase. During the operation phase, the wastewater will be discharged to the No. 4

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WWTP through the city sewers and will not cause pollution to the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River. Therefore this Project is in compliance with the Xining City water environment function zoning plan. 4.1.5 Xining Huangshui Forest Park Plan

The Xining Huangshui Forest Park is located in the Huangshui Forest which is located in the Dananshan Scenic Area. The minimum distance from the park to the proposed Project is 4 km. Therefore this Project will not cause any impact on the Huangshui Forest Park. 4.1.6 Current Urban Plans

Datong County

The Project area Huangyuan County

Huangzhong County

Figure 4.1-1 Administrative Area of the Xining Municipality

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Chadamu District

Haihu District 湟 Hutai District 中 Huangzhong 县 county

Figure 4.1-2 Districts map

4.1.6.1 Xining Urban Master Plan The Xining City Urban Master Plan (2001-2020) suggests that the urban road network will adopt a grid network layout with the framework formed by 4 east-to-west trunk roads, 11 south-to-north trunk roads and 1 circle trunk road associated with secondary trunk roads and branch roads. The framework of the network will demonstrate a “4-horizontals, 11-verticals and 1 circle” shape, in which the “4 horizontals” are referring to the Chaidamu Road-Qilian Road- Huzhu Road, Bayi Road-Dongdajie Avenue-Xidajie Avenue-Wusi Road, South Bypass Highway and Fenghuangshan Road; the 11-verticals are referring to the Xicheng Avenue, Chaka Road, Haihu Road, Xinning Road-Xiaoqiao Avenue-Ningda Road, Tongren Road-Hainan Road, Changjiang Road-Nanchuandong Road, Jianguo Road, Huangzhong Road, Minghe Road, Dongminghe Road and Tuanjie Road; the “1 circle” is referring to the circle road composed of the Tianjun Road, Xianshan No.1 Road, Tonghai Road, Xishan No. 2 Road, Nanshan No. 2 Road, Fenghuangshan Road, and part of the Xi-Ping Highway. The plan also suggests that the bus corridors network will show a “3-horizontals and 2-verticals” shape, in which the “3-horizontals” are referring to the Wusi Road-Dongxi Avenue-Dongguan Avenue-Bayi Road, the South Bypass

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Highway, and the Nanguan Road-Guoluo Road. The “2-verticals” are referring to the Xining Road-Xiaoqiao Avenue-Ningda Road, and the Changjiang Road-Nanchuan Road East. The proposed Wusixi Road Extension Section is part of Bayi Road-Dongdajie Avenue-Xidajie Avenue-Wusi Road, which is one of the important “4-horizontals”. The proposed Xicheng Avenue is one of the “11 verticals”. Therefore, the proposed Project is in line with the Xining City Urban Master Plan. 4.1.6.2 Development Plan for Urban Space of Xining City (2030) The development plan for urban space of Xining City (2030) suggests that the express way system will be based on a “crossing” shape of layout which will be developed in each of the Xichuan, Dongchuan, Nanchuan and Beichuan areas. For the Xichuan area, there will be three east-to-west trunk roads, including the Kunlun Road-Xichuan Road South, the Wuxi Road, and the Shengli Road-Haian Road. The proposed Wusixi Road Extension section and the upgrade of the Wusi Road Bus Corridor are part of the trunk road in the development plan. Therefore this Project is in line with the development plan for urban space of Xining City (2030) 4.1.6.3 Huangzhong County Urban Master Plan (2011-2030): Douba Master Plan The Huangzhong County Urban Master Plan proposes that “improve the rural transportation infrastructure development, promote the upgrade of county roads and rural roads, and improve the public transportation service stations… facilitate the development of rural transportation network that is convenient and smooth”. The proposed Xicheng Avenue under this Project will pass through the Huangzhong County in the south-to-west direction. This part of the project area is in the rural area. The development of the Xicheng Avenue can help improve the transportation infrastructure and improve the public transportation service. In addition, the Duoba Master Plan proposed a “circle plus grid” road network that is composed of “one-circle, four-horizontal and five-vertical”. The four horizontal are referring to the Xingti Road, the Binhe Road South, the Xingduo Road and the Taikang Road, among which the Xingduo Road is connected with the Wusi Corridor. In summary, this Project is in line with the Huangzhong County Urban Master

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Plan. 4.1.6.4 Control Plan of the Haihu New District The Haihu New District Control Plan requires that the road network in the district will be a “grid plus circle” shape. There will be 3 different classifications of roads in the area, including the trunk roads, secondary trunk roads and branch roads. The Wusi Road is the only trunk road for urban life purpose. The road width between the red lines is 60 m. The relationship between the Haihu District and the Wusixi Road are illustrated in the Figure 4.1-3. The Wusi Road Bus Corridor will be upgraded on the existing Wusi Road with 5 sections including the Changjiang Road to Huanghe Road section, the Huanghe Road to Xinning Road section, the Xinning Road to Haihu Road Section, the Haihu Road to Huangshui River section and the Huangshui River to Xicheng Avenue section. The Haihu Road to Huangshui River section is located in the Haihu New District with a road width of 60 m between the red lines. It is in line with the road plans in the control plan. Therefore this Project is in compliance with the Haihu New District Control Plan.

Chadamu District

Huangshui

Wusi Road Haihu New District

Haihu Figure 4.1-3 Haihu Area and the Wusi Road 4.1.6.5 Control Plan of the Chaidamu Road Area The Chaidamu Road Area Control Plan requires the road network in this area will be composed of an east-to-west network and a south-to-north network. The east-to-west network is composed of the Chaidamu Road and the Wusixi Road.

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The south-to-north network is composed of the Huangshui Road, the Tonghai Road and the Wenhui Road. The locations of the Chaidamu Road and the Wusixi Road are shown in the Figure 4.1-4. The Wusi Road Bus Corridor will be upgraded on the existing Wusi Road, and become part of the east-to-west network. Therefore this Project is in line with the Chaidamu Road Area Control Plan.

Chaidamu Road Area

Planned Area

Haihu New District

Wusixi Road

Figure 4.1-4 Location Map of the Chaidamu Road Area and Wusixi Road 4.1.6.6 Hutai Area Control Plan The Hutai District Control Plan requires that the road network in this district will be a grid network. There are 4 different classifications of the roads including the express way, the trunk roads, secondary trunk roads and branch roads. The planed express way is the Kunlun Road. The planed trunk roads include the Haihu Road, the Xinning Road and the Wusi Road. The planned Wusi Road has a width of 45 m between the red lines. The road length of the section between the Haihu Road and the Xinning Road is 1625 m. The layout of the secondary trunk roads will show a “two-horizontal and one-vertical” pattern. The secondary trunk roads include the Lenghu Road, the Haian Road and the Xiguan Road. The locations of the Hutai District and the Wusixi Road are shown in the Figure 4.1-5.

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Huangshui

Haihu District

Hutai Area Xinning Haihu Rd Rd

Wusi Rd

Kunlun Ave

Figure 4.1-5 Hutai Area and Wusixi Road

The Wusi Road Bus Corridor will be upgraded on the existing Wusi Road with 5 sections including the Changjiang Road to Huanghe Road section, the Huanghe Road to Xinning Road section, the Xinning Road to Haihu Road Section, the Haihu Road to Huangshui River section and the Huangshui River to Xicheng Avenue section. The section between the Xinning Road and the Haihu Road is located within the Hutai District. It will become the planned trunk roads in the control plan. Therefore this Project is in compliance with the Hutai District Control Plan.

4.2 Identification of the Environmental Impacts

4.2.1 Summary of the Environmental Impacts

The Project is an urban transport improvement project which aims at improving the urban transport infrastructure and improving the management capacity to alleviate the traffic congestion condition and to improve the environmental quality. The construction stage of the project will cause some adverse impact to the local ecological and social environment. The operation of some component will also produce noise, wastewater, exhaust gas and solid waste. However, if certain environmental protection measures are properly taken, the pollutant discharge can be controlled to be in compliance with the national discharge standards and the

HAES -98- QXUTP EIA Report adverse impacts can be mitigated. The engineering analysis will approach the impact on the natural and social environment from the two angles including both the positive impacts and the negative impacts. Each component will cause different environment impacts in terms of scope and extents, therefore the focuses of different components are different. In order to maximize the project benefits by mitigating the adverse impacts and enhancing the positive impacts, both adverse impacts and positive impacts will be addressed in the EIA. For adverse impacts, we will conduct in-depth quantitative assessment and propose feasible and effective mitigation measures; for positive impacts, we will conduct qualitative or quantitative assessment to highlight the improvement of the environmental quality. The identification and selection of the environmental impacts of each component are listed in the Table 4.2-1.

Table 4.2-1 Identification and selection of environmental impacts Identification of Environmental Impacts Component Positive impacts Adverse impacts Most of the project area is in the urban fringe for which the surrounding environment is an agriculture environment or a mixed environment of agriculture and industry. There are not many sensitive sites. However, the Xicheng Avenue, environmental impact is Wusixi Road Extension Solve the traffic Urban significant due to large amount of Section, No. 5 Road, congestion problem in Roads civil works. Guihua 1 Road, the city. During the construction phase, Guihua 2 Road. the impacts on vegetation, water, ambient air and sound environments are significant. During the operation phase, the noise and air pollution from exhaust emission impacts are significant. bus exclusive lane and Improve the public The road construction will cause bus terminals transportation service some traffic congestion along the upgrading level, alleviate the travel roads. inconvenience, and provide maintenance sites for the vehicles, Public and enforce the bus Transport The construction will cause some a new Yanxiaocun priority mechanism. impact on the daily operation of Interchange Improve the service facilities in the surrounding area. level of the Interchange during operational stage and alleviate the need of transfer of transportation

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Identification of Environmental Impacts Component Positive impacts Adverse impacts mode around the railway station. Facilitate the Development of the implementation of bus priority mechanism enhancing traffic and the Urban area management and traffic control (ATC) on develop the control The need of civil works is minimal Intelligent the Wusixi Road, mechanism. therefore the environmental Traffic upgrading of The operation can help impact is minimal. The Manageme equipments of the improve the urban construction stage impacts are nt existing traffic control transportation, help mainly the disturbance to local center in the realize the rational traffic. headquarter of existing allocation of the road traffic police resource, and help department. improve the environmental qualities. Institutiona l and This component is mainly consulting serve with no civil works; therefore it will not capacity cause any environmental impact. developme nt

There are two kinds of components according to the project contents, including the physical works and non-physical interventions. The physical works include the construction of the new roads under the Urban Roads Component, and the construction of the Yanxiaocun Interchange and its associated access roads (Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road), and the upgrade of the bus exclusive lane and bus terminals under the Public Transport Component. Non-physical interventions include the subcomponents under the Intelligent Traffic Management Component and the Institutional and Capacity Development Component. The physical works will have significant positive and adverse environmental impacts. The non-physical interventions will have significant positive environmental impacts. Within the physical works, the adverse environmental impacts of the new roads construction and the Yanxiaocun Interchange construction will be more significant than those of the bus exclusive lane and bus terminals upgrading. Therefore, the EIA will be focused on the new roads (Wusixi Road, Xicheng Avenue and No. 5 Road) and the new Yanxiaocun Interchange (maintenance center and a bus dispatching center). While for the bus exclusive lane and bus terminal upgrading and the non-physical interventions, brief discussion will be provided in relevant chapters instead of detailed assessment.

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4.2.2 Characteristics of the Impacts

4.2.2.1 Construction preparation and construction phase (1) The excavation and filling for roads will cause vegetation damage, soil disturbance, soil exposure and changes in local geomorphology. (2) The land acquisition, construction, and material transportation will occupy or damage the urban roads, posing more traffic pressure to the existing road network. (3) The construction equipments such as the excavators, the piling machines, the heavy loaders and transport vehicles can cause noise impact on the sensitive sites including the local residential areas, schools and hospitals. (4) The construction wastewater and the domestic wastewater produced by construction workers will cause impact on surrounding environment. (5) The major impact of the construction activities on ambient air is mainly the flying dust from the earth works, excavations and soil transportation. (6) The project will cause certain amount of demolishing and resettlement which might cause impact on the life quality of the resettled residents if they are not resettled properly. (7) The installation of the drainage system will adopt the open trench construction method. The temporary storage of the excavated soil on both sides of the trench might induce soil erosion. The rainwater impoundment in the trench might also cause mud issues. (8) The upgrade of the bus stations along the Bus Corridor will cause temporary adverse impacts on traffic, the travel and safety of local residents, the operation of local enterprises and institutes, and the business of local shops. 4.2.2.2 Operation Phase The environmental impacts during operation phase are mainly the noise impact from the road and bus stops/terminals, the air pollution from the exhaust gas, and the impact of the road on landscaping effect.

4.3 Positive Impacts

All 4 components of the Project are for the development of the urban transport infrastructures. The development of this Project will cause more positive impacts than adverse impacts. The advantages are that it will help solve the traffic

HAES -101- QXUTP EIA Report congestion, optimize the travel mode of the local residents, and promote the social development. The positive impacts are listed in Table 4.3-1.

Table 4.3-1 Positive Impacts of the Project No. Components Main works Positive Impacts Construct a new Xicheng Avenue, Solve the traffic congestion 1 Urban Roads Wusixi Road Extension Section, No. 5 problem in the city. Road. The total length is 8.21 km. Improve the public Develop a bus priority demonstration transportation service level, corridor with total length of 15.6 km. alleviate the travel Public Construct a new Yanxiaocun 2 inconvenience, and provide Transport Interchange. The associated new maintenance sites for the Guihua 1 Road, Guihua 2 Road with vehicles, and enforce the bus total length of 721 m. priority mechanism. Develop the regional traffic control Intelligent system for the Wusixi Road, and 3 Traffic upgrade the existing traffic control Management center (equipment) in the headquarter of the police department By selecting project implementation staff and managerial staff for domestic and international trainings on Facilitate the implementation Intelligent technical skills and project of enhancing traffic 4 Traffic management skills, to learn the management and develop the Management advanced technologies on project control mechanism. management and problem solving skills.

4.4 Adverse impacts

4.4.1 Construction phase

The construction sites are widely spreaded. The construction of the urban roads and the Interchange will inevitably occupy some land and damage the vegetation, causing impact on the local ecological system. The demolishing, excavation and filling will cause impacts of noise, flying dust and waste material on the local environment. It is planned to adopt the analog analysis method to evaluate the impacts and to propose mitigation measures. For the affected people, proper settlement measures should be taken. 1) Noise The construction noise comes mainly from the construction machineries, such as the road rollers, loaders, excavators, mixers and others. When these machines were operating, the noise within 5 meters distance can reach upto 90 to 98dB (A). These burst non-steady noise sources will adversely affect construction workers

HAES -102- QXUTP EIA Report and surrounding residents. 2) Air Pollution During the construction, flying dust can be produced in the process of the transportation, loading/unloading of construction materials, and in the building demolishing. The construction material for roads and bridges can be spilled or scattered to the ambient air in the transportation, unloading and mixing processes. During windy days, flying dust can also be produced at the storage place of the road construction materials. All of these can have an impact on the local air quality. Exhaust gas from machinery or vehicles using diesel as fuel will cause the ambient air pollution. During the asphalt paving, the asphalt fume will cause impact on the road side residential area and the institutes. However as the paving is a one-time activity and the temperature of the asphalt mixture will decrease quickly, the impact will be temporary. When the construction activity is completed, the asphalt fume discharge will also be completed. 3) Waste water The wastewaters include the waste oil spilled from the construction machinery and the oil containing wastewater from the machinery in raining days. They also include the construction mud, the domestic wastewater from construction workers, and the surface runoffs. The construction waste and waste earth can be carried away by the runoff in strong rainy days and enter the surface water bodies as suspended particles. 4) Solid waste The construction solid waste mainly include the waste earth from excavation, the construction waste from building demolishing and the domestic waste from the construction workers. 5) Ecological environment The structure of the ecological system along the roads can be changed as the vegetation is destroyed and the farmland is acquired during road construction. When the exposed soil is flushed by rain water, soil erosion cans occur which affects the soil fertility and the stability of the biological system. 6) Resettlement If the project objectives are not compromised, the option with minimum resettlement need should be adopted. The road alignment and other service

HAES -103- QXUTP EIA Report facilities with large land area should avoid farmland and residential areas to reduce farmland acquisition and resettlement. The construction method design can also be optimized to reduce the construction duration and to reasonably arrange the construction time so that the property loss of the resettled residents can be reduced. In order to smoothly implement the land acquisition and resettlement, the construction unit should form a special department to coordinate the resettlement activities with assistance from the local government and relevant agencies. The construction unit should give priority to the overall project benefit and follow the near site settling principle to adopt the resettling methods such as the monetary resettlement and the farmer to non-farmer resettlement methods. Compensations should be made following relevant policies on land acquisition and resettlement to reduce the impact on the affected people. 7) Social Impacts There are many sensitive sites along the Bus Corridor on the Wusi Road, including the enterprise and institutes, residential areas, hotels and shops. The upgrade of the bus stations will cause certain social impacts, including the temporary occupation of the existing road which will cause disturbance to the local traffic; the construction activities that will cause adverse impacts on the operation of local enterprises and institutes, the travel of local residents and the business operation of local shops. To be more specific, the upgrade of the bus stations near the five sensitive sites including the Xining Modern Maternity Hospital, the Qinghai Broadcast and Television University, the Qinghai Normal University, the Huangchuan High school and the Huangchuan High school No.2 Campus, will cause temporary adverse impacts on the travel and safety of the patients and the students. 4.4.2 Operation Phase

After the facilities under this Project become operational, the environmental impacts will be mainly from the exhaust gas, traffic noise and vibration, and the wastewater and solid waste from the bus stations/terminals. 1) Traffic noise The traffic noise is caused by different vehicles on the roads. The noise has different noise sources including the engine, the exhaust, the body vibration, the transmission and the brake, etc. The engine is the major source among above

HAES -104- QXUTP EIA Report sources. The intensity is correlated with the engine speed and vehicle running speed. The overall traffic noises are related to not only the speed, but also the traffic flow, the vehicle type, the road structure, and the pavement. 2) Ambient air The exhaust gas is the major source of the ambient air pollution. The discharge rate is proportionally related to the traffic flow. It is also related to the vehicle type and the status of the vehicle. The exhaust gas pollutant sources mainly include the leak from the crankcase, the evaporation of the fuel, and the exhaust gas emission. The pollutants mainly include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and non-methane hydrocarbons. In addition, the pollution sources also include the domestic wastewater from the staff and the passenger, the oil-containing wastewater from the maintenance workshop and gas station, the domestic solid waste and maintenance waste oil.

Table 4.4-1 Adverse impacts of the Project No. Component Main Content Adverse Impact Noise, water and air pollutions Construct a new Xicheng Avenue, during construction stages; Wusixi Road Extension Section, and 1 Urban Roads traffic noise and exhaust gas the No. 5 Road. The total length is emission during operational 8.21 km. stage. Develop a bus priority demonstration Noise, water and air pollutions corridor with total length of 15.6 km. during construction stages; Public Construct a new Yanxiaocun 2 traffic noise and exhaust gas Transport Interchange. The associated new pollution during operational Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road stage. with total length of 721 m. Develop the regional traffic control Intelligent system for the Wusixi Road, and 3 Traffic upgrade the existing traffic control No Impact Management center (equipment) in the headquarter of the police department By selecting project implementation staff and managerial staff for domestic Intelligent and international trainings on technical 4 Traffic skills and project management skills, No Impact Management to learn the advanced technologies on project management and problem solving skills.

4.5 Identification of Environmental Elements and Indicators

4.5.1 Environmental Elements Identification

The environmental factors identification form method was used to identify the

HAES -105- QXUTP EIA Report extent and the nature of the factors according to the project nature and the pollutants discharge patterns. The results are listed in the Table 4.5-1 and 4.5-2.

Table 4.5-1 Environmental Factors Identification Living Natural Environment Biological Resource Social Environment condition

Agriculture Development Agriculture

Surface water water hydrology Surface

Ground water hydrologyGround

Industrial Development Industrial

Surface water water qualitySurface

Ground wat Ground

Endangered species Endangered

Forest Vegetation Forest

Health and safety Health

Urban Biosystem Urban

Cultural Heritage Cultural

Social Economy Social

Living StandardLiving

Transportation

Energy saving Energy

Fuel Structur Fuel

Water Supply Water

Aquatic life Aquatic

Air qualityAir

Land use Land

Wild life Wild

Fishery Environmental Resource Noise

er qualityer

e

site / / / / / -1 -1 / / / / / / / / / -1 / / / / / / preparation Excavation / / / / -2 -2 / / / / / / / / / / -1 / / / / / / Constructio n phase Transportation / / / / -1 -1 / / / / / / / / / / -1 / / / / / / Installation / / / / / -1 / / / / / / / / / / -1 / / / / / / storage / / / / -1 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / subtotal / / / / -5 -5 / / / / / / / / / / -4 / / / / / / Wastewater / / / -1 / / / / / / / / / / / / +2 / / / / / / Ambient air / / / / -1 / / / / / / / / / / / +2 / +1 +2 +2 / +2 Noise / / / / / -1 / / / / / / / / / / +2 / / +2 +2 / +2 operational Solid waste / / / / / / -1 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / stage product / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / +3 / / / / / employment / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / +1 housing / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / subtotal / / / -1 -1 -1 -2 / / / / / / / / / / / +1 +4 +4 / +5 Note: 3－major impact; 2－Fair Impact; 1－Minor Impact; “＋” represents for positive impacts and “－” represents for adverse impacts. The environmental factors can be both positive and adverse impacts. However, as the positive impacts prevail the adverse impacts, only the major impacts are listed. Table 4.5-2 Nature of the impacts adverse impacts positive impacts Construction Operation Construction phase Operation phase phase phase Nature of impacts

Partial area Partial ar Whole area Partial area Whole area Partial area Whole area Partial area Whole

Reversible Reversible

Short term Short term Short term Short term Short

long term long term long term long term long Irreversible Irreversible Environmental resources

ea

ground water natural resourc hydrology e Ground water

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adverse impacts positive impacts Construction Operation Construction phase Operation phase phase phase Nature of impacts

Partial area Partial ar Whole area Partial area Whole area Partial area Whole area Partial area Whole

Reversible Reversible

Short term Short term Short term Short term Short

long term long term long term long term long Irreversible Irreversible Environmental resources

ea

quality Surface water

hydrology Surface water √ √ √ quality Ambient air √ √ √ quality Noise √ √ √ Urban bio-system √ √ √ √ √ Forest animals biologic Wild life al resourc Aquatic life e Endangered

species fishery Land use √ √ √ Industrial

development social Agriculture environ development ment Water supply √ √ √ transportation √ √ √ √ √ Fuel structure Energy saving Health and safety life Social economy √ √ √ √ √ quality Culture heritage Living standard √ √ √ √ √

4.5.2 Selection of the Indicators

The results of the evaluation factors selection are listed in the Table 4.5-3.

Table 4.5-3 Selection of the evaluation factors Evaluation factors selected Item Evaluation factors in this EIA

Ambient air CO, NO2, PM10, PM2.5 CO, NO2, PM2.5 Equivalent noise level (A), Sound Environment Equivalent noise level (A) vibration Biological environment Soil, vegetation, soil erosion Soil, vegetation, soil erosion transportation, landscaping, living Social environment standard.

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4.6 Source Intensity Estimate

4.6.1 Construction Phase 4.6.1.1 Noise The construction noise comes mainly from construction machinery, such as the road rollers, loaders, excavators, mixers and others. When these machines are in operation, the noise level within 5 meters distance can reach upto 84 to 100dB (A). These burst non-steady noise sources will adversely affect construction workers and surrounding residents.

Table 4.6-1 The Noise Levels at Different Distances for the Main Construction Machines, dB(A) Machine Phases 5m 10m 20m 40m 60m 80m 100m 150m 200m Name Loader 90 84 78 72 68.5 66 64 60.5 58 Bulldozer 86 80 74 68 64.5 62 60 56.5 54 Road Base Excavator 84 78 72 66 62.5 60 58 54.5 52 Piling 100 94 88 82 78 76 74 70 68 Machine Vibration type road 86 80 74 68 64.5 62 60 56.5 54 roller Road Road 90 84 78 72 68.5 66 64 60.5 58 Surface grader Paver 87 81 75 69 65.5 63 61 57.5 55 Mixer 87 81 75 69 65.5 63 61 57.5 55

4.6.1.2 Air Pollution The air pollution is mainly from the flying dust. The flying dust is usually produced in the transfer, load/unload, piling of materials, and in the mixing process at the mixing stations During the construction phase, there are a lot of transportation need for the earth, sand, and cement. The flying dust and exhaust gas can impact the local air quality. According to the monitoring data of similar projects, the TSP concentrations at 50m, 100m, and 150m distances downwind from the transportation routes are 11.652 mg/m³, 9.694 mg/m³, and 5.093 mg/m³, respectively, and the TSP concentrations at 50m, 100m, and 150m distances downwind from the mixing stations are 8.90 mg/m³, 1.65 mg/m³, and 1.00 mg/m³..

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4.6.1.3 Water Pollution The wastewater produced at construction phase is mainly from the production and domestic activities, including the cement mixing wastewater, vehicle rinsing wastewater, construction equipment rinsing wastewater (with oil content) and domestic wastewater. Domestic wastewater is the biggest contributor in terms of wastewater volume. The SS is the major pollutant. Construction Wastewater: the waste oil spilled from the construction machinery and the oil containing wastewater from the machineries in raining days; the domestic wastewater and solid waste from the construction camp (especially for the river crossing bridge construction) which will pollute the water body to some extent; the cement mixing wastewater and machine rinsing wastewater which usually alkalic (in terms of pH). The sand rinsing wastewater volume will be small and the pollutants are usually SS and small amount of oil. Further, the construction of bridge pier can also cause some waste solids. Domestic Wastewater: The volume of domestic wastewater will be calculated by using the per capita discharge coefficient. It is estimated that there will be 100 workers on site during peak construction period and each person will be using 100 L of water per day. Assuming the wastewater coefficient is 90%, and then the wastewater volume will be 9m³/d. The major pollutants in domestic wastewater are COD (200-300 mg/L), fat (50 mg/L) and SS (80-100 mg/L). 4.6.1.4 Solid Waste The solid waste will come from the earth works, the building demolishing, and the domestic solid wastes. (1) Earth Works: According to the engineering design material, the excavation will be 598,600 m³, the filling will be 185,500 m³ and the waste will be 413,100 m³. Among the waste the permanent spoil will be 344,900 m³ which will be sent to the construction waste landfill for disposal, and the temporary waste is 68,200 m³ which is mainly the top soil and will be temporarily stored up for future landscaping use. (2) Construction waste. According to the Resettlement Action Plan, there will be buildings of 150,261 m² floor area demolished which will produce construction waste of approximately 168,800 tons. This waste will be transferred to a proposed Xining Chengbei District Wuzhongdagou Landfill for disposal. (3) Domestic Waste from Construction Workers. It is estimated that there will

HAES -109- QXUTP EIA Report be 100 workers on site at peak period and producing 0.1 tons of domestic waste per day. 4.6.2 Operation Phase

4.6.2.1 Noise Major noise sources. After a road become operational, the noise sources on the road are mostly the non-steady source from (1) the engines, cooling systems and transmission systems; (2) the turbulence induced, exhaust system, and the frictions between tires and road surface; and (3) the moving vehicle noise caused due to the bridge pavement roughness. The Wuxisi Road, Xicheng Avenue and No. 5 Road are trunk roads while the Guihua 1 Road and the Guihua 2 Road are branch roads, the noise source are mainly the moving vehicles on the roads during the operation phase. Based on the results of the Highway Transport Noise Source Test, the average radiation noise level at different running speed of different types of vehicles are listed in Table 4.6-2 and Table 4.6-3. The noise source intensities by each vehicle types for selected projection years are listed in Table 4.6-4.

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Table 4.6-2 Projection Results of the Overall Traffic Flow and the Traffic Flows by Vehicle Type Daytime hourly flow Nighttime hourly flow Daily Traffic Flow (No.s/hour) (No.s/hour) As standard Peak flow Road Year Actual passenger (No.s /day) vehicles Overall S M L Overall S M L car (No.s /day) (pcu/day) Wusixi 2018 26771 21176 1790 1177 895 35 247 291 221 9 61 Road 2024 36031 28560 2185 1517 1138 30 349 428 294 11 123

2032 43638 33281 2348 1727 1312 35 380 518 348 14 156

Xicheng 2018 5360 3595 304 200 98 58 44 49 24 14 11 Avenue 2024 21957 14727 1127 782 438 211 133 235 113 75 47

2032 46873 37567 2650 1949 1423 351 175 593 377 144 72

No. 5 2018 3648 2620 222 146 99 13 34 36 24 4 8 Road 2024 13783 9899 757 526 400 37 89 148 103 13 32

2032 34175 28967 2044 1502 1232 75 195 438 327 31 80 2018 423 385 33 20 19 0.4 1 5 5 0.1 0.4 Guihua 2024 1349 1173 90 62 54 2 6 17 14 1 2 1 Road 2032 3268 2692 190 140 116 4 20 41 31 2 8 2018 912 829 70 47 42 1 4 11 10 0.2 1 Guihua 2024 3112 2706 207 144 122 6 16 40 32 2 6 2 Road 2032 9696 6727 475 348 293 10 45 101 78 4 19

Notes: S represents for small-sized vehicles; M-represents for medium-sized vehicles and L represents for large sized vehicles.

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Table 4.6-3 Noise level of different types of vehicles Vehicle type Average noise level Lw, I(dB) Notes V represents the speed of the large L 22.0+36.32lgV L L sized vehicles V represents the speed of the M 8.8+40.48lg V m m medium sized vehicles V represents the speed of the small S 12.6+34.731lg V s S sized vehicles

Table 4.6-4 Noise intensity of different vehicles types in different years Daytime average Nighttime average Daily Traffic Flow noise level noise level dB(A) dB(A) As Road Year standard Actual passenger vehicles S M L S M L car (No.s /day) (pcu/day) 2018 26771 21176 68.9 67.9 75.3 69.2 67.9 75.2 Wusixi 2024 36031 28560 68.8 67.9 75.4 69.1 67.9 75.2 Road 2032 43638 33281 68.7 67.9 75.4 69.1 67.9 75.3 Xichen 2018 5360 3595 71.9 71.2 78.1 71.9 71.1 78.0 g 2024 21957 14727 71.8 71.4 78.1 71.9 71.2 78.1 Avenue 2032 46873 37567 71.2 71.6 78.2 71.8 71.3 78.1 2018 3648 2620 69.1 67.9 75.2 69.2 67.9 75.1 No. 5 2024 13783 9899 69.0 67.9 75.2 69.1 67.9 75.2 Road 2032 34175 28967 68.6 68.0 75.3 69.1 67.9 75.2 2018 423 385 61.4 58.9 67.1 61.5 58.9 67.1 Guihua 2024 1349 1173 61.4 58.9 67.1 61.4 58.9 67.1 1 Road 2032 3268 2692 61.4 58.9 67.1 61.4 58.9 67.1 2018 912 829 61.4 58.9 67.1 61.4 0.0 67.1 Guihua 2024 3112 2706 61.3 59.9 67.1 61.4 58.9 67.1 2 Road 2032 9696 6727 61.1 58.9 67.2 61.4 58.9 67.1

4.6.2.2 Air Pollution The operation phase air pollution source is mainly the vehicle exhaust gas emission. The major pollutants are CO and NO2. With reference to relevant norms, the vehicle source intensity can be calculated with the formula below:

3 1 QAEj 3600 i ij i1

In which, Qj represents for the intensity of pollutant j, mg/s•m

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Aj represents for the projected hourly traffic flow of vehicle type i，No.s/hour The single vehicle emission factor of pollutant j for vehicle type i under operational condition. The recommended values for single vehicle emission factors are listed in Table 4.6-5.

Table 4-6.5 Recommended values for single car emission, g/km/vehicle Average speed（km/h） 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Small sized CO 54.32 46.66 39 31.34 23.68 17.9 14.76 10.24 7.72 vehicle NOx 99973E-02 0.5700002 1.17 1.77 2.37 2.96 3.71 3.85 3.99 Medium CO 42.15 38.16 34.17 30.18 26.19 24.76 25.47 28.55 34.78 sized vehicle NOx 2.7 3.6 4.5 5.4 6.3 7.2 8.3 8.8 9.3 Large sized CO 7.56 6.79 6.02 5.25 4.48 4.1 4.01 4.23 4.77 vehicle NOx 10.32 10.36 10.4 10.44 10.48 11.1 14.71 15.64 18.38

4.6.2.3 Water Pollution The water pollution sources during operation phase include the oil containing wastewater from the vehicle maintenance at the Yanxiaocun Interchange, the domestic wastewater produced by the staff and moving populations, and the road runoff. The domestic wastewater at Yanxiaocun Interchange and the residential areas along the new roads will be collected by the sewer network and sent to the No. 4 wastewater treatment plant for treatment. The effluent with water quality of the Class I A standard will be discharged into the Huangshui River. (1) Yanxiaocun Interchange The major pollutants in the oil containing wastewater from vehicle maintenance are COD, BOD5 and oil. The major pollutants in the domestic wastewater are COD,

BOD5, fats and ammonia. According to similar project experiences, the wastewater qualities are predicted as in the Table 4.6-6.

Table 4.6-.6 Predicted wastewater quality during operation phase Source of Wastewater Quality Indicators Wastewater

Oil containing pH COD(mg/L) BOD5(mg/L) Oil(mg/L) wastewater 7.8 425 127 15

pH COD(mg/L) BOD5(mg/L) fats(mg/L) Ammonia(mg/L) Domestic wastewater 7.5～8.0 150～200 50～90 5～10 23 According to the estimates from the design material, the volume of oil containing wastewater from vehicle maintenance is 9.6 m³/day, and the volume of

HAES -113- QXUTP EIA Report domestic water is calculated based on the number of personnel, using the per capita discharge coefficient method. According to the engineering design material, the new Yanxiaocun Interchange will have 90 staff members. Assuming the daily water consumption is 120 L/day per capita, and the wastewater coefficient is 90%, then the volume of domestic water from staff members is approximately 9.7 m³/day. The passenger number is approximately 20,000 per day. Assume that they each use 6 L of water, and the wastewater coefficient is 90%, then the volume of domestic wastewater from passengers is 108 m³/day. The volumes of wastewater are listed in Table 4.6-7.

Table 4.6-7 Volumes of Wastewaters during Operation Phase Oil Containing Domestic Domestic Wastewater from Wastewater from Total Wastewater from Vehicle Maintenance Staff Members （m³/d） Passengers (m³/d） （m³/d） （m³/d） Yanxiaocun 9.6 9.7 108 127.3 Interchange

(2)Road Surface Runoff Pollutants in road surface runoff are mainly SS and oil. It is indicated in literatures that the pollutant concentrations in road surface runoff are related to a lot of factors including the traffic flow, the vehicle type, the rainfall intensity and the rainfall length, the nature of the road, and the characteristics of the fuel. Because there are so many variables, it is very difficult to find a method to estimate the pollutant concentration. Based on some test results on the road surface runoff pollutant by domestic institutes, usually in the first 40 minutes from when rainfall starts to when the runoff is formed, the SS and oil concentrations are high, or with averages at 160 mg/L and 5.8 mg/L, respectively. After that, the concentrations decrease dramatically. After 40 minutes of rainfall, the surface will be rinsed clean and the surface runoff pollutant concentration will be steady at low levels. If there are accidental spills from vehicles loaded with hazardous or poisonous substances, the wastewater from road surface flush will cause water pollution if it enters the surface water bodies. However, the roads to be constructed in this Project are mainly urban roads that do not allow transportation of hazardous chemical (which will be transported on the branch roads in the southern part of the

HAES -114- QXUTP EIA Report city). Therefore there is no risk of water pollution caused by accidents of vehicles loaded with hazardous or poisonous substances. 4.6.2.4 Solid Waste The solid wastes during operation phase are mainly the domestic solid waste and the waste oil from the maintenance workshop of the Yanxiaocun Interchange. The domestic solid wastes are from the staff members and the transferring passengers in the Yanxiaocun Interchange. According to the estimates in the engineering design material, the volume of domestic solid waste volume during operational stage is 182.52t/a. The domestic solid waste will be collected and sent to the sanitary landfill for treatment. Other than those, the pedestrian using the new roads will also produce some solid wastes. The waste oil from the Yanxiaocun Interchange maintenance workshop will be handled for recycling by a qualified contractor with hazardous waste treatment license in Qinghai province, the Xining Ningli Waterproof Materials Company Limited.

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5 Alternatives Comparison

5.1 Huangshui River Bridge

The Xicheng Avenue overpasses the Huangshui River at K1+257~K1+612.0. The Bridge will use one span to cross the channel with no piers in the water channel to reduce the impact on water passage capacity. The central span will be 70 to 110 meters long. The bridge approach will use prefabricated small box girder structure with a standard span of 30 meters. Table 5.1-1 Alternative comparison for the Huangshui River Bridge

Altern Bridge structure Advantages/ Cost atives disadvantages 1 Main bridge: 3-span 80 m + 110 m + The total length is 360 m. the Main bridge: 95 80 m prestressed concrete bridge has good structural integrity million CNY; continuous girder with structure and strength. The deformation is Approach bridge: height of 2.5-5.5 m. The upper and small. Easy for traffic passage. 22 million CNY; lower bounds are separate. Low maintenance need. The Total: 117 million Approach bridge: post-tensioned design and construction methods CNY small box girder with standard span of are mature. Engineering cost is 30 m relatively low. (Recommended alternative) 2 Main bridge: 3-span 45 m + 115 m + The total length is 355 m. the Main bridge: 120 45 m half-through arch bridge. Steel bridge has good landscape effect million CNY; arch + steel box girder. The structure but the construction is more Approach bridge: height is 2.5 m. difficult. The maintenance need is 40 million CNY; Approach bridge: post-tensioned high and the engineering cost is Total: 160 million small box girder with standard span of high. CNY 30 m 3 Main bridge: 3-span 40 m + 70 m + 40 The total length is 360 m. The Main bridge: 48 m prestressed concrete continuous design and construction methods million CNY; girder with structure height of 2.5-4 m. are mature. Engineering cost is Approach bridge: The upper and lower bounds are relatively low. There will be piers in 52 million CNY; separate. the water channel therefore the Total: 100 million Approach bridge: post-tensioned impact on the water body is CNY small box girder with standard span of significant. 30 m

Table 5.1-2 Environmental analysis for the alternatives Environmental Recommended No. Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 factor alternative No sensitive No sensitive sites No sensitive sites sites in the in the area. The in the area. The No significant 1 Noise Impact area. The impact is impact is differences. impact is insignificant. insignificant. insignificant. Using the main Using the main There will be Impact on span (one span) span (one span) piers in the Alternatives 1 2 water to cross the river to cross the river water courses. and 2 environment channel. The channel. The The impact on

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Environmental Recommended No. Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 factor alternative construction has construction has water little impact on little impact on environment is the water the water significant. environment. environment. Little impact on Little impact on Significant aquatic ecology aquatic ecology impact on as the main span as the main span aquatic (one span) is (one span) is environment as used to cross the used to cross the there will be ecological river channel with river channel with piers in the Alternatives 1 3 impact no piers in the no piers in the water course. and 2 water courses. water courses. Little impact on Little impact on Little impact on terrestrial terrestrial ecology terrestrial ecology ecology as the as the Land use as the Land use Land use is is small. is small. small. Significant maintenance Little impact on Little impact on work needed and No significant 4 Social impact social social significant impact differences. environment. environment. on social environment Good Landscape 6 Fair effect landscaping Fair effect Alternative 2 impact effect Compliance 6 Complied Complied Complied with Plans.

With consideration of factors including the landscape, the construction convenience and the investment, the FSR recommended Alternative 1 which adopts the main span (one span) to cross the river channel and has little impact on the planned and existing river channels at construction phase and operation phase. The main span will adopt Pre-stressed Concrete Continuous Box Girder while the bridge approach will adopt the 30 m span small box girder with simply supporting. The total length of the bridge is 360 m. The standard width is 19 m per slab. The alternative 1 and alternative 2 have less environmental impacts than the alternative 3. There is no significant difference between alternative 1 and alternative 2 in terms of environmental impacts. With consideration from the engineering and environmental protection perspective, the alternative 1 is recommended.

5.2 Yunguchuan Bridge

The Wusixi Road overcrosses the Yunguchuan at K1+760, which merges into the Huangshui River at the downstream. This river will be reserved and it will also

HAES -117- QXUTP EIA Report be used for the flood control. This river crosses the intersection of the Wusi Road and the No. 5 Road. The current channel width is 3 to 5 meters. A bridge will be designed at the location of the Taobei Village with a single span of 8 meters. Another 3*8 meters bridge (existing) is at the location where the river intersects with the Chaidamu Road.

(1)Alternative 1. Without the re-routing of the river channel, a box culvert will be installed at the intersection of the No. 5 Road and the Wusi Road. However, the construction will be difficult. At the same time, the box culvert will be difficult for maintenance, especially when it is clogged with sediments. (2)Alternative 2. The river channel will be re-routed to avoid the construction at the congested area near the intersection of the No. 5 Road and the Wusi Road. The advantage of this alternative is in that the open river channel has better flow carrying capacity than the box culvert. However, two bridges will be needed to for the No. 5 Road and the Wusi Road to cross the river. At some places the construction will go beyond the red lines. Prior approval will be needed from the planning, land resource and hydraulic authorities.

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The new bridge

(3)Alternative comparison After careful comparison in efficiency, plan compliance, cost-effectiveness and construction convenience, the FSR recommended the box culvert alternative. The box culvert will adopt a two-hole cross section design with the size of 3*4 m each. New embankment will be constructed to connect with the existing river embankment within a 60 m range outside the culvert. The detailed comparisons are listed in the Table 5.1-3.

Table 5.1-3 Alternatives comparison Environmental Recommended No. Impact Alternative 1 Alternative 2 alternative Analysis No significant No significant 1 Noise Impact No significant difference. difference. difference. Water Significant impact as the 2 Environment Minimal river channel will be Alternative 1 impact re-routed. The river channel will be re-routed; new bridge. Biological 3 Minimal Large land acquisition Alternative 1 impact need. Significant biological impact The box culvert is Easy to construct, but located at the takes longer to complete. No significant 4 Social Impact intersection of No. 5 Therefore the social difference. Road and the Wusixi impact is significant road. It is inconvenient

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Environmental Recommended No. Impact Alternative 1 Alternative 2 alternative Analysis to construct, but the amount of construction time needed is small Landscaping 5 Good landscaping effect Poor landscaping effect Alternative 1 Impact Not complied with the planning at this stage. Planning Comply with the 6 Approval from planning Alternative 1 compliance Planning department and hydraulic department pending.

5.3 Bus Corridor (LT)

(1) Engineering plan The alternative comparison for the bus corridor on the Wusi Road was provided in the FSR. Except for the Section 1 of the Wusi Road (Changjiang Road to Huanghe Road) the curbside bus exclusive lane is adopted, the median bus exclusive lane (center-positioned bus exclusive lane) is selected for other road sections (Section 2 to Section 5).

Table 5.1-4 The Layout plan of the Bus Corridor on the Wusi Road No. Name of Road Section Alternative Wusi Road (Changjiang Road to A (Section 1） Curbside bus exclusive lane Huanghe Road) B(Section 2 and Wusi Road (Huanghe Road to Median bus exclusive lane Section3) Haihu Road) C(Section 4 and Wusi Road (Haihu Road to Median bus exclusive lane Section5) Xicheng Avenue) (2) Engineering comparison

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The comparisons were conducted based on the benefits, the urban development compatibility and the cost. The detailed comparisons are listed in the Tables 5.1-5 to 5.1-7. Table 5.1-5 Bus Corridor Layout Alternative Comparison for the Wusi Road Section 1 (Changjiang Road to Huanghe Road) Curbside bus exclusive Recommended Median bus exclusive lane lane Alternative The increase of running speed The increase of running speed of bus and other vehicles: fair of bus and other vehicles: fair to high. The center-positioned platform The curbside platform has Curb side Benefits has sufficient capacity for the sufficient capacity for the bus exclusive lane bus passage passage It can meet the demand of It can meet the demand of public transportation. public transportation. Compatibility with Compatibility with transportation facilities in the transportation facilities in the Urban central square area: High central square area: High Development Similar Railway development: Railway development: compatibility applicable for the dense applicable for the dense development in the area development in the area The quantity of works is The quantity of works is larger. smaller. The construction of The construction of center-positioned platform in center-positioned platform in the downtown area is more Curb side bus Cost the downtown area is less difficult. exclusive lane difficult. The original stations will be The original stations will be deserted. used. Easy to upgrade Easy to upgrade From the public transportation plan, an underground bus transfer hub will be developed under the central square near the Nanchuanhe area, using the second basement level. This area is also near the railway transfer hub. If the future bus terminals are arranged between the underground bus transfer hub and the railway transfer hub, this arrangement will help the formation of an integrated public transportation transfer hub. Based on the above discussion, the curbside bus exclusive lane is recommended. At the same time, the region near the rail hub site underground bus transfer interval existing tracks site, planning layout first and last stop of the bus will be beneficial to the central square to form a combination of rail and bus transit transfer hub. From the above analysis, the projects recommended roadside bus lane scheme. Table 5.1-6 Bus Corridor Layout Alternative Comparison for the Wusi Road

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Section 2,3 (Huanghe Road to Haihu Road) Recommended Median bus exclusive lane Curbside bus exclusive lane Alternative The increase of running speed of The increase of running speed bus and other vehicles: of bus and other vehicles: fair. Significant The curbside platform has The center-positioned platform Median bus Benefits sufficient capacity for the bus has sufficient capacity for the bus exclusive lane passage passage It can meet the demand of It can meet the demand of public public transportation. transportation. Applicable for the business Applicable for the business development along the development along the Urban alignment. alignment. Development Similar Railway development: applicable Railway development: compatibility for the dense development in the applicable for the dense area development in the area The quantity of works is The quantity of works is larger. smaller. The construction of The construction of center-positioned platform in the center-positioned platform in Curb side bus Cost downtown area is more difficult. the downtown area is less exclusive lane The utilization rate of the original difficult. stations is low. The original stations and Difficult to upgrade platforms will be used. Easy to upgrade From the Table 5.1-6, for the Wusi Road (Huanghe Road to Haihu Road) the alternative of median bus exclusive lane has better benefits, better compatibility with the urban development and fair construction cost. Therefore for this road section the alternative of median bus exclusive lane is selected. Table 5.1-7 Bus Corridor Layout Alternative Comparison for the Wusi Road Section 4,5 (Haihu Road to Xicheng Avenue) Recommended Median bus exclusive lane Curbside bus exclusive lane Alternative The increase of running speed of The increase of running speed bus and other vehicles: of bus and other vehicles: fair. Significant The curbside platform has The center-positioned platform Median bus Benefits sufficient capacity for the bus has sufficient capacity for the exclusive lane passage bus passage It can meet the demand of It can meet the demand of public public transportation. transportation. Applicable for the business Applicable for the development development along the Urban of new urban area. alignment. Development Railway development: applicable Similar Railway development: compatibility for the dense development in the applicable for the dense area development in the area The quantity of works is The quantity of works is larger. smaller. The utilization rate of the original Curb side bus Cost The original stations and stations is low. exclusive lane platforms will be used. Difficult to upgrade Easy to upgrade

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From the Table 5.1-7, for the Wusi Road (Haihu Road to Xicheng Avenue) the alternative of median bus exclusive lane has better benefits, better compatibility with the urban development and fair construction cost. Therefore for this road section the alternative of median bus exclusive lane is selected. (3) Environmental Comparison Table 5.1-8 Environmental comparisons of the Bus Corridor Layout Plan Bus Corridor Median Bus Exclusive Lane Curbside Bus Exclusive Lane Noise Similar Similar Water Similar Similar Environment Ecological Similar Similar Environment Ambient Air Similar Similar The quantity of construction work is The quantity of construction work is larger and the construction period is smaller and the construction period Social Impact longer. Therefore the social impact is is shorter. Therefore the social more significant. impact is insignificant. The alternative of using curbside bus exclusive lane can utilize the existing bus stations, therefore the construction will be easier with smaller amount of works, shorter construction period and less significant social impacts. The both alternatives are similar in terms of the impacts on water environment, sound environment, ecological environment, and ambient air environment. Therefore the alternative of curbside bus exclusive lane is selected from the environmental protection perspective. In summary, for road section A, the results of the environmental comparison and engineering comparison are similar. Therefore the alternative of curbside bus exclusive lane is selected for section A. For road sections B and C, the alternative of median bus exclusive lane is selected after careful consideration of factors including the benefits, urban development compatibility, cost and environmental impacts.

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6 Baseline Environmental Quality

6.1 Air Quality

6.1.1 Air Quality in Xining City

For the Xining City air quality monitoring, four sampling locations were established in the urban area including the Municipal Monitoring Station, the Provincial Medicine Warehouse, the Silu Hospital and the No. 5 Water Treatment Plan (WTP) as the negative control. According to the Environmental Quality Status Survey Report of the Xining City

(2011), the average daily NO2 concentration was 0.026 mg/m³, below the limit value (0.040 mg/m³) required of the Class I Standard of the Environmental Air Quality

Standards (GB3095-1996); the average daily SO2 concentration was 0.043 mg/m³, below the limit value (0.050 mg/m³) required of the Class I Standard. Compared with the data of the previous year (2010), the NO2 concentration slightly decreased and the SO2 concentration slightly increased. The average PM10 concentration was 0.105 mg/m³, below the limit value (0.15 mg/m³) of Class III Standard, and slightly decreased from that of the previous year. In the year of 2011, the air quality sampling and monitoring was conducted for 365 days in which 86.6% or 316 days are rated Good Air Quality, 1.4% higher than the percentage of the previous year. These results also suggest that the primary pollutant is suspended particles. In 2011 no acid rain incidents were recorded. The average dust fall was 19.41 tons/km²-month, slightly below that of the previous year. 6.1.2 Ambient Air Quality in Project Area

In January 2013, the EIA consultant retained the Xining City Environmental Monitoring Center to conduct the ambient air quality baseline survey. 1. Layout of monitoring sites Three monitoring sites were selected based on the project locations including each one site at the Wangjiazhai Village, the Taobei Village, and the Zuoshu Village, respectively. The layout of the monitoring sites is shown in the Table 6.1-1 and the Figure 6.

Table 6.1-1 Environmental Air Quality Monitoring Sites No. Location of the sites Notes

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1# Taobei Village 2# Wangjiazhai Village Residential sites 3# Zuoshu Village 2. Monitoring Indicators and Analytical Methods

The monitoring indicators include TSP, PM10, NO2, and SO2. The analytical methods adopted the recommended methods in the relevant Standards. The methods selected are listed in the Table 6.1-2.

Table 6.1-2 Analytical Methods of Ambient Air Samples Items Analytical Methods TSP Gravimetric Method (GB/T15432-95)

PM10 Gravimetric Method (HJ618-2011)

NO2 Spectrophotometry of N-(1-naphthyl) ethylene diamine hydrochloride (HJ479-2009) SO2 Formaldehyde absorbing-pararosaniline spectrophotometry (HJ482-2009)

3. Duration and Frequency The EIA consultant retained the Xining City Environmental Monitoring Center to conduct the ambient air quality baseline survey along the proposed road alignment. The sampling duration is 7 days from the January 25, 2013 to the January 31, 2013.

For SO2 and NO2, the sampling should be continuous for at least 18 hours every day. For TSP and PM10 the sampling should be continuous for at least 12 hours. 4. Results and Analysis The results are shown in the Table 6.1-3.

Table 6.1-3 Baseline Ambient Air Quality Results, mg/m³ Indicators Location Sampling Time TSP PM10 NO2 SO2 January 25 0.518 0.410 0.042 0.043 January 26 0.549 0.277 0.030 0.056 January 27 0.415 0.300 0.036 0.035 January 28 0.589 0.387 0.026 0.030 January 29 0.573 0.329 0.029 0.034 January 30 0.466 0.311 0.026 0.038 Taobei January 31 0.476 0.299 0.031 0.027 Village Average 0.512 0.330 0.031 0.037 0.415-0.58 Range 0.277-0.410 0.026-0.042 0.027-0.056 9 Maximum / / 35 37.3 percentage, % Non-compliance 100 100 0 0 percentage, % Wangjiazhai January 25 0.578 0.427 0.006 0.012 Village January 26 0.527 0.376 0.040 0.042

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Indicators Location Sampling Time TSP PM10 NO2 SO2 January 27 0.535 0.378 0.038 0.038 January 28 0.610 0.376 0.030 0.028 January 29 0.543 0.426 0.025 0.025 January 30 0.550 0.399 0.027 0.034 January 31 0.561 0.371 0.021 0.021 Average 0.558 0.393 0.027 0.028 0.527-0.61 Range 0.371-0.427 0.006-0.038 0.012-0.038 0 Maximum / / 31.7 25.3 percentage, % Non-compliance 100 100 0 0 percentage, % January 25 0.437 0.363 0.040 0.055 January 26 0.485 0.367 0.032 0.041 January 27 0.346 0.248 0.027 0.043 January 28 0.589 0.385 0.024 0.035 January 29 0.600 0.391 0.029 0.047 January 30 0.593 0.383 0.030 0.045 Zuoshu January 31 0.571 0.363 0.023 0.032 Village Average 0.517 0.357 0.029 0.042 0.346-0.60 Range 0.248-0.391 0.023-0.040 0.032-0.055 0 Maximum / / 33.3 36.7 percentage, % Non-compliance 100 100 0 0 percentage, % Standard Value 0.300 0.150 0.120 0.150 Due to the insufficient capacity of the Xining Environmental Monitoring Center, the quality indicators of CO and PM2.5 were not monitored. Instead, the concentrations of these two indicators were acquired from the Xining City Air Quality report system which monitored the air qualities at the 4 different locations discussed in the section 6.1.1. The data during March 3, 2013 to March 9, 2013 were extracted and listed in the Table 6.1-4. Table 6.1-4 Baseline air quality conditions, mg/m³ Indicators Location Sampling Time CO PM2.5 SO2 NO2 PM10 March 3 0.882 0.015 0.040 0.022 0.054 March 4 1.651 0.076 0.069 0.056 0.181 March 5 3.050 0.059 0.071 0.086 0.115 March 6 0.533 0.050 0.029 0.021 0.220 The Municipal March 7 3.444 0.103 0.104 0.092 0.235 Environmental March 8 2.168 0.054 0.054 0.056 0.135 Monitoring Center March 9 0.689 0.364 0.028 0.031 1.558 Average 1.774 0.103 0.056 0.052 0.357 0.533- 0.015- 0.028- 0.021- 0.054- Range 3.444 0.364 0.104 0.092 1.558 Maximum 86.1 / 69.3 79.3 /

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Indicators Location Sampling Time CO PM2.5 SO2 NO2 PM10 percentage, % Non-compliance / / / / 57.1 percentage, % March 3 1.013 0.027 0.001 0.004 0.080 March 4 1.942 0.073 0.033 0.034 0.164 March 5 3.359 0.067 0.076 0.042 0.138 March 6 1.208 0.044 0.002 0.004 0.206 March 7 3.716 0.100 0.107 0.043 0.232 March 8 2.844 0.065 0.066 0.031 0.130 Provincial March 9 1.211 0.398 0.003 0.013 1.791 Medicine Warehouse Average 2.185 0.111 0.041 0.024 0.392 1.013- 0.027- 0.001- 0.004- 0.080- Range 3.716 0.398 0.107 0.043 1.791 Maximum 92.9 / 71.3 35.8 / percentage, % Non-compliance / / / / 57.1 percentage, % March 3 1.418 0.024 / 0.005 0.142 March 4 2.242 0.051 0.013 0.017 0.126 March 5 4.683 0.071 0.051 0.023 0.158 March 6 1.417 0.069 / 0.010 0.370 March 7 2.243 0.063 0.011 0.019 0.182 March 8 2.829 0.085 0.030 0.016 0.218 March 9 1.285 0.494 0.001 0.007 / Silu Hospital Average 2.302 0.122 0.021 0.014 0.199 1.285- 0.024- 0.001- 0.005- 0.126- Range 4.683 0.494 0.051 0.023 0.370 Maximum / / 34.0 19.2 / percentage, % Non-compliance 14.3 / / / 57.1 percentage, % March 3 0.300 0.019 0.154 0.001 0.060 March 4 0.589 0.042 0.120 0.003 0.102 March 5 0.522 0.031 0.013 0.004 0.058 March 6 0.214 0.029 0.050 0.002 0.075 March 7 0.651 0.019 0.012 0.004 0.085 March 8 0.514 0.017 0.018 0.002 0.049 March 9 / / / / / No. 5 WTP Average 0.465 0.026 0.061 0.003 0.072 0.024- 0.017- 0.012- 0.001- 0.049- Range 0.651 0.157 0.154 0.004 0.102 Maximum 16.3 / / 3.3 68.0 percentage, % Non-compliance / / 14.3 / / percentage, % Standard Value (GB3095-1996) 4 / 0.150 0.120 0.150 From above results, the daily NO2 and SO2 concentrations were all below the Class II standard value of the Environmental Air Quality Standards (GB3095-1996), with 100% compliance rate. However, the TSP and PM10 concentrations both exceeded the Class II standard value. The possible reason is that the monitoring

HAES -127- QXUTP EIA Report was conducted during the winter time when it was dry and the vegetation coverage rate was low. Flying dust can easily occur in windy days or when a vehicle passes by. In addition, there is a steel factory (Xining Steel Mill) near the sampling site from which the waste gas emissions will also contribute to the TSP and PM10 concentrations. From the Xining City air quality report, the average CO concentration near the Silu Hospital exceeded the Class II standard values. While the average CO concentrations near other sites were below the Class II standard values, the sampling locations of the City Environmental Monitoring Center and the Provincial Medicine Warehouse had higher maximum percentages of 86.1% and 92.9%, respectively. The daily averages of SO2 concentrations all exceeded the Class II standard values at the No. 5 WTP and were below the standard values at other places. The daily averages of N O2 concentrations were all below the Class II standard values at all monitoring locations. For the PM10 indicator, only the daily averages at the No. 5 WTP were below the Class II standard values. At other locations, the daily average concentrations all exceeded the standard values. According to the field investigation, the major reasons of air pollution are that there are many enterprises and restaurants in Xining that are using coal as fuel. As the consequence, the amount of pollutants emitted from coal burning is massive. At the same time, the amount of pollutant from vehicles emission is also significant. In summary, the baseline air quality condition in the Xining City is poor.

6.2 Surface Water

1. Layout of Cross Sections Sampling Sites Based on the water bodies condition in the project areas, 4 cross sections are selected to monitor the water qualities. The locations of the cross sections are listed in the Table 6.2-1 and shown in the Figure 6. 2. Monitoring Indicators and Analytical Methods There are eight monitoring indicators including pH, SS, DO, COD, Potassium permanganate index, BOD5, Ammonia Nitrogen, and oil. The sample collection, storage and transfer processes followed relevant requirements in the Specifications of the Water Environmental Monitoring (Sl219-98). The analytical methods were selected from the recommended methods in relevant Standards. The details are

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Table 6.2-1 Cross Sections Locations for Surface Water Environment Sampling No. Locations of the cross sections 1# Huangshui River at the Zhamalong Village 2# Huangshui River at the Wangjiazhai Village 3# Huangshui River at the Xining Steel Mill Bridge 4# Yunguchuan

Table 6.2-2 Water Quality Indicators and Analytical Methods Item Analytical Methods Detection limit, mg/L Standard pH Glass Electrode Method — GB6920-86 SS Gravimetric method 5 GB11901-89 DO Iodometric method 0.2 GB7489-89 COD Potassium dichromate method 5 GB11914-89 Potassium Acidic potassium permanganate permanganate 0.5 GB11892-89 method index BOD5 Dilution and seeding method — HJ505-2009 Infrared spectrophotometry Oil 0.01 HJ637-2012 method Nessler’s Reagent NH -N 0.025 HJ535-2009 3 Spectrophotometry Method

3. Duration and Frequency (1) Sampling time The samples were taken between January 24, 2013 and January 28, 2013. (2) Sampling frequency Each time 2 samplings were taken with 4 days interval. 4. Applicable Standard and Evaluation methods (1) Applicable Standards According to the letter of the Applicable Standards for the World Bank Loan Xining Urban Transport Project EIA issued by the Xining Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, the Class III standard of the Surface Water Environment Quality Standards (GB3838-2002) is applicable for the Huangshui River, and the Class II standard is applicable for the Yunguchuan River. (2) Evaluation Methods The single factor index method was used for the evaluation. The equation used is as below:

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Ci Ii  C0i

In which, Ii represents for the index for pollutant I; Ci represents for the actual concentration of pollutant I, mg/L; C0i represents for the standard value of the pollution I, mg/L; if is equal to or smaller than 1.0, then the surface water quality is in compliance with the quality standard. Otherwise it is in non-compliance with the quality standard. The standard index for pH is:

7.0  pH j S pH , j  , pH j  7.0 7.0  pH sd

pH j  7.0 S pH , j  , pH j  7.0 pH su  7.0

5. Results The results are shown in the Table 6.2-3.

Table 6.2-3 Surface Water Environment Baseline and the Standard Index (Sij) NH - BOD Item PH COD DO Oil SS 3 KMnO N 4 5 Dimensionle Location mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L ss Standard Ⅱ 6~9 15 6 0.05 / 0.5 3 4 values Ⅲ 6~9 20 5 0.05 / 1 4 6 0.437 5.52~ 10~ 8.8~ 18~2 1.5~ Actual Value 0.01 ~ 1 1# Huangshui 8.74 13 10 0 1.7 River at the 0.529 0.76~ 0.50~0. 0.49~0. 0.44~ Zhamalong Sij / / 0.25 0.25~28 Village 0.87 65 61 0.53 C/NC C C C C / C C C 8.35~ 0.02~0. 14~1 1.07~ 1.7~ Actual Value 9~11 10.8~11 2 2# Huangshui 8.49 04 7 1.13 1.8 River at the 0.68~ 0.45~.5 0.39~0. 0.40~ 1.07~ 0.28~0. Sij / 0.5 Wangjiazhai 0.75 5 41 0.80 1.13 30 Village C/NC C C C C / NC C C 8.3~ 9.5~ 22~2 1.19~ 2.1~ Actual Value 9~10 0.01 1 8.38 10 4 1.21 2.2 3# Huangshui 0.65~ 0.45~0. 0.49~0. 1.19~ 0.35~ River at the Sij 0.2 / 0.25 0.69 50 50 1.21 0.37 Xining Steel Compliance Mill Bridge /Non-complia C C C C / NC C C nce 4# 8.44~ 7.5~ 58~6 0.501 Actual Value 15~18 0.01 1 2.6~3 Yunguchuan 8.5 8.2 4 ~

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NH - BOD Item PH COD DO Oil SS 3 KMnO N 4 5 Dimensionle Location mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L ss 0.531 0.72~ 0.75~0. 1~1.0 0.65~0. Sij 1~1.2 0.2 / 0.33 0.75 83 6 75 Compliance /Non-complia C NC C C / NC C C nce Notes: C represents for Compliance; NC represents for Non-compliance. 6. The Baseline Water Quality Based on the sampling results, at the Zhamalong cross section, all water quality indicators are below the standard value of the Class III standard with the standard index values below 1.0. However, for the cross sections at the Wangjiazhai Village and at the Xining Steel Mill Bridge, the ammonia nitrogen concentration both exceeded the standard value by non-compliance ratios of 0.13 and 0.21, respectively. The possible reason is that the river received pollutants from domestic wastewater and agriculture non-point sources. In the Yunguchuan River, the COD and ammonia nitrogen concentrations both exceeded the standard values for the Class II standard. The non-compliance ratios are 0.20 and 0.06, respectively. The possible reason is that the water received pollutants from domestic wastewater and agriculture non-point sources.

6.3 Sound Environment

1. Layout of Monitoring Sites The monitoring sites are shown in the Table 6.3-1 and Figure 6.

Table 6.3-1 Noise Monitoring Locations Locations for Noise Monitoring No. Locations Notes 1# Taobei Village 2# Wangjiazhai Village 3# Zuoshu Village No.1 4# Zuoshu Village No.2 5# Wuzhong Village 6# Yanxiaocun Village Road side, first row. Traffic Noise Monitoring Detected at 20 m, 40 m, 60 m, 80 m and 120 m distances from the road shoulder Yanxiaocun of the Chaidamu Road. Information regarding the traffic flow, vehicle type ratio and vehicle speeds were also recorded.

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2. Indicators The equivalent noise level (A) is used as the noise indicator. 3. Duration and Frequency The Xining Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center conducted sound environment survey on January 25, 2013 and January 27, 2013. Each time the survey will last 2 days. For each day, one sample was taken during the day time and another sample was taken during the night time. 4. Evaluation Standard For the concentrated residential areas within the project area, the Class 2 standard of the Sound Environment Quality Standards (GB3096-2008) is applicable. For the area within 35 meters distance from the red lines of the proposed roads, the Class 4a standard of the Standards is applicable. Class 2 standard of the Standards is applicable for areas that are more than 35 meters away from the red lines. The detailed values of the Standards are listed in the Table 1.6-6. 5. Results The results are listed in the Tables 6.3-2 and 6.3-3. Table 6.3-2 Sound Environment Baseline for Sensitive Sites, dB (A) No. Location Results Limit C/NC Daytime（Leq） 53.9 60 C 1# Taobei Village Nighttime（Leq） 38.7 50 C Wangjiazhai Daytime（Leq） 53 60 C 2# Village Nighttime（Leq） 38.2 50 C Zuoshu Village Daytime（Leq） 53.7 60 C 3# No.1 Nighttime（Leq） 37.9 50 C Zuoshu Village Daytime（Leq） 55.5 60 C 4# No.2 Nighttime（Leq） 46.5 50 C Wuzhong Daytime（Leq） 56.9 60 C 5# Village Nighttime（Leq） 39.1 50 C Yanxiaocun Daytime（Leq） 71.2 70 NC Village (near 6# the Chaidamu Road, first Nighttime（Leq） 70.3 55 NC row) Notes: C represents for Compliance; NC represents for Non-compliance. The larger number of the two-day sampling results was used.

Table 6.3-3 Chaidamu Raod Traffic Noise, dB(A) Distance from No. the road Results Limit C/NC shoulder

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Daytime（Leq） 55.8 70 C 1# 20m Nighttime（Leq） 56.2 55 NC Daytime（Leq） 53.9 60 C 2# 40m Nighttime（Leq） 54.2 50 NC Daytime（Leq） 49.6 60 C 3# 60m Nighttime（Leq） 47.2 50 C Daytime（Leq） 45.2 60 C 4# 80m Nighttime（Leq） 41 50 C Daytime（Leq） 44.6 60 C 5# 120m Nighttime（Leq） 38.9 50 C Notes: C represents for Compliance; NC represents for Non-compliance. The larger number of the two-day sampling results was used. 6. Sound Environment Evaluation From the above results, the noise levels at the 4 sensitive sites (including the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu Village and the Wuzhong Village) were below the Class II standard value of the Sound Environment Quality Standards (GB3096-2008). However, the noise levels at the Yanxiaocun Village (near the Chaidamu Road, first row) exceeded the Class 4a standard value. The possible reason is due to the traffic noise from the Chaidamu Road. The Chaidamu Road traffic noise survey results suggested that the noise levels at 20 m and 40 m distances from the road shoulders exceeded the Class 4a and Class II standard values, respectively. At 60 m, 80 m, and 120 m distance from the road shoulders, the noise levels were below the Class II standard values.

6.4 Ecological Environment

From the Qinghai Provincial Vegetation Delineation Map, this Project area is within the forest and grassland areas of the Huangshui River-Yellow River basin. This river basin has significant stratified vertical distribution in term of vegetations. In the valley, the land are mostly farm land or used for residential area. The hilly area or the loess areas with elevations below 3000 meters are mostly covered by grassland dominated by Stipa bungeana. There are also some areas covered by Psammophilic Stipa grandis or Artemisia gmelinii communities, associated with a variety of drought-tolerant Mongolian grasses. The north facing slope, however, are covered mostly by spruces or picea wilsonni wood. In Mengda and Canbera which is in the downstream of the Datong River basin and the Yellow River Valley, because of the low elevations and the warm and wet climate, the vegetations are

HAES -133- QXUTP EIA Report mostly made of Liaodong oak forest, the Huashan pine forest, the pine forest and hazel shrub. The current ecological conditions along the project are illustrated in the Figure 6.4-1.

The Site for Yanxiaocun Interchange The vegetations along the new roads

The current conditions along the new The current conditions along the new roads roads Figure 6.4-1 Current ecological conditions along the project sites

6.4.1 Wild Life and Plants

The new roads are located in the suburban area which is also well developed. The ecological system is dominated by farm land with a variety of produces including wheat, rapeseed, potato, soybeans and greenhouses vegetables. There are no primeval vegetations in the area. The existing vegetation is mainly the cultivated trees including the street side trees and shelterbelt with very simple species composition. The main tree species include the poplars and elms. The shrub species include Stipa bungeana, Rumex acetosa, Plantain, and humilis. According to the field survey results, there were no cherish or endangered species, or ancient plants identified in the project area.

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The current terrestrial animals are mainly tamed livestocks and poultry with a small amount of wild animals. The livestocks include cattle, sheep, and dogs. The wild lives include insects, sparrows, magpie and rodents. There no protection targets of provincial or national levels indentified in the project area. 6.4.2 Land Use

The lands along the proposed roads and round the Yanxiaocun Interchange are for agriculture use or construction use. The Project will permanently acquire 57.71 hm² of land in which land for agriculture use accounts for 74.8% and land for construction use accounts for 22.0%. The details are listed in the Table 6.4-1. Table 6.4-1 Land use status Forest/Gras Constructio Land use type Agriculture Water body Total sland n land Area, hm² 43.14 1.02 0.82 12.73 57.71 Percentage 74.8 1.8 1.4 22.0 100

6.4.3 Soil Erosion

(1) Delineation of soil erosion control area According to the Notice of Delineating National Level Soil Erosion Key Control Area (issued by the Ministry of Water Resource, No. 2, 2006), the project area is within the national level key control area (Huangshui River Mid-to-Lower Streams Control Area), for which the Class I standard is applicable. The maximum soil erosion is 1000 t/km²-year. (2) Regional soil erosion condition.

The project area is within the hilly area of the Loess Plateau. The soil erosion induced by strong precipitation is significant. According to the second nationwide water resource survey using remote sensing technology, it was found that the Xining City has a total soil erosion area of 334.52 km², in which the slight erosion area accounts for 53.78% (179.91 km²), the mild erosion area accounts for 1.67% (5.58 km²), medium erosion area accounts for 27.84% (93.12 km²), very strong erosion area accounts for 14.96% (50.04 km²) and the severe erosion area accounts for 1.75% (5.87 km²). Table 6.4-2 Soil Erosion Conditions, km² Very Extent of Erosion Slight Mild Medium Strong Severe Total strong

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km² 179.91 5.58 93.12 0.00 50.04 5.87 334.52 Xining City % 53.78 1.67 27.84 0.00 14.96 1.75

(3) Soil Erosion in the project area

According to the water and soil conservation report and the field survey, the soil erosion condition in the project area is mild. The soil erosions are mostly in the form of surface erosion and ditch erosion. 6.4.4 Overall conclusion of the baseline ecological environmental status

The proposed new roads are mainly located in the suburban area with concentrated human activities. The ecological system is an agro-ecosystem based on farm land. There is no primeval vegetation and large wild animals in the project area. The ecological system has its stability and functional integrity. If effectively managed, the ecological system can be well maintained with some capacity of disturbance resistance.

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7 Environmental Impact Assessment

7.1 Impacts on the Ecological System

7.1.1 Terrestrial plants

7.1.1.1 Construction Phase This project will permanently acquire land of 57.71 hm² in which 43.14 hm² is for agriculture use, 12.73 hm² is for development use, and the others are a few water area and shrub land. In the project affected area, the current vegetation is mainly made of the secondary vegetation with little primeval vegetation. During the road construction, the vegetation can be impacted by below factors: (1) The permanent land acquisition will destroy the vegetation habitat leading to the loss of habitat for some individual plants. The impact is irreversible. (2) The road construction will cause damage to the vegetation along the roads. According to the survey of vegetation distribution, the vegetation types that might be affected include the farm land and shrub land. (3) During the construction, there will be two temporary construction camps to be built. The temporary land to be used is the land for building use. Therefore the impact on vegetation is insignificant and will not cause the degradation of the biodiversity. In the construction site for the Huangshui River Bridge there will be a 0.1 hm² site for beam fabrication. The land for this site will be selected from the deserted grass land. Therefore some damage to the vegetation will be caused. When the construction activities are completed, the grassland should be restored to reduce the damage to the environment. (4) The vegetation in the area surrounding the construction sites of the proposed roads and the Yanxiaocun Interchange will be impacted due to the crushing from the construction machinery or trampling from the construction workers. However these impacts are temporary and reversible. To summarize, the project is located in the suburbs of Xining City. The lands are mostly for agriculture use along the roads alignment. The lands in the project affected area are mostly farmland or lands for construction use. The project will cause certain impact on the ecological system along the roads alignment. However, the affected plants are common species that can grow in different area and have

HAES -137- QXUTP EIA Report good adaptability. Generally the project will not cause distinction of any species within the area. The scope of impact shows a linear pattern. The vegetation loss will cause certain impact on the existing ecological system. However the area of the vegetation loss due to contraction is relatively small, and the landscaping works along the roads will offset some of the vegetation loss, the overall loss is minimal and will not affect the stability and integrity of the over ecological system. The vegetation loss from temporary land acquisition will be offset by the post construction site restoration. In order to reduce the vegetation loss from construction activities, the amount of construction waste should be reduced and the excessive construction material should be removed promptly. Slope protection should also be built by adopting a combination of trees planting and turf planting. In some area, natural and artificial vegetations can be integrated together to establish the vegetation. 7.1.1.2 Operation Phase The current land in the project area are mainly for agricultural and construction use. After the project is completed, the vegetation in the permanently acquired land will be destroyed and replaced by road surface or other facilities and becomes construction land. However, as the area of the land acquisition is small, the composition and structure of the local species within the project area will not change significantly. In addition, there will be some landscaping and vegetation restoration after the project is completed. Overall, the impact on the regional ecological system and the vegetation is insignificant. Landscaping will be adopted for all road sections. The landscaping can not only restore some vegetation destroyed, but can also perform some environmental protection functions including protecting the road base, reducing the soil erosion, and reducing the flying dust and traffic noise, etc. It can also improve the aesthetics of the road. However, if the alien species introduced in the landscaping become more adapted to the local environment, they can disturb the living environment of local species and cause a reduction in the amount of local species, degradation of plants or forming an intrusion of alien species. They can even become the dominant species and become exclusive to the local species. Due the reasons mentioned above, the species for landscaping should be selected from original local species. Other than from the landscaping, moving vehicles is also a potential

HAES -138- QXUTP EIA Report source of alien species to enter the region. The operation of the Yanxiaocun Interchange will facilitate the commercial development in the surrounding area and such develop might also cause some impacts on the agriculture produce in the surrounding area. In summary, the area of the land acquisition in this project is not very large and the original lands are mostly for agriculture or construction use. The impact on biomass and biodiversity is not significant because there will be vegetation restoration after the construction is completed. 7.1.2 Wild life

7.1.2.1 Construction Phase During the construction phase, the road and infrastructure construction will cause vegetation damage and soil disturbance. The wildlife habitat in the excavation area will be directly damaged. The impacted species include the amphibians, reptiles and birds that live in the farmland or in the shrubs. In addition, the noises from construction machineries and the transportation of construction materials will cause impact on the habitat and life patterns of the wildlives in the surrounding area. As the construction activities will change the functions of the land in the project area, the impacts on some wildlives will be permanent, especially for those that cannot be adapted to human being concentrated areas. Since most of the project area has already become populated with human beings, the wildlives dwelling in the area are adaptable to human beings. The species not adaptable has already immigrated to other places. There are many similar habitats (farm land, shrubs, ponds, etc) in the surrounding area that can accommodate these wildlives. Besides, these wildlives species in the project area are all widely distributed. Therefore the project will not cause significant impact on the wildlives biodiversity in the Xining City. 7.1.2.2 Operation Phase After the construction is completed, the original living environment of the wildlives will be completely changed, causing complete loss of habitat. In addition, the noise and exhaust gas emission during operation will also cause certain impact on the living conditions. The species and population in the area will change. Most animals will leave their original species to find new habitats. The animals will try to

HAES -139- QXUTP EIA Report avoid the roads when building their new hives. The above analysis indicates that the major impact to wildlives will be at the construction stage, the area of land acquisition is relatively small with similar habitats available in surrounding area, and the affected species are mostly widely distributed in many areas. The animals in the evaluation area are adaptable to human being. Therefore the project will not cause extinction of these animals or cause significant change in their life patterns. 7.1.3 Aquatic life

7.1.3.1 Construction Phase The project area is within the Huangshui River Basin. The involved water bodies include the main stream of Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River. The Xicheng Avenue will cross the Huangshui River at K1+257-K1+617 by the new Huangshui River Bridge. The Wusixi Road will cross the Yunguchuan River by a box culvert at K1+760. The Huangshui River Bridge will cross the river by one single span with no piers in the water channel. The bridge construction will cause little or no disturbance to the water environment in the Huangshui River. The increase of suspended sands will be insignificant. Therefore the project construction will not cause any significant impact on the aquatic lives. In addition, during the construction stage, the waste water produced will not be discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River, therefore no impact on the aquatic lives will be cause by the wastewater. 7.1.3.2 Operation Phase After the construction is completed, there will be little or no disturbance to the Huangshui River or to the Yunguchuan River. No significant impact on the aquatic life will be caused. The separated storm water and wastewater system will be adopted along the roads. The collected wastewater will be sent to the No.4 WWTP for treatment. The rain water will be discharged into the Huangshui River, the Yunguchuan and the Shier River. According to the analogy estimation, the discharge intensity and the annual load of COD are relatively small. They are within the self purification capacity of the water body. If there is an oil spill caused by a traffic accident, the oil concentration and COD concentration in the local water might increase, causing impact on the

HAES -140- QXUTP EIA Report local aquatic life. Therefore it is recommended that a runoff collection system on the bridge surface and sedimentation tanks on the both ends should be arranged to collect and treat the surface runoff after the traffic accident. With these facilities installed, the accident will has little impact on the water quality and little impact on aquatic life. The above analysis indicates that the project has little or no impact on the aquatic life during construction phase because there is no piers in the water channel involved, and little impact on the aquatic life during the operation stage is the drainage system is well designed and implemented. 7.1.4 Regional ecological integrity

The project will cause some impact on the regional ecological integrity. The impact is caused by the land acquisition that will acquire 57.71 hm² of lands, most of which is farm land. After the project is completed, the area portions of different types of land function will be changed, causing changes in the productivity and stability of the regional natural ecological system and causing impact on the regional ecological integrity. The construction will cause the changes in the regional land use structure, which will cause impact on the natural system in the evaluation area. However, after a period of operation the nature and function of the natural system will have certain extent of recovery, due to its self adjustment and the post construction landscaping activities. In addition, the contractors should pay special attention to the protection of the ecological system in the construction activities, to help the affected ecological system to recover its productivity. 7.1.5 Agriculture

This project will permanently acquire 57.71 hm² of land, in which 43.14 hm² is farm land. The major impact on agriculture is the permanent farm land acquisition (non-basic farm land), causing loss in agriculture productivity. According to the resettlement action plan prepared by the Three Gorge University Involuntary Resettlement Research Center, the percentages of farm land occupied are 12.83% and 10.55% in the Taobei Village and the Wangjiazhai Village, respectively. The percentages for other villages are smaller than 8%. Therefore the project impact on the agriculture production is not significant. In addition, the major

HAES -141- QXUTP EIA Report agriculture produce in the project area is wheat and cole. The production rate is 400 kg wheat / mu of wheat or 250 kg cole seeds / mu. The economic value is approximately 400-500 CNY/year. Because the economic value is very low, a lot of farmers have given up farming, instead, they rend the land for seedling planting or as warm house for vegetable farming. In addition, most of the farm lands have been planned to be converted to construction land in the master planning, therefore, the impact on the agriculture economy is not a key issue. In order to reduce the impact on agriculture productivity, the land management law should be strictly followed by compensating the farm land at different locations together with reasonable monetary compensation. The compensation fund must be used for the right purpose to protect the interest of affected people. In addition, the road alignment should be optimized at the project design stage to reduce the farm land acquisition. 7.1.6 Soil Erosion

7.1.6.1 Source of soil erosion All disturbed solid surface in construction might become the source of erosion in the case of rain water flushing. During the construction, soil erosion might occur in these occasions: The cut and fill for road base construction will destroy the original vegetation, disturb the original soil structure and form exposed soil slope. With the rain water flushing, surface runoff will be formed and carry away soil particles, causing soil erosion. In the storm incidents during the road construction, some of the construction material will inevitably be washed away. Based on our field investigation, the terrains of the project area are highland valley plains. The scope of the soil erosion evaluation is the construction area in this Project, including the bridge, the road, and the Yanxiaocun Interchange. 7.1.6.2 Area of disturbed soil and vegetation There will be no borrow pit or spoil field needed for this Project. The disturbed soil or vegetation is mainly caused by the excavation and fill activities and by temporary soil storage. From the estimate, the project will incur permanent land acquisition of 57.71 hm², in which 43.52 hm² is for the Urban Road Component, 14.19 hm² is for the

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Yanxiaocun Interchange Component. There will be another 2.08 hm² of temporary land acquisition. The total area of land disturbance or damage is 59.79 hm². 7.1.6.3 Soil Erosion Prediction (1) Prediction method The total soil erosion loss is the sum of the soil erosion loss in the excavation and in disturbance activities, which can be calculated using the equations below: W0 represents for the soil erosion amount in original geomorphologic condition: W0 =∑Pi Fi T=PFT W represents for the total soil erosion amount during the construction stage: W =∑Pi Ai Fi T=PAFT Wc represents for the soil erosion amount caused by this project: Wc = W –W0 In the above equations: P represents for the erosion coefficient under original geomorphologic conditions, t/(km²·a); A represents for the expedited erosion coefficient; F represents for the possible area of soil erosion, km²; T represents for the timeframe for prediction, year. (2)Results of the prediction According to the Notice on the delineation of national soil erosion control key areas (issued by the Ministry of Water Resources, No. 2, 2006), the project is within the control area of the lower reaches of Huangshui River and Taohe River, which is one of the national key control areas. Therefore, the Class I standard of erosion control shall apply. The maximum allowable soil erosion amount is 1000 t/km².a. The soil erosions around the project area are mainly mild hydraulic erosion which shows an obvious pattern of surface erosion or ditch erosion caused by the water flow flushing. The projected soil erosion amount at construction stage and recovery stage of the disturbed soil are listed in the Table 7.1-5.

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Table 7.1-5 The prediction results of the erosion of disturbed soil Newly Baseline Projected P A F T added Erosion Erosion Phase Erosion t/km²·a t/km²·a hm² a t t t Construction 985 4150 43.52 3 1286 5418 4132 Phase Natural Recovery 985 2075 9.22 1 429 903 474 Urban Year 1 Roads Natural Recovery 985 1038 9.22 1 91 96 5 Year 2 Subtotal 1806 6417 4611 Construction 1320 4150 14.19 1 187 589 402 Phase Natural Yanxiaoc Recovery 1320 2075 2.44 1 187 294 107 un Year 1 Interchan Natural ge Recovery 1320 1038 2.44 1 32 25 -7 Year 2 Subtotal 407 909 502 Construction 1400 6000 2.08 3 87 374 287 Phase Natural Temporar Recovery 1400 1800 2.08 1 29 37 8 y soil Year 1 storage Natural Recovery 1400 1400 2.08 1 29 29 0 Year 2 Subtotal 146 441 295 Construction 59.79 1561 6382 4821 Phase Natural Total Recovery 13.74 797 1385 588 Phase Subtotal 2358 7767 5409

From the predict results, the total soil erosion in the project area will be 7767 t, in which 6382 t will occur during the construction phase (including the contraction preparation phase), and 1358 t will occur in the nature recovery phase. The newly added soil erosion by this project is5409 t. The three-simultaneousness of the soil erosion control facilities and the main works are important in this Project. If there are not sufficient soil erosion control measure taken, the soil loss (especially the loose particles) in storm water occasions might cause sedimentations along the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River, which will lead to damage to the safety of the farmlands, roads

HAES -144- QXUTP EIA Report and hydraulic facilities, and cause impact on the life of the residents along the roads. 7.1.6.4 Potential damage and hazard If the erosion control is not enforced upfront, when the damage or hazard is realized, it will not only cause damage to land resource, degradation of land productivity, siltation in water system and irrigation system, but it will also become expensive to control. Therefore, the construction unit needs to take lessons learned in similar project experiences, estimates the soil erosion damage and hazard from the soil erosion predict results, and take relevant control measures accordingly. (1) Land resource The construction will permanently acquire some lands, destroy the original geomorphologic conditions and reduce the area of water conservation facilities. As the top soils or vegetations are damaged in the excavation, or buried, the nature of land use will permanently be changed, causing the loss of land resource. (2) Regional ecological environment The construction waste will be stored at temporary spoil field. If no effective measures are taken, the loose soil pile will cause erosions in storm occasions and become silted in surrounding farmlands and ponds. During dry weathers, it may also become flying dust and damage the regional environment. The damage to vegetations will also cause damage to the integrity of the landscaping. (3) The River and the water resource facilities The road construction activities will cause an increase in the soil erosion coefficient. As the amount of newly added soil erosion is huge, it will cause an increase in the suspended solids in the water can cause damage to the water quality. The nutrient in the soil loss will also cause nutrient pollution as a non-point source. At the same time, as large amount of soil and sand enters the irrigation system in the project area, the irrigations trenches might be clogged and the irrigation system might not function normally. . (4) Road safety If not sufficient soil erosion control measures are taken, the road side slope made by filling will be vulnerable to surface runoff and become unstable. This will consequently cause damage to the road facility and impact on normal road operation.

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7.2 Impacts on the Water Environment

7.2.1 Construction Phase

The wastewaters are mainly from the domestic wastewater of the construction workers, and the construction wastewater . (1) Domestic wastewater from the construction workers In the construction camp, only very simply living facilities are provided and the wastewater amount produced will be small. The wastewater will contain organic matters such as fats, food residues, detergents, etc. If the wastewater is discharge directly without any treatment, it will cause adverse impact on the surface water bodies in the surrounding area. Based on the project scale and similar project experience, it is estimated that there will be 100 workers on site during peak construction period and each person will be using 100 L of water per day. With the assumption that the wastewater coefficient is 90%, the wastewater volume can be calculated to be 9m³/d. The major pollutants in domestic wastewater are COD (200-300 mg/L), fat (50 mg/L) and SS (80-100 mg/L). Because the amount of domestic wastewater is small and it will be used for farmland irrigation after being treated in the septic tanks, the impact on water environment is insignificant. After the contraction is completed, this impact will also expire. (2) Construction wastewater The construction wastewaters are mainly from the wastewater for cement mixing, and the wastewater for machines or vehicles cleansing and maintenance. The process water of concrete manufacturing is mainly for cleansing of sand material and for cement mixing. The sand cleansing usually produce a large amount of wastewater with high turbidity and high sand content, if it is not recycled. The cement mixing usually does not produce wastewater. The washing of machineries and vehicles will produce a large amount of wastewater with high sand content. According to similar project experiences, the major pollutants for construction wastewater are COD (50-80mg/L), oil (1.0-2.0mg/L), and SS (150-200mg/L). These wastewaters can cause water pollution; therefore they are not allowed to be discharged to the water bodies along the roads directly. The construction

HAES -146- QXUTP EIA Report wastewater will be recycled after oil separation and sedimentation processes. They are not allowed to be discharged into the Huangshui River or into the Yunguchuan River. (3) Bridge Construction Wastewater There are five steps for bridge construction, including the construction preparation, foundation construction, beams installation, bridge surface, and associated structures. Among these five steps, the foundation construction is the one causing the most environmental impacts. In this Project, the Xicheng Avenue crosses the Huangshui River as a bridge at K1+257-K1+617 location. The Wusixi Road crosses the Yunguchuan Rive as a box culvert at K1+760. The water channel at the Huangshui Bridge location is approximately 40 meters wide. The main bridge has spans of 80m+110m+80m. The central span crosses the water channel with no piers in the water. Therefore the construction of this bridge will have little impact to the water quality. The Wusixi Road crosses the Yunguchuan River at K1+760. At the crossing site, the river is 30 m wide and 0.5 m deep. The construction of the box culvert will follow a top down procedure. Specifically, the steps are: excavation – gravel layer - foundation - box culvert casting - backfill. The culvert construction will involve temporary river diversion, and cause short-term adverse impact. Excavation and foundation construction processes will lead to incremental suspended solids in the water and cause short-term adverse impact on the water quality. According to the Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan, the Huangshui River is a Class III water body near the crossing location, and the Yunguchuan is a Class II water body near the crossing location. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. According to the field investigation, there are no drinking water intakes within the scope of evaluation. If the construction wastewater is discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River directly, it will impact on the water quality and on the water body functions. Therefore it is requested that the construction wastewater be recycled after treatment instead of being discharged into the water body. If this request is followed, the impact on the water quality will be insignificant. It is recommended to treat the mud in bridge construction by these procedure: (1) prepare the mud tank before drilling; (2) during the drilling, use the mud to carry

HAES -147- QXUTP EIA Report the sand and rocks into the mud tank for sedimentation; (3) reuse the settled mud; (4) clean the mud tank regularly; and (5) the waste mud should be transported to designated location instead of being disposed randomly. With these steps taken, the mud used in bridge construction will not cause pollution to the water bodies. The waste from bridge foundation construction and excavation will cause soil erosion, river clogging and water quality deteriorating if not stored properly. The pollution will remain in certain period of time and certain area. In order to control the soil erosion, it is requested that during the construction, the waste should be removed promptly, and that no temporary land-required facility are allowed in the area near the water body, including the borrow pits or the spoil fields, the construction camps, the mixing stations, the construction material storage sites, and the construction access roads. In addition, some part of the intersection part of the Wusixi Road and the No. 5 Road will pass by the Tanglaoya Fish Pond in the Taobei Village. Parts of the pond will be filled during construction phase. The cofferdam will be used during construction, therefore the impact on the water quality is insignificant. 7.2.2 Operation Phase

The wastewaters during operation phase are mainly from the domestic wastewater produced by the work staff,and passengers at the Yanxiaocun Interchange, the oil containing wastewater for vehicle maintenance and gas station, and some wastewater from the road surface runoff. 7.2.2.1 Yanxiaocun Interchange (1) Source of wastewater There are two sources of wastewater. The first one is the oil containing water from the vehicles maintenance workshop and the gas station cleansing wastewater. The other one is the domestic wastewater from the working staff and moving populations. The domestic wastewater is mainly composed of wastewaters from bath, kitchen washing, cleaning and toilet flushing. (2) Proposed treatment process and expected performance From the designing material, at the Yanxiaocun Interchange, the oil-containing wastewater for vehicle maintenance and the gas station cleansing wastewater will be treated in the oil-separation and sedimentation tank, and the domestic

HAES -148- QXUTP EIA Report wastewater will be treated in the septic tanks. After these treatments, the water quality will meet with the requirements of the Class III standard of the Comprehensive Wastewater Discharge Standards (GB8978-1996). The wastewater will be then sent to the Xining City No. 4 WWTP for further treatment. (3) Feasibility of the wastewater discharge The wastewater will be pretreated on site to a water quality meeting the requirements of the Class III standard of the Comprehensive Wastewater Discharge Standards (GB8978-1996), and then be sent to the Xining City No. 4 WWTP for further treatment and disposal. The No. 4 WWTP is located at the west side of the Huangshui Road in the Chengbei District. The project proposal for the construction of this WWTP has been approved by the Qinghai Provincial Development and Reform Commission (the approval letter No. 2407-2011). The construction of the No.4 WWTP was planned to commence on October 26, 2012. The associated sewer main along the north shore of Huangshui River is currently under preliminary design. The designed treatment capacity of the WWTP is 30,000 m³/day by 2015 (Phase I). The associated sewer network is 20.7 km (Phase I) long with the capacity of 60,000 m³/day (Phase II). The service area covers various towns, townships, enterprises and residential area in the Xichuan District, and the enterprises and residential area of the Duoba Township in Huangzhong County. The WWTP adopts the multi-stage AO (with nutrient removal) process. The effluent water quality will meet the Class I A standard of the Discharge Standards for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (GB18918-2002). According to the Xining City Drainage Special Plan (2010-2030), the project area is covered by drainage district of Xichuan new urban area. The wastewater treatment service is covered by the No. 4 WWTP. The wastewater amount from Yanxiaocun Interchange is relatively small at 127.3 m³/day, accounting for approximately 0.42% of the treatment capacity of the plant. The composition of the pollutants is simple. After the pretreatment on site (oil-separation or septic tank treatment), the water quality of the wastewater can meet with the requirement of acceptance for the sewer network and will not cause adverse impact on the normal operation of the No. 4 WWTP. The effluent from the No. 4 WWTP will meet the Class I A discharge standard and will not cause any adverse impact on the water

HAES -149- QXUTP EIA Report quality of the Huangshui River. 7.2.2.2 Roads (1) Runoff impact analysis of roads The wastewater from the roads during operation phase is mainly composed of the storm water. The major pollutants include the SS and the COD. The pollutant concentration in road surface runoff usually varies significantly. It rises and reaches its peak in the first 15 minutes. Then it decreases gradually until it stabilizes at a very low concentration when the road becomes clean after 40 minutes of flushing. According to the analogy estimation, the discharge intensity and the annual load of COD are relatively small. They are within the self purification capacity of the water body. Therefore the road runoff will not cause significant impact on the water environment. (2) Environmental risk analysis for bridges. As discussed previously, the Xicheng Ave crosses the Huangshui River as a bridge and the Wusixi Road crosses the Yunguchuan Rive using a box culvert. According to the Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan, the Huangshui River is a Class III water body near the crossing location, and the Yunguchuan is a Class II water body near the crossing location. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. According to the field investigation, there are no drinking water intakes within the scope of evaluation. The notice on the strengthening the EIA of highway planning and development jointly issued by the legacy national environmental protection agency, the national development and reform commission, and the ministry of transportation (No. 184, 2007) states: In highway construction particular attention should be paid to the protection of drinking water sources. The design of the route should be avoid drinking water source protection areas. In order to prevent the environmental risks brought about by the transport of hazardous chemicals, for the bridges crossing the class II drinking water protected areas, the secondary protected areas, and class II (and above) water bodies, when the safety and technical feasibility is ensured, there should be a surface runoff collection system on the bridge and sedimentation tanks on both ends of the bridge to treat the runoff collected after a pollution incident occurs, to ensure the safety of drinking water. If vehicles loaded with poisonous or hazardous substances have a spill due to

HAES -150- QXUTP EIA Report traffic accidents, the runoff will cause an impact on the water quality in the water bodies. The roads in this Project are mainly urban trunk roads that do not allow hazardous chemical transportation. The transportation of such chemicals will take the route of the branch roads at the south end of the city. Therefore, there is little or no risk of water pollution caused by such traffic accidents. However, there is a risk of that these regulations are not strictly followed, or there is a mistake made by the vehicle drivers, both of which might cause oil spill that will impact on the water quality. For that reason, this project will take high level of environmental protection measures by installing runoff collection system on the bridge and sedimentation tanks on both ends to collect and treat the runoff if an accident occurs. The design capacity of the collection system needs to be sufficient to collect the runoff for the first 15 minutes. After 15 minutes of flushing, the bridge surface will be clean. The size of the tanks are determined by calculating the runoff volume of the first 15 minutes based on the information including the maximum hourly precipitation, the bridge length and the bridge width. The results are shown in Table 7.2-1. Table 7.2-1 Design of the surface collection tanks Length of Width of Amount of Volume (m³)× River Location Size (m) Bridge, m Bridge, m Runoff, m³ No.s Huangshui 360 45 61 Both ends 35×2 5×7×1 River Yunguchuan 100 12 4.5 One end 5×1 2×2.5×1 River

7.3 Impact on the Sound Environment

7.3.1 Construction Phase

7.3.1.1 Prediction method In order for the contractors to take appropriate noise control measures during the construction activities, we calculated the noise impact area of different machineries at different stages based on The Emission noise Standards for Construction Sites (GB12523-2011). The construction machineries can be considered as point sources. The noise level can be calculated based on the distance from the source using the noise attenuation model for point sources.

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Lp  Lp0 20lg(r / r0) In which, Lp represents for the estimated noise level at distance r meters, dB(A); Lp represents for the reference noise lever at distance 0 meters, dB(A). 7.3.1.2 Calculation of the noise impact area The construction noise comes mainly from construction machinery, such as the road rollers, loaders, excavators, mixers and others. When these machines are in operation, the noise level within 5 meters distance can reach up to 84 to 100dB (A). These burst non-steady noise sources will adversely affect construction workers and surrounding residents.

Table 7.3-1 The Noise Levels at Different Distances for the Construction Machines, dB(A) No. Distance (m) Type of Machine s 5 10 20 30 40 60 80 100 150 200 300 1 Wheel Loader 90 84.0 78.0 74.4 71.9 68.4 65.9 64.0 60.5 58.0 54.4 2 Grader 90 84.0 78.0 74.4 71.9 68.4 65.9 64.0 60.5 58.0 54.4 3 Vibrating Rollers 86 80.0 74.0 70.4 67.9 64.4 61.9 60.0 56.5 54.0 50.4 Two-wheeled dual 4 vibration road 81 75.0 69.0 65.4 62.9 59.4 56.9 55.0 51.5 49.0 45.4 roller 5 Combi roller 81 75.0 69.0 65.4 62.9 59.4 56.9 55.0 51.5 49.0 45.4 6 Tire Roller 76 70.0 64.0 60.4 57.9 54.4 51.9 50.0 46.5 44.0 40.4 7 Bulldozer 86 80.0 74.0 70.4 67.9 64.4 61.9 60.0 56.5 54.0 50.4 Wheeled 8 84 78.0 72.0 68.4 65.9 62.4 59.9 58.0 54.5 52.0 48.4 Excavator 9 Paver 87 81.0 75.0 71.4 68.9 65.4 62.9 61.0 57.5 55.0 51.4 10 Concrete Mixer 65 59.0 53.0 49.5 46.9 43.4 40.9 39.0 35.5 33.0 29.5 According to the above results, when a single machine is being used for earth works, the noise level at 60 meters distance will be below 70 dB(A) (the day time limit of The Emission noise Standards for Construction Sites), and the noise level at 300 meters can be below 55 dB(A) (the night time limit of The Emission noise Standards for Construction Sites). When it is being used for structural works, the noise level at 40 meters distance will be below 70dB(A) (the day time limit of The Emission noise Standards for Construction Sites), and the noise level at 200 meters can be below 55 dB(A) (the night time limit ofThe Emission noise Standards for Construction Sites). There are 5 sensitive residential sites along the roads, all of which are located within 3-200 m distance away from the roads. The construction activities will cause different level of noise impact. It will exceed the noise limit by 3-14 dB(A) during day

HAES -152- QXUTP EIA Report time and 2-24 dB(A) at night time. The affected sites include the residential sites in the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu Village, the Wuzhong Village and the Yanxiaocun Village. 7.3.2 Operation Phase

7.3.2.1 Prediction Method The noise models in the Technical Guidance for EIA: Sound Environment (HJ2.4-2009) will be used to calculate the traffic noise. 7.3.2.2 The model for calculation (1) The equation for environmental noise level calculation is:

 0.1LAeq交 0.1LAeq背  LAeq 10lg 10 10 环   In which, Leq环 represents for the environmental noise level, dB(A); Leq交 represents for the traffic noise, dB(A); Leq背 represents for the background noise level, dB(A) (2) The equation for traffic noise calculation is :

Ni LAeqi  Loi 10lg 10lg(7.5/ r) 10lg((1  2 )/)  L 16 TVi

0.1LAeq大 0.1LAeq中 0.1LAeq小 LAeq交 10lg 10 10 10    In which, LAeqi represents for the equivalent hourly noise level of the vehicle type i (large, medium or small size), dB;

LAeq交 represents for the equivalent hourly noise level of this vehicle type, dB;

Loi represents for the average radiated noise level at a reference distance (7.5 m) of this vehicle type, dB;

Ni represents for the hourly traffic flow of this vehicle type, cars/hour, T represents for the time used for calculating the equivalent noise level (assumed to be 1 hour);

Vi represents for the average speed of this vehicle type, km/h; r represents the distance between the lane center to the target point, m;

1 、 2 represent for the angles from the acceptor site to the two ends of

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the limited-length road section or radians. L represents for the adjustment needed for other factors, dB(A); It can be calculated using the equations below:

L  L1 L2 L3 L  L  L 1 坡度 路面 L  A  A  A  A 2 atm gr bar misc

L1 represents for the adjustment for the road alignment, dB(A); L 坡度 represents for the adjustment for the road longitudinal gradient, dB(A);

L路面 represents for the adjustment for the pavement material, dB(A);

L2 represents for the adjustment for the attenuation of sound transmission, dB(A);

L3 represents for the adjustment for the noise emission pattern, dB(A);

Aatm represents for the adjustment for the atmosphere absorption, dB(A); A gr represents for the adjustment for the terrain effect, dB(A);

Abar represents for the amount of attenuation caused by obstacles, dB(A);

Amisc represents for the adjustment for other miscellaneous factors, dB(A). 7.3.2.3 Model parameters

(1) Vehicle type There are three vehicles types including the large sized vehicles, the medium sized vehicles and the small sized vehicles. The criteria for these three categories are listed in the Table 7.3-1. The ratio between the different types is from the traffic survey results conducted by the FS consultant. Table 7.3-1 Criteria for vehicle type categories Vehicle type Total mass of vehicle Small sized vehicle（s） Below 3.5t Medium sized vehicle（m） Between 3.5t and 12t Large sized vehicle（L） Above 12t Note: the small sized vehicles typically include small passenger cars, small cargo cars, 7-seats (or below) wagons; Medium sized vehicles typically include medium passenger cars (7-40 seats), medium cargo cars, 3 and 4 wheeled farming vehicles.

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Large sized vehicles typically include container trucks, trailers, construction vehicles, large buses (40 seats and above), and large trucks.

(2) Single vehicle radiated noise level Loi 1) The average radiated noise level of vehicle (type i) at reference distance

(7.5 meters) - Loi :

Small sized vehicle Los =12.6+34.73lgVS+△L 路面

Medium sized vehicle LoM =8.8+40.48lgVM+△L 纵坡

Large sized vehicle LoL =22.0+36.32lgVL+△L 纵坡 In which, S, M and L represents for small, medium or large sized vehicles, respectively;

Vi represents for the average speed of this type of vehicle, km/h. 2) Source intensity adjustment L The adjustment for the road longitudinal gradient 坡度 can be found in the Table 7.3-2. Table 7.3-2 Adjustment for the road longitudinal gradient Noise level adjustment (dB(A))

Small sized vehicle =50*β

Medium sized vehicle =73*β

Large sized vehicle =98*β β Longitudinal gradient, % The adjustment for the pavement material can be found in the Table 7.3-3. Table 7.3-3 Adjustment for the pavement material, dB(A) Adjustment at different speed, km/h Pavement type 30 40 >=50 Asphalt concrete 0 0 0 Concrete 1.0 1.5 2.0 (3) Adjustment for ground surface absorption can be calculated by:

 h 100 1.3  m (8.5 ) ＝  r r  L地面  4.8e In which,

hm represents the average height of the line connecting the noise source and the acceptor, m; r represents the distance between the central line and the acceptor, m. (4) Adjustment for curved road or limited length road.

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  L1＝10lg    180  In which, θ represents the angle between the lines connecting the road ends and the acceptor (º). (5) Adjustment for obstacles.

△Lobstacle＝△Lbuilding＋△Lshadow

△Lbuilding represents for the attenuation caused by buildings. If the buildings are widely spread, the attenuation can be found in the Table 7.3-4. Table 7.3-4 Noise attenuation caused by buildings

Building layout condition, S/S0 Attenuation ΔL The first row of building area account for -3 dB（A） 40-60% of total building area The first row of building area account for 70～ - 5 dB（A） 90% of total building area An extra row of buildings -1.5 dB（A）, and the ceiling is 10dB（A） Note: this applies only to the buildings on the side of the road with flat embankment.

△Lshadow represents for the noise attenuation cause by the sound diffraction when the reference location is within the acoustic shadow area of the embankment (or a bridge) or a cut. If the reference location is within the acoustic direct radiation area, then

△Lshadow＝0; Otherwise if the reference location is within the acoustic shadow area, then the △Lshadow is determined by the sonic path distance (δ). The Fresnel number will be used in the calculation of the sound attenuation cause by diffraction. It is defined as: 2 Nmax  

In which, the Nmx represents for the Frennel Number. λ represents the sound wave length, m; and δ represents the sonic path distance difference, m. The noise attenuation cause by the sound diffraction for linear source can be calculated using the equations below:

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 3  (1 t 2 )  10 lg( ) (当t 1时)  (1 t)  4 tan1 L声影区   (1 t)  3  (t 2 1) 10 lg( ) (当t 1时)  2ln(t  (t 2 1)) 

In which, t=20×Nmx/3. 7.3.2.4 Values of parameters (1) Reference time for prediction The reference years used in the noise level prediction is in line with those used the traffic flow projection and in the FSR. The reference years are 2018 (Short term), 2024 (Mid-term) and 2032 (Long term). (2) Designed speed and maximum longitudinal gradient Extracted from the FSR, the design speeds and the maximum longitudinal gradients are listed in Table 7.3-5. Table 7.3-5 Design speed and maximum longitudinal gradient Xicheng Guihua 1 Guihua 2 Road Name Wusixi Road No. 5 Road Avenue Road Road Design Speed（km/h） 50 60 50 30 30 Maximum Longitudinal -1.6 -4.9 2.45 -1.4 -2.1 Gradient（%） (3) Road Pavement The road pavement is made of asphalt concrete. (4) Cross section Details of cross sections are discussed in Section 2.4. (5) Traffic flow in different sections According to the FSR, the small sized vehicles account for the largest portion of the total traffic flow. The ratio between different vehicle types and the day time ration are listed in tables 2.1 – 2.3. The detailed traffic flow projections are listed in table 2.1-4. 7.3.2.5 Prediction results and discussion 1. Road traffic noise The road traffic noises during operation phase are listed in the Table 7.3-6 and demonstrated in the Figures 7.3-1 to 7.3-5. 2. Environmental noises at sensitive sites

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The environmental noises at the sensitive sites are predicted based on the monitoring results and on the distances between the source and the sensitive sites. The results are listed in Table 7.3-6.

Table 7.3-6 Prediction results of traffic noises, dB(A) Distance Road 2018 2024 2032 from central Name line, m Day time Night time Day time Night time Day time Night time 30 64.1 56.3 65.5 60.5 65.9 61.5 40 60.6 52.7 61.9 57.0 62.4 57.9 50 58.8 50.9 60.1 55.1 60.5 56.1 60 57.5 49.7 58.9 53.9 59.3 54.9 70 56.6 48.7 57.9 53.0 58.4 53.9 80 55.8 48.0 57.2 52.2 57.6 53.2 Wusixi 90 55.2 47.3 56.5 51.5 57.0 52.5 Road 100 54.6 46.7 55.9 51.0 56.4 51.9 120 53.6 45.8 55.0 50.0 55.4 51.0 140 52.8 45.0 54.1 49.2 54.6 50.1 160 52.1 44.2 53.4 48.5 53.9 49.4 180 51.5 43.6 52.8 47.8 53.3 48.8 200 50.9 43.1 52.2 47.3 52.7 48.3 30 57.2 51.2 62.7 57.8 65.3 60.8 40 54.6 48.5 60.0 55.1 62.7 58.2 50 53.0 47.0 58.5 53.6 61.1 56.6 60 51.9 45.8 57.4 52.5 60.0 55.5 70 51.1 45.0 56.5 51.6 59.1 54.6 80 50.3 44.2 55.7 50.8 58.4 53.9 Xicheng 90 49.7 43.6 55.1 50.2 57.8 53.3 Avenue 100 49.1 43.0 54.6 49.6 57.2 52.7 120 48.2 42.1 53.6 48.7 56.3 51.7 140 47.4 41.3 52.8 47.9 55.5 50.9 160 46.7 40.6 52.1 47.2 54.7 50.2 180 46.0 39.9 51.5 46.6 54.1 49.6 200 45.5 39.4 50.9 46.0 53.6 49.0 20 57.4 51.3 62.3 57.3 66.3 61.7 30 52.7 46.5 57.6 52.6 61.5 57.0 40 49.7 43.5 54.6 49.6 58.6 54.0 50 48.0 41.8 52.8 47.8 56.8 52.2 60 46.7 40.5 51.5 46.6 55.5 50.9 No. 5 70 45.6 39.4 50.5 45.5 54.5 49.9 Road 80 44.8 38.6 49.7 44.7 53.6 49.0 90 44.0 37.9 48.9 43.9 52.9 48.3 100 43.4 37.2 48.3 43.3 52.2 47.6 120 42.3 36.1 47.2 42.2 51.1 46.6 140 41.4 35.2 46.3 41.3 50.2 45.6 160 40.6 34.4 45.5 40.5 49.4 44.9

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Distance Road 2018 2024 2032 from central Name line, m Day time Night time Day time Night time Day time Night time 180 39.9 33.7 44.8 39.8 48.7 44.2 200 39.3 33.1 44.2 39.2 48.1 43.5 10 45.4 43.0 50.0 44.8 54.1 49.4 20 40.4 37.9 44.9 39.7 49.0 44.3 30 36.7 34.3 41.3 36.1 45.4 40.6 40 34.6 32.2 39.2 34.0 43.3 38.5 50 33.1 30.6 37.7 32.5 41.8 37.0 60 31.9 29.4 36.5 31.2 40.6 35.8 70 30.9 28.4 35.4 30.2 39.6 34.8 Guihua 1 80 30.0 27.5 34.6 29.3 38.7 33.9 Road 90 29.2 26.7 33.8 28.5 37.9 33.1 100 28.5 26.0 33.0 27.8 37.1 32.4 120 27.2 24.7 31.7 26.5 35.8 31.1 140 26.0 23.6 30.6 25.4 34.7 30.0 160 25.0 22.6 29.6 24.4 33.7 29.0 180 24.1 21.7 28.7 23.5 32.8 28.0 200 23.3 20.8 27.8 22.6 32.0 27.2 10 48.8 42.5 53.9 48.8 57.9 53.3 20 43.7 37.4 48.8 43.8 52.8 48.2 30 40.1 33.8 45.2 40.2 49.2 44.6 40 38.0 31.8 43.2 38.1 47.2 42.5 50 36.6 30.3 41.7 36.6 45.7 41.1 60 35.4 29.1 40.5 35.5 44.5 39.9 70 34.4 28.1 39.5 34.5 43.5 38.9 Guihua 2 80 33.6 27.3 38.7 33.6 42.7 38.1 Road 90 32.8 26.5 37.9 32.9 41.9 37.3 100 32.1 25.8 37.2 32.2 41.2 36.6 120 30.9 24.6 36.0 30.9 40.0 35.4 140 29.8 23.5 34.9 29.8 38.9 34.3 160 28.8 22.6 33.9 28.9 37.9 33.3 180 27.9 21.7 33.1 28.0 37.1 32.4 200 27.1 20.9 32.2 27.2 36.3 31.6

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2018year Day time 70.0 2018year night time 65.0 2024year Day time 60.0 2024year night time 2032year Day time 55.0 2032year night time 50.0 45.0

40.0 Traffic Noise Leq(dB) Noise Traffic 35.0 30.0 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 Distance from central line r, m

Figure 7.3-1 Traffic Noise of the Wusixi Road 2018year Day time 70.0 2018year night time 65.0 2024year Day time 60.0 2024year night time 2032year Day time 55.0 2032year night time 50.0 45.0 40.0 Traffic Noise Leq(dB) Noise Traffic 35.0 30.0 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 Distance from central line r, m

Figure 7.3-2 Traffic Noise of the Xicheng Avenue

70.0 2018year Day time 2018year night time 65.0 2024year Day time 60.0 2024year night time 2032year Day time 55.0 2032year night time 50.0 45.0

40.0 Traffic Noise Leq(dB) Noise Traffic 35.0 30.0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 Distance from central line r, m

Figure 7.3-3 Traffic Noise of the No. 5 Road

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60.0 2018year Day time 2018year night time 55.0 2024year Day time 50.0 2024year night time 45.0 2032year Day time 2032year night time 40.0 35.0 30.0

25.0 Traffic Noise Leq(dB) Noise Traffic 20.0 15.0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 Distance from central line r, m

Figure 7.3-4 Traffic Noise of the Guihua 1 Road

60.0 2018year Day time 2018year night time 55.0 2024year Day time 50.0 2024year night time 45.0 2032year Day time 2032year night time 40.0 35.0 30.0

25.0 Traffic Noise Leq(dB) Noise Traffic 20.0 15.0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 Distance from central line r, m

Figure 7.3-5 Traffic Noise of the Guihua 2 Road

Table 7.3-7 The noise compliance distance (m) Class 4a standard Class 2 standard Road 2018 2024 2032 2018 2024 2032 Name Day Night Day Night Day Night Day Night Day Night Day Night time time time time time time time time time time time time Wusixi / 34 / 51 / 59 42 57 51 120 53 144 Road Xicheng / / / 41 / 66 / 34 40 94 60 167 Avenue No. 5 / / / 25 / 37 / 23 25 39 35 69 Road Guihua 1 / / / / / / / / / / / / Road Guihua 2 / / / / / / / / / / / 16 Road

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(1) The Wusixi Road Short term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the only areas that are 34 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 42 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the only areas that are 57 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Mid-term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 51 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 51 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 120 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Long term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 59 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 53 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 144 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). (2) The Xicheng Avenue Short term: For both the day time and the night time, the noise levels for

HAES -162- QXUTP EIA Report areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 34 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Mid-term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 41 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 40 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 94 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Long term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 66 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 60 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 167 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). (3) The No. 5 Road Short term: For both the day time and the night time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night

HAES -163- QXUTP EIA Report time, the noise level of the areas that are 23 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Mid-term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 25 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 25 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 39 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Long term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 37 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 35 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 69 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). (4) Guihua 1 Road For all operational stages, the noise level for areas outside the red lines both in day time and night time, can comply with the Class 4a and Class 2 standards of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). (5) Guihua 2 Road During the short term and the mid-term, the noise level for areas outside the red lines both in day time and night time, can comply with the Class 4a and Class 2 standards of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). For the long term, both in the day time and in the night time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality

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Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 16 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). From the table, the noise level compliance distances are within the scope of evaluation. In real situation, because of different factors including the terrain absorption, building absorption, vegetation absorption and air attenuation, the actual noise level will be lower than the predicted theoretical values.

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Table 7.3-8 Noise Level Prediction Results at sensitive sites.

Stake Number Stake mpact area No.s of HHs Background

Applicable Noise limit Road Name Road Differ 2018 2024 2032 standard and HHs Distanc Location in first row,

Contributi Contributi Contributi Name ence Time Predicted Predicted Predicted e from Class IV

of in value value value area Excee Exceed Exceed HHs central area and on on on Results sensitiv eleva (from line/red project

d the the limit the limit

e sites tion red

lines(m) evaluation

limit by by by (m) lines) area Day 53.6 70 62.1 62.7 / 65.0 65.3 / 65.5 65.8 / Class 4a standard: Running 4a Night 38.1 55 54.2 54.3 / 60.1 60.1 5.1 61.1 61.1 6.1 Non-compliance across. at night times for K1+800 After Wusix Taobei Both Day 53.6 60 55.5 57.7 / 56.9 58.5 / 57.3 58.8 / Midterm and - resettlem 0 26/33/215 5~75m 78 i Road Village sides Longterm; K2+540 ent 35/5 Class 2 standard: on both 2 Night 38.1 50 47.7 48.1 / 51.9 52.1 2.1 52.9 53.0 3.0 Non-compliance sides. at night times for Longterm. Xiche Day 52.7 60 48.9 54.2 / 53.3 56.0 / 55.9 57.6 / Non-compliance ng Zuoshu East K0+230 95/70 -8 9/0/37 2 / / at night times for Avenu village side Night 41.5 50 42.8 45.2 / 48.4 49.2 / 51.4 51.8 1.8 Longterm. e Day 52.0 70 58.1 59.1 / 63.6 63.9 / 66.2 66.4 / Class 4a 4a standard: Running Night 37.8 55 52.1 52.2 / 58.7 58.7 3.7 61.7 61.7 6.7 Non-compliance across. at night times for Xiche Wangjiaz K2+200 After Day 52.0 60 50.4 54.3 / 55.9 57.3 / 58.5 59.4 / Midterm and ng Both hai - resettlem 0 22/46/102 3~55m 65 Longterm; Avenu sides Village K2+660 ent 28/3 Class 2 standard: e on both 2 Non-compliance Night 37.8 50 44.3 45.2 / 50.9 51.1 1.1 54.0 54.1 4.1 sides. at night times for Midterm and Longterm. Xiche Day 56.8 60 44.9 57.1 / 50.3 57.7 / 53.0 58.3 / ng Wuzhong West No K3+260 195/170 3 3/0/3 2 / / Avenu Village side Night 38.3 50 38.8 41.6 / 45.4 46.2 / 48.4 48.8 / non-compliance e No. 5 Taobei East Day 53.6 60 45.2 54.1 / 50.1 55.2 / 54.0 56.8 / No K0+290 100/80 0 5/0/6 2 / / Road Village side Night 38.1 50 39.0 41.6 / 45.1 45.9 / 49.5 49.8 / non-compliance

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The results in the Table 7.3-8 indicate that: Short term (2018): The noise levels at the sensitive sites are all below the limits. Midterm (2024): The noise levels at the Zuoshu Village and the Wuzhong Village along the Xicheng Avenue and at the Taobei Village along the No.5 Road are all below the limits. For the Taobei Village along the Wusixi Road and the Wangjiazhai Road along the Xicheng Avenue, the noise levels during day time are below the limits. But they are all above the limits at night times. They exceed the limits by a range of 1.1-5.1 dB(A). Long term (2032): The noise levels at the Wuzhong Village along the Xicheng Avenue and at the Taobei Village along the No.5 Road are below the limits. For the other three sensitive sites, the noise levels are below the limits during day time but exceed the night time limits by 1.8 to 6.7 dB(A). 7.3.2.6 Bus Corridor Noise Impact Analysis The traffic flow will not change significantly after the upgrading as the red line width will not change. The bus speed will increase significantly. As the traffic can move more smoothly, the traffic noise will decrease compared with that on a congested road with vehicles engines idle running. In addition, the upgraded bus service will provide more convenience for the local travel and will attract more and more people to adopt the public transportation. The use of private cars will be reduced. So is the source of pollution. With a comprehensive consideration of above factors, it is predicted that the environmental noise on the road side will remain unchanged. 7.3.2.7 Interchange Noise Impact Analysis The baseline noise level is 42.9 dB at day time and 38.4 dB at night time. The noise of bus engine idle running is 75-78 dB. The bus interval is 2-3 minutes during peak hours and 3-4 minutes during regular hours. According to the layout plan, after attenuation from obstacle and from distance, the boundary noise contribution can be calculated and the results are listed in the Table 7.3-9. Table 7.3-9 Noise contribution of the Yanxiaocun Interchange (dB(A)) Boundary Noise Contribution

East South West North Yanxiaocun 39.9 44.9 38.9 44.0 Interchange

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According to the calculation the boundary noise contributions are below standard requirements and will not cause advserse impacts on surrounding area.

7.4 Ambient Air

7.4.1 Construction Phase

(1) Dust pollution in material mixing

The mixing will be conducted at the mixing stations and then the mixture will be transported by vehicles to the construction sites. In a windy occasion, the mixing process will produce TSP pollution. According to the monitoring data of similar projects, the TSP concentrations at 50m, and 100m distances downwind from the mixing stations are 8.90 mg/m³, 1.65 mg/m³. At the 150 m distance downwind from the mixing stations, the TSP concentration will be below 0.3 mg/m³, the limit stipulated by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). The TSP produced in other processes can be contained within the distances of 50-200 meters from the construction sites. Outside of this range, the TSP concentration can meet the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of Ambient Air (GB3095-1996).

(2) Flying dust caused by transportation vehicles.

The loading/unloading and the transportation of construction materials can also produce TSP pollution. According to the monitoring data of similar projects, the TSP concentrations at 50m, 100m, and 150m distances downwind from the transportation routes are 11.652 mg/m³, 9.694 mg/m³, and 5.093 mg/m³, respectively, all exceeding the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). Above analysis suggests that the dust pollution and the TSP pollution are significant and need appropriate mitigation measures. (3) Asphalt fume Asphalt fume is typically produced from the evaporation in asphalt brewing, mixing and paving. According to the project FSR, there will be no asphalt mixing station needed; instead commercial asphalt will be used directly for pavement. Therefore, the asphalt fume impact will be insignificant.

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7.4.2 Operation Phase

7.4.2.1 Meteorological analysis Wind is an important factor in the transportation and diffusion of pollutants in the air. Therefore the study of the wind frequency, wind direction, and wind speed variations is an important task in the air pollution impact analysis. (1) Temperature and wind speed The monthly variations of the average temperature in 2011 are shown in the Table 7.4-1 and the Figure 7.4-1. The monthly variations of the average wind speed in 2011 are shown in the Table 7.4-2 and the Figure 7.4.-2. 1) Temperature The average temperature in Xining City in 2011 was 5.95 oC. The average temperature was the lowest in the January, reaching -10.86 oC, and highest in the August, reaching 16.78 oC. The variation of the temperature in 2011 was shown in the Table 7.4-1 and the Figure 7.4-1. Table 7.4-1 Monthly average temperature in Xining City in 2011, oC Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Yearly Temperature -10.86 -2.12 -0.85 9.31 12.02 16.47 average Month Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Temperature 16.76 16.78 12.18 7.24 1.29 16.76 5.95

Figure 7.4-1 The temperature profile of Xining City in 2011 2) Wind speed The average wind speed in Xining City in 2011 was 0.97 m/s. The average wind speed was the largest in the April, reaching 1.43 m/s, and the lowest in the August, at 0.63 m/s. The variation of the wind speed in 2011 was shown in the Table 7.4-2 and the Figure 7.4-2.

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Table 7.4-2 Monthly average wind speed in Xining City in 2011, m/s Month January February March April May June Wind Yearly 0.86 1.00 1.41 1.43 1.34 1.05 speed average Month July August September October November December Wind 0.94 0.85 0.81 0.73 0.63 0.64 0.97 speed

Figure 7.4-2 The wind speed profile of Xining City in 2011 The variation in hourly average wind speed of each quarter in 2011 was shown in the Table 7.4-3 and the Figure 7.4-3.

Table 7.4-3 Hourly average wind speed of each quarter in the Xining City in 2011, m/s Wind speed （m/s） Spring Summer Fall Winter hour（h） 1 0.98 0.60 0.46 0.53 2 0.74 0.55 0.40 0.55 3 0.73 0.45 0.36 0.44 4 0.55 0.38 0.32 0.41 5 0.49 0.43 0.29 0.34 6 0.41 0.37 0.33 0.24 7 0.39 0.50 0.27 0.31 8 0.61 0.59 0.29 0.33 9 0.91 0.79 0.37 0.37 10 1.05 0.80 0.73 0.72 11 1.48 0.98 0.80 0.75 12 1.71 1.10 1.01 0.90 13 1.94 1.25 1.16 1.14 14 2.22 1.47 1.19 1.23 15 2.38 1.36 1.25 1.29 16 2.53 1.56 1.21 1.45 17 2.47 1.70 1.17 1.32 18 2.39 1.62 1.02 1.38

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Wind speed （m/s） Spring Summer Fall Winter hour（h） 19 2.15 1.53 0.81 1.31 20 2.09 1.17 1.01 1.36 21 1.66 1.08 0. 91 1.15 22 1.39 0.96 0.75 0.97 23 1.16 0.83 0.65 0.64 24 1.01 0.61 0.62 0.71

Figure 7.4-3 The daily profile of Hourly average wind speed of each quarter in Xining city in 2011 (2) Pollution Coefficient The pollution coefficient is a comprehensive coefficient that integrates the effect of wind direction and wind speed on the pollutant transportation and dilution. The pollution coefficient can be used to reflect the wind effect qualitatively. If the wind frequency is high while the average wind speed is low in one direction, the pollution coefficient in this direction will be high, and the pollution impact in this direction is significant. On the other hand, if the wind frequency is low while the average wind speed is high in one direction, the pollution coefficient in this direction will be low and the pollution impact will also be insignificant. The pollution coefficients at different directions of each month are calculated based on the Meteorological data of 2011. The results are listed in the Table 7.4-4. The wind frequency of each month and each quarter in 2011 are listed in the Table 7.4-5. The yearly and monthly wind rose diagrams are shown in the Figure 7.4-4.

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Table 7.4-4 Pollution coefficients at different directions in each month of 2011 Month Whole Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Spring Summer Fall Winter Coefficient Year N 5.96 4.56 4.07 3.73 4.89 7.50 6.29 5.08 4.13 3.57 3.97 4.48 4.08 6.27 3.76 5.03 4.33 NNE 5.06 6.55 2.97 2.92 5.15 8.08 8.25 4.96 3.30 2.63 3.83 5.42 3.59 7.02 3.23 5.61 4.50 NE 5.02 2.76 3.78 3.55 3.00 7.41 7.48 7.17 2.07 3.95 3.62 4.42 3.38 7.34 3.23 4.07 4.34 ENE 4.04 4.41 2.85 2.57 3.64 5.05 4.78 2.95 4.01 4.72 6.53 5.06 2.96 4.23 4.98 4.47 4.04 E 2.81 3.68 2.61 2.60 2.86 2.29 5.40 4.34 2.69 1.97 3.86 2.72 2.64 3.80 2.84 3.03 2.95 ESE 2.09 1.87 2.93 2.22 2.88 3.64 2.37 4.15 2.96 3.94 3.89 3.61 2.66 3.37 3.60 2.55 2.89 SE 2.71 3.32 2.68 2.62 3.45 2.84 2.19 2.60 4.66 4.08 3.48 2.19 2.89 2.54 3.96 2.67 2.78 SSE 4.12 6.39 5.11 3.95 3.34 3.24 2.63 2.97 3.84 3.78 4.28 3.94 4.10 2.86 3.91 4.70 3.74 S 5.77 5.86 6.83 4.69 3.91 2.95 3.27 3.87 6.57 6.35 3.95 6.26 5.13 3.36 5.59 5.91 4.86 SSW 6.60 6.16 5.30 4.27 4.29 1.90 2.22 4.03 10.53 7.50 7.00 8.33 4.61 2.71 8.31 6.87 5.43 SW 4.54 5.10 3.80 4.02 3.64 2.61 3.29 3.99 7.73 4.48 3.64 5.31 3.71 3.28 5.27 4.94 4.19 WSW 2.38 3.07 1.90 1.87 1.59 2.42 1.96 3.03 4.79 2.81 2.84 5.97 1.68 2.45 3.39 3.46 2.61 W 3.82 2.88 1.84 3.37 2.63 3.10 2.64 3.84 1.87 4.36 6.78 6.13 2.55 3.19 4.24 3.69 3.28 WNW 3.10 1.62 1.90 2.06 1.70 3.69 3.47 3.90 2.26 5.06 2.06 5.98 1.83 3.69 3.10 3.00 2.66 NW 3.86 3.97 2.68 3.63 3.56 8.06 8.40 5.96 2.92 3.96 5.33 4.94 3.22 7.48 4.02 4.20 4.58 NNW 6.72 4.58 2.64 3.82 2.96 4.77 7.60 7.11 2.14 4.43 4.25 7.29 3.14 6.44 3.65 6.25 4.50 Average 4.29 4.17 3.37 3.24 3.34 4.35 4.52 4.37 4.15 4.22 4.33 5.13 3.26 4.38 4.19 4.40 3.86

HAES -172- QXUTP EIA Report Table 7.4-5 Wind Frequency (%) of each month and each season Wind frequency N NNE NE ENE E ESE SE SSE S SSW SW WSW W WNW NW NNW C Time January 4.17 4.30 4.17 3.23 2.02 2.15 3.36 5.65 8.60 11.69 7.53 2.28 3.90 2.42 2.55 3.90 28.09 February 3.42 4.91 2.68 4.32 2.98 1.93 3.72 9.08 9.08 9.67 7.44 4.61 5.06 2.53 3.57 2.98 22.02 March 4.84 5.11 4.57 2.82 2.82 4.57 6.18 10.22 12.37 10.22 6.72 2.55 3.09 2.55 2.55 3.49 15.32 April 6.67 5.69 5.97 3.75 4.03 4.31 5.56 7.78 8.06 7.22 5.14 3.06 4.31 3.75 4.86 5.00 14.86 May 9.54 6.85 3.90 4.70 3.63 4.44 6.32 5.38 6.18 7.12 4.70 3.76 4.70 3.63 4.70 3.76 16.67 June 10.42 11.39 8.89 5.00 4.03 4.44 3.75 3.89 3.33 2.78 2.92 2.78 3.47 3.47 7.50 6.25 15.69 July 9.81 9.41 8.60 4.97 5.78 2.96 2.82 3.36 3.76 2.69 3.36 1.88 2.82 3.09 7.39 8.74 18.55 August 7.26 6.45 7.39 3.63 4.30 4.44 3.09 2.55 4.30 4.84 3.63 3.36 3.76 4.17 5.78 7.39 23.66 September 4.58 3.47 2.22 3.33 2.64 2.78 5.97 5.42 8.61 12.22 8.89 4.31 1.53 2.08 2.22 2.08 27.64 October 4.03 2.42 3.63 4.44 1.75 3.90 4.57 4.57 6.99 7.80 5.65 3.49 4.97 3.90 3.76 3.90 30.24 November 2.78 3.33 3.33 4.44 3.47 3.89 2.78 4.58 4.86 8.19 4.44 3.61 5.56 2.08 3.89 3.61 35.14 December 2.96 3.63 3.23 3.90 2.15 3.36 1.88 4.30 7.39 10.08 7.12 4.30 4.17 3.23 3.36 4.30 30.65 Spring 7.02 5.89 4.80 3.76 3.49 4.44 6.02 7.79 8.88 8.20 5.53 3.13 4.03 3.31 4.03 4.08 15.63 Summer 9.15 9.06 8.29 4.53 4.71 3.94 3.22 3.26 3.80 3.44 3.31 2.67 3.35 3.58 6.88 7.47 19.34 Fall 3.80 3.07 3.07 4.08 2.61 3.53 4.44 4.85 6.82 9.39 6.32 3.80 4.03 2.70 3.30 3.21 31.00 Winter 3.52 4.26 3.38 3.80 2.36 2.50 2.96 6.25 8.33 10.51 7.36 3.70 4.35 2.73 3.15 3.75 27.08 Whole Year 5.89 5.58 4.90 4.04 3.30 3.61 4.17 5.54 6.95 7.87 5.62 3.32 3.94 3.08 4.35 4.63 23.22

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Figure 7.4-3 Wind rose diagrams in the Xining City in 2011

As can be seen from the tables and figures above, there is no dominant wind directions in the Xining City in 2011. The pollution coefficient is the highest in SSW direction for the fall season, the winter season and for the yearly average. For the

HAES -174- QXUTP EIA Report spring season, the pollution coefficient is the highest in the S direction and second in the SSW direction. For the summer season, the pollution coefficient is the highest in N direction and second in NNE direction. 7.4.2.2 Prediction method The AERMOD modeling method recommended in the Technical Guidelines for EIA-Ambient Air (HJ2.2-2008) was adopted in the prediction of operation phase air pollutions. AERMOD model was developed by a joint force of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) with the American Meteorological Society (AMS). This model was developed from the diffusion theory by assuming the spatial distribution of the pollutants is a Gaussian distribution. The model can apply to different emission sources (including the point source, non-point source or volume sources). It can also apply to many conditions including the urban environment or rural environment, flat terrain or complex terrain, ground sources or elevated sources, etc. When the model is applied to a liner source, it considers the linear source as a combination of a series of volume sources. The AERMOD model system has three subsystems including the AERMOD (atmospheric diffusion model), the AERMET (meteorological data pre-processing system) and the AERMAP (topographic data preprocessing system). The dimensional parameters and boundary layer profile data can be directly inputted by using the field data or can be produced from the conventional meteorological data acquired by the NWS (National Weather Service). When these data are sent to the AERMOD interface, the system produces the average wind speed (u) and the temperature gradient (dT/dz), and the boundary layer profile for the diffusional model and then calculates the concentration. In the AERMOD model, a separate flow theory is adopted to tackle the effect of the terrain (or ground obstacles) to the distribution of pollutants. To be more specific, the model considers the flow filed to be a two-layered structure, the bottom layer will bypass the obstacles horizontally and the upper layer will bypass the obstacles vertically (by climbing over the obstacles). The concentration at a certain location is the weighted sum of the concentrations caused by the two different flow patterns (two layers, or two flumes). Assume the concentration of a pollutant is c (x,y,z) at the coordinate (x,y,z) of a flat terrain. The concentration Cr(x,y,z) at the same

HAES -175- QXUTP EIA Report location of a complex terrain becomes: Crxyz(,,) fcxyz (,,)(1   fcxyz )(,,) In which, f represents for the weight of the two flow patterns. F can be calculated by : f 0.5(1 ) H  c(,,) x y z dz 0    c(,,) x y z dz 0 In which, Hc is the height of the boundary of the two layers, m. The general equation for calculating c (x,y,z) is: Q c(,,)(,)(,) x y z pyz y x p z x u In which, Q represents for the discharge rate of the source, g/s; U represents for the effective wind speed, m/s; Py represents the possibility distribution function of the pollutant concentration along the horizontal direction; Pz represents the possibility distribution function of the pollutant concentration along the vertical direction. 7.4.2.3 Prediction Contents According to the nature of the pollutant and the requirements of the Technical Guideline, and with consideration of the meteorological conditions in the project area, the hourly and daily air pollution impacts are predicted. The contents include: 1) The emission amount of each major pollutant after the project is completed. 2) The impact on the regional environment under a typical hourly weather condition. To be more specific, the compliance, the extent to which the pollutant concentration exceeds the standard and the location of the maximum pollutant concentration; the compliance and the extent to which the pollutant concentration exceeds the standard at the sensitive sites, including the hourly non-compliance possibility and the maximum duration. 3) The impact on the regional environment under a typical daily weather condition. To be more specific, the compliance, the extent to which the pollutant concentration exceeds the standard and the location of the maximum pollutant

HAES -176- QXUTP EIA Report concentration; the compliance and the extent to which the pollutant concentration exceeds the standard at the sensitive sites, including the hourly non-compliance possibility and the maximum duration. 4) The impact on the regional environment under a long term weather condition. To be more specific, the compliance, the extent to which the pollutant concentration exceeds the standard and the location of the maximum pollutant concentration; the compliance and the extent to which the pollutant concentration exceeds the standard at the sensitive sites. 7.4.2.4 Indicators

The selected pollutants indicators in vehicle exhaust gas include CO and NO2.

The NO2 emission is calculated according to a proportional ratio of 0.9

(Q(NO2)/Q(NOx)=0.9) for hourly or daily average, and a proportional ratio of 0.75

(Q(NO2)/Q(NOx)=0.75) for yearly average. 7.4.2.5 Timeframe The reference years used in the prediction are in line with those used the traffic flow projection and in the FSR. The reference years are 2018 (Short term), 2024 (Mid-term) and 2032 (Long term). 7.4.2.6 Scope The scope of prediction includes the environmental sensitive sites within 200 meters from the central line of the roads. 7.4.2.7 The prediction results for the roads According to the source intensity presented in the section 4.6.2.2, the air pollution can be calculated using the AERMOD model. The results are as below: (1)The impacts on the regional environment and the sensitive sites under a typical hourly weather condition.

1) The maximum hourly NO2 concentrations at each sensitive site

The maximum hourly NO2 concentrations at each sensitive site are listed in the Table 7.4-6.

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Table 7.4-6 The predicted maximum hourly NO2 concentrations at sensitive sites GB3095-1996 GB3095-2012 Name of Maximum hourly Ref. time of Standard Standard No. sensitive concentration, Standard N.C. Standard N.C. prediction limit, Results limit, Results sites mg/m³ index ratio index ratio mg/m³ mg/m³ 2018 0.611 0.24 2.55 N.C. 1.55 0.20 3.06 N.C. 2.06 Guanzhong 1 2024 1.100 0.24 4.58 N.C. 3.58 0.20 5.50 N.C. 4.50 Village 2032 1.590 0.24 6.63 N.C. 5.63 0.20 7.95 N.C. 6.95 2018 0.840 0.24 3.50 N.C. 2.50 0.20 4.20 N.C. 3.20 Wangjiazhai 2 2024 1.290 0.24 5.38 N.C. 4.38 0.20 6.45 N.C. 5.45 Village 2032 1.680 0.24 7.00 N.C. 6.00 0.20 8.40 N.C. 7.40 2018 0.518 0.24 2.16 N.C. 1.16 0.20 2.59 N.C. 1.59 Zuoshu 3 2024 1.300 0.24 5.42 N.C. 4.42 0.20 6.50 N.C. 5.50 Village 2032 2.050 0.24 8.54 N.C. 7.54 0.20 10.25 N.C. 9.25 2018 0.722 0.24 3.01 N.C. 2.01 0.20 3.61 N.C. 2.61 4 Taobei Village 2024 1.340 0.24 5.58 N.C. 4.58 0.20 6.70 N.C. 5.70 2032 2.000 0.24 8.33 N.C. 7.33 0.20 10.00 N.C. 9.00 2018 0.632 0.24 2.63 N.C. 1.63 0.20 3.16 N.C. 2.16 Yanxiaocun 5 2024 1.220 0.24 5.08 N.C. 4.08 0.20 6.10 N.C. 5.10 Village 2032 2.170 0.24 9.04 N.C. 8.04 0.20 10.85 N.C. 9.85 Note: N.C. = Non-Compliance, representing an indicator exceeding the relevant standard limit.

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From the Table 7.4-6, the hourly NO2 concentrations for all the reference years including 2018, 2024 and 2032 at the 5 sensitive sites (including the Guanzhong Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu village, the Taobei Village, and the Yanxiaocun Village) all exceed the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012) 2) The maximum hourly CO concentrations at each sensitive site The maximum hourly CO concentrations at each sensitive site are listed in the Table 7.4-7. Table 7.4-7 The predicted maximum hourly CO concentrations at the sensitive sites

GB3095-1996 GB3095-2012 Name Ref. Maximu Stand Stand of time m hourly N. N. No ard Stand ard Stand sensiti of concentr Res C. Res C. . limit, ard limit, ard ve predic ation, ults rat ults rat mg/m index mg/m index sites tion mg/m³ io io ³ ³ Guanzh 2018 7.310 10 0.73 C. 0 10 0.73 C. 0 1 ong 2024 0.107 10 0.01 C. 0 10 0.01 C. 0 Village 2032 0.230 10 0.02 C. 0 10 0.02 C. 0 Wangji 2018 10.00 10 1 C. 0 10 1 C. 0 2 azhai 2024 0.146 10 0.01 C. 0 10 0.01 C. 0 Village 2032 0.233 10 0.02 C. 0 10 0.02 C. 0 2018 4.830 10 0.48 C. 0 10 0.48 C. 0 Zuoshu 3 2024 0.105 10 0.01 C. 0 10 0.01 C. 0 Village 2032 0.293 10 0.03 C. 0 10 0.03 C. 0 2018 7.950 10 0.80 C. 0 10 0.80 C. 0 Taobei 4 2024 0.139 10 0.01 C. 0 10 0.01 C. 0 Village 2032 0.296 10 0.03 C. 0 10 0.03 C. 0 Yanxia 2018 6.880 10 0.69 C. 0 10 0.69 C. 0 5 ocun 2024 0.126 10 0.01 C. 0 10 0.01 C. 0 Village 2032 0.352 10 0.04 C. 0 10 0.04 C. 0 Note: N.C. = Non-Compliance, representing an indicator exceeding the relevant standard limit. C. = Compliance.

From the Table 7.4-7, the hourly CO concentrations for all the reference years (including 2018, 2024 and 2032) at the 5 sensitive sites (including the Guanzhong Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu village, the Taobei Village, and the Yanxiaocun Village) are all below the standard limit required by the Class II

HAES -179- QXUTP EIA Report standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012). (2) The impacts on the regional environment and the sensitive sites under a typical daily weather condition.

1) The maximum daily NO2 concentrations at each sensitive site

The maximum daily NO2 concentrations at each sensitive site are listed in the Table 7.4-8.

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Table 7.4-8 The predicted maximum daily NO2 concentrations at the sensitive sites Maximum GB3095-1996 GB3095-2012 Name of Ref. time of hourly Standard Standard No. sensitive Standard N.C. Standard N.C. prediction concentration, limit, Results limit, Results sites index ratio index ratio mg/m³ mg/m³ mg/m³ 2018 0.124 0.12 1.03 N.C. 0.03 0.08 1.55 N.C. 0.55 Guanzhong 1 2024 0.205 0.12 1.71 N.C. 0.71 0.08 2.56 N.C. 1.56 Village 2032 0.265 0.12 2.21 N.C. 1.21 0.08 3.31 N.C. 2.31 2018 0.162 0.12 1.35 N.C. 0.35 0.08 2.03 N.C. 1.03 Wangjiazhai 2 2024 0.252 0.12 2.10 N.C. 1.10 0.08 3.15 N.C. 2.15 Village 2032 0.337 0.12 2.81 N.C. 1.81 0.08 4.21 N.C. 3.21 2018 0.132 0.12 1.10 N.C. 0.10 0.08 1.65 N.C. 0.65 Zuoshu 3 2024 0.314 0.12 2.62 N.C. 1.62 0.08 3.93 N.C. 2.93 Village 2032 0.473 0.12 3.94 N.C. 2.94 0.08 5.91 N.C. 4.91 2018 0.177 0.12 1.48 N.C. 0.48 0.08 2.21 N.C. 1.21 Taobei 4 2024 0.320 0.12 2.67 N.C. 1.67 0.08 4.00 N.C. 3.00 Village 2032 0.607 0.12 5.06 N.C. 4.06 0.08 7.59 N.C. 6.59 2018 0.151 0.12 1.26 N.C. 0.26 0.08 1.89 N.C. 0.89 Yanxiaocun 5 2024 0.239 0.12 1.99 N.C. 0.99 0.08 2.99 N.C. 1.99 Village 2032 0.431 0.12 3.59 N.C. 2.59 0.08 5.39 N.C. 4.39 Note: N.C. = Non-Compliance, representing an indicator exceeding the relevant standard limit. C. = Compliance.

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From the Table 7.4-8, the daily NO2 concentrations for all sensitive sites exceed the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012). 2) The maximum daily CO concentrations at each sensitive site The maximum daily CO concentrations at each sensitive site are listed in the Table 7.4-9.

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Table 7.4-9 The predicted maximum daily CO concentrations at the sensitive sites. GB3095-1996 GB3095-2012 Name of Maximum daily Ref. time of Standard Standard No. sensitive concentration, Standard N.C. Standard N.C. prediction limit, Results limit, Results sites mg/m³ index ratio index ratio mg/m³ mg/m³ 2018 1.54 4 0.39 C. 0 4 0.39 C. 0 Guanzhong 1 2024 2.25 4 0.56 C. 0 4 0.56 C. 0 Village 2032 3.72 4 0.93 C. 0 4 0.93 C. 0 2018 2.06 4 0.52 C. 0 4 0.52 C. 0 Wangjiazhai 2 2024 2.93 4 0.73 C. 0 4 0.73 C. 0 Village 2032 4.89 4 1.22 N.C. 0.22 4 1.22 N.C. 0.22 2018 1.38 4 0.35 C. 0 4 0.35 C. 0 Zuoshu 3 2024 2.79 4 0.70 C. 0 4 0.70 C. 0 Village 2032 6.86 4 1.72 N.C. 0.72 4 1.72 N.C. 0.72 2018 2.12 4 0.53 C. 0 4 0.53 C. 0 4 Taobei Village 2024 3.65 4 0.91 C. 0 4 0.91 C. 0 2032 9.88 4 2.47 N.C. 1.47 4 2.47 N.C. 1.47 2018 1.93 4 0.48 C. 0 4 0.48 C. 0 Yanxiaocun 5 2024 2.86 4 0.72 C. 0 4 0.72 C. 0 Village 2032 6.81 4 1.70 N.C. 0.70 4 1.70 N.C. 0.70 Note: N.C. = Non-Compliance, representing an indicator exceeding the relevant standard limit. C. = Compliance.

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From the Table 7.4-9, except for the daily CO concentrations at the Guanzhong Village, at the Zuoshu Village, at the Taobei Village and at the Yanxiaocun Villages in 2032 exceed the standard limits, the daily CO concentrations for other occasions are all below the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB 3095-2012). (3) The impacts on the regional environment and the sensitive sites under a long term weather condition.

The yearly average NO2 concentrations at sensitive sites are listed in the Table 7.4-10.

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Table 7.4-10 The yearly average NO2 concentrations at the sensitive sites

GB3095-1996 GB3095-2012 Name of Yearly average Ref. time of Standard Standard No. sensitive concentration, Standard N.C. Standard N.C. prediction limit, Results limit, Results sites mg/m³ index ratio index ratio mg/m³ mg/m³ 2018 0.0411 0.08 0.51 C. 0 0.04 1.03 N.C. 0.03 Guanzhong 1 2024 0.0580 0.08 0.73 C. 0 0.04 1.45 N.C. 0.45 Village 2032 0.0733 0.08 0.92 C. 0 0.04 1.83 N.C. 0.83 2018 0.0522 0.08 0.65 C. 0 0.04 1.31 N.C. 0.31 Wangjiazhai 2 2024 0.0855 0.08 1.07 N.C. 0.07 0.04 2.14 N.C. 1.14 Village 2032 0.116 0.08 1.45 N.C. 0.45 0.04 2.90 N.C. 1.90 2018 0.0531 0.08 0.66 C. 0 0.04 1.33 N.C. 0.33 Zuoshu 3 2024 0.0897 0.08 1.12 N.C. 0.12 0.04 2.24 N.C. 1.24 Village 2032 0.122 0.08 1.53 N.C. 0.53 0.04 3.05 N.C. 2.05 2018 0.0637 0.08 0.80 C. 0 0.04 1.59 N.C. 0.59 Taobei 4 2024 0.0961 0.08 1.20 N.C. 0.20 0.04 2.40 N.C. 1.40 Village 2032 0.152 0.08 1.90 N.C. 0.90 0.04 3.80 N.C. 2.80 2018 0.0617 0.08 0.77 C. 0 0.04 1.54 N.C. 0.54 Yanxiaocun 5 2024 0.0899 0.08 1.12 N.C. 0.12 0.04 2.25 N.C. 1.25 Village 2032 0.140 0.08 1.75 N.C. 0.75 0.04 3.50 N.C. 2.50 Note: N.C. = Non-Compliance, representing a indicator exceeds the relevant standard limit. C. = Compliance.

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From the Table 7.4-10, except for the yearly NO2 concentrations at the Wangjiazhai Village, at the Zuoshu Village, at the Taobei Village and at the

Yanxiaocun Villages in 2024 and in 2032 exceed the standard limits, the yearly NO2 concentrations for all other occasions are all below the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). However if the new Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-2012) is applicable, then all the concentrations will exceed the Class II standard limits. (4) Summary Based on above predictions, the ambient air quality impacts on the sensitive sites during operation phase are summarized as below:

Maximum Hourly NO2 Concentrations: the hourly NO2 concentrations for all the reference years including 2018, 2024 and 2032 at the 5 sensitive sites (including the Guanzhong Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu village, the Taobei Village, and the Yanxiaocun Village) all exceed the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012). Maximum Hourly CO Concentrations: The hourly CO concentrations for all the reference years (including 2018, 2024 and 2032) at the 5 sensitive sites (including the Guanzhong Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu village, the Taobei Village, and the Yanxiaocun Village) are all below the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012).

Maximum Daily NO2 Concentrations: The daily NO2 concentrations for all sensitive sites exceed the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012). Maximum Daily CO Concentration: The daily CO concentrations at the Guanzhong Village, at the Zuoshu Village, at the Taobei Village and at the Yanxiaocun Villages in 2032 exceed the standard limits; the daily CO concentrations for other occasions are all below the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012).

Yearly Average NO2 Concentrations: The yearly NO2 concentrations Wuzhong Village are all below the Class II standard limits in the Quality Standards of the

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Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). The yaerly NO2 concentrations at other villages exceed the standard limits in 2024 and in 2032, and are below the standard limits required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996) in 2018. However, is the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-2012), all concentrations exceed the Class II standard limits. 7.4.2.8 Air pollution impacts near the Interchange The models recommended by the Technical guidelines for EIA-Ambient Air (HJ2.2-2008) was adopted in the prediction of the air pollution impact near the Interchange. The results are listed in the Table 7.4-11.

Table 7.4-11 Prediction results of the pollutant concentrations Yanxiaocun Interchange

NO2 CO Emission Rate（g/s/m²） 1.0433×10-6 1.0868×10-5 Maximum ground concentration（mg/m³） 9.54×10-4 0.0994 Distance from the center of the 426 426 Interchange（m） Assuming the turnover rate is 6 buses per hour for Notes each parking spot From the Table 7.4-11, after the Interchange becomes operational, the -4 maximum ground concentration of NO2 is 9.54×10 mg/m³, below the standard limit of 0.24 mg/m³ (hourly average concentration) required by the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996); and the maximum ground concentration of CO is 0.0994 mg/m³, also below the standard limit of 20 mg/m³ (hourly average concentration) required by the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). In addition, there are no non-compliance occasions in the surrounding area according to the calculation results of the atmospheric environment protective distance. Therefore there is no need of establishing a protective distance from the Interchange. In summary, the normal operation of the Interchange will not cause significant impact on the ambient air environment. 7.4.2.9 Air pollution impacts near the bus corridor The traffic flow will not change significantly after the upgrading as the red line width will not change. The bus speed will increase significantly. However, as the traffic move smoothly, the pollutants from the exhaust gas will decrease. In addition,

HAES -187- QXUTP EIA Report the updated bus service will provide more convenience for the local travel and will attract more and more people to adopt the public transportation. The use of private cars will be reduced. So is the exhaust gas emission.

7.4.2.10 PM2.5

PM2.5 is referring to the particles with size smaller than 2.5 um. Because it is small and can be suspended in the air for longer time and can travel longer distance, and it always carry poisonous or hazardous matters, it can pose a significant impact on the air quality and the people’s health. The PM2.5 typically comes from the burning of fossil fuels or from volatile organic carbons (VOCs). In this Project, the PM2.5 is mostly from the vehicle exhaust gas emission. After the construction is completed and the traffic flow increases, the exhaust gas emission will also increase, leading to an increase in PM2.5 concentration and an adverse impact on the air quality compared with the baseline conditions if no mitigations measures will be taken.

7.5 Accident Risk Analysis

There are two kinds of accident risks in this project, including the traffic accident risk and the explosion risk of the gas station within the Yanxiaocun Interchange. 7.5.1 Accident risk on the bridges

The proposed roads in this Project are mainly urban trunk roads that do not allow hazardous chemical transportation. The transportation of such chemicals will take the route of the branch roads at the south end of the city. Therefore, there is little or no risk of water pollution from traffic accidents with vehicles carrying poisonous or hazardous substances. However, there is a potential risk of that the management is not well enforced, or that the vehicle drivers make a mistake. In either case, collisions or rollover of vehicles might occur and pollute the environment. A lot of studies show that most of pollution accidents along the roads are caused by traffic accidents. When the roads are near a water body, these accidents might leed to water pollutions. There are several scenarios of water pollutions caused by traffic accidents. (1) The leak of fuel or mechanic oil into the water body; (2) The accident of vehicles conducting illegal transportation of hazardous

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chemicals on the roads causing spills of these chemicals and pollution in the water body; (3) Traffic accident on the bridge leading to the vehicles falling into the river. The rivers involved in this project include mainly the Huangshui River. The bridge on the Huangshui River is 360 meters long. The possibility of a traffic accident can be calculated using the equation below:

n P  Q1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 i1 In which, P represents for the estimated possibility of a traffic accident on the road sections that pass through a water body of the reference year; Q1 represents for the possibility of major accidents (collision or rollover) in the region; Q2 represent for the annual traffic flow of the reference year, (million vehicles/year); Q3 represents for the percentage of cargo vehicles; Q4 represents the lengths of the road passing through a water body, (km). The results are listed in the Table7.5-1. Table 7.5-1 the risk analysis of transportation of hazardous substance on the road sections crossing a water body 1st year after 7th year after 15th year after Year operation operation operation Possibilities of traffic 0.0058 0.0238 0.0608 accidents (times/year) According to the results, the traffic accident possibilities are 0.0058, 0.0238 and 0.0608 times/year for the 1st, 7th and 15th year after operation, respectively. The possibilities of traffic accidents causing water pollutions are insignificant. However, though the possibility of a traffic accident is low, if such accident occurs, the consequence can be significant. 7.5.2 Accident risk of gas station

7.5.2.1 Scope and work grade The scope and work grade are determined based on the Technical Guidelines for Environmental Risk Assessment of Construction Projects. Among the chemicals stored within a gas station, diesel is a flammable substance. However it has a high

HAES -189- QXUTP EIA Report flash point and it is stored in the buried tanks with limited oxygen contact, therefore the chance of explosion is negligible even in the case of a flame. In this section, only the risks from gasoline and liqufied petroleum gas (LPG) are considered. Based on the Identification of major hazard installations (GB18218-2000) and the Annex A of the Technical Guidelines for Environmental Risk Assessment of Construction Projects (HJ/T169-2004), the thresholds of major hazard installations in gas stations are 20 tons for gasoline storage and 10 tons for LPG storage. In the gas station under this Project, the gasoline storage is 30 m³ and the LPG storage is 20 m³, both exceeding the thresholds. Therefore both of them are major hazard installations. In this Project the work grade is Class I and scope of evaluation are the area within 5 km distance around the gas station. Table 7.5-1 Identification of major hazard installations

Threshold Actual Amount No. Chemicals Production Storage Production Storage Major Hazard? area area area area 1 Gasoline 2 20 / 21 YES 2 LPG 1 10 / 11.6 YES

7.5.2.2 Risk Identification 7.5.2.2.1 Process The main business in the gas station is the sale of gasoline, diesel and LPG. The business process is shown as below: Fuel product (Gasoline, diesel or LPG) → oil tank vehicle → fuel product unloading → underground horizontal steel oil tank storage → fuel pump → vehicle 7.5.2.2.2 Risk Identification 1. Risks of major Materials The main physic-chemical characteristics of the fuel products are listed in the Tables 7.5-2 to 7.5-4. Table 7.5-2 Physic-chemical characteristics and hazards of Gasoline Gasoline （ flash less than Name Gasoline[Flash point<-18℃] English name -18℃） Alias / Molecular Formula Mixture Physic-che 1. Colorless or light yellow transparent liquid mical 2. Relative Density: 0.70～0.808t/m³ characterist 3. Flash Point:-58～10℃ ics 4. Explosion Limits:1.4%～7.6%

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1. Highly flammable. Can form explosive mixtures if mixed with air. The mixture can explode in the case of fire or heat. 2. Its vapor is heavier than the air and can spread to the distance areas. If it Hazard spread to a fire source, it can catch fire and lit backwards to the origin. 3. If it flows too fast, it can cause electrostatic accumulation. 4. If it is on a burning site, it can explode due to accumulated heat. 1. Acute toxicity: For large rats LD50: 67000mg/kg (No. 120 solvent gasoline); For small mouse inhalation LC50: 13000mg/m³ (2h) (No.120 solvent gasoline) 2. Narcotic poisonous 3. Inhalation of high concentrations of gasoline vapor can cause acute poisoning. Health The symptoms include toxic encephalopathy, psychiatric symptoms, and hazard disturbance of consciousness. Inhalation of extreme high concentrations of identificatio gasoline vapor can cause a sudden loss of consciousness, reflex stop breathing. n Gasoline liquid inhalation by mistake can cause aspiration pneumonia 4. Prolonged skin contact can cause burns, some can have acute dermatitis 5. Chronic poisoning can cause peripheral neuropathy, toxic encephalopathy, kidney damage. Can cause skin damage. 1 to cause harm to aquatic organisms in low concentrations Environme 2. Strong migration ability in the soil ntal 3. Bioaccumulation impacts 4. Biodegradable at low concentrations; at high concentrations, it can poison the microorganism, becomes difficult to be biodegraded.

Table 7.5-3 Physic-chemical characteristics and hazards of diesel Name Diesel English name Diesel oil Alias / Molecular Formula Mixture Slightly viscous. Light yellow to brown liquid. Physic-che Melting point: -35 to 20 oC; boiling point: 280 to 370 oC (approximately); the mical relative density of: 0.57 to 0.98 t/m³. characteristi Mixture consisting of alkanes, aromatics, olefins. cs Stability: Stable. Danger of polymerization: Will not occur. Substances to be avoided: strong oxidizing agents. Flammable with flash point: -35 # -50 # light diesel> 45 oC, -20 # light diesel> 60 oC, other> 65 oC and Spontaneous Combustion Temperature: 257 oC. In the cases of direct contact with fire flame, high heat or oxidants, there is a risk Hazard of explosion. In the case of high heat, the container pressure will increase with risks of cracking or explosion. Health Skin contact with diesel can cause contact dermatitis, oil acne; hazard Inhalation may cause aspiration pneumonia. identification Diesel exhaust can cause eye and nose irritation, dizziness and headache.

Table 7.5-4 Physic-chemical characteristics and hazards of LPG Liquefied petroleum gas Name English name Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Molecular Alias / Mixture Formula

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Solubility: Insoluble. In the water it will float. Appearance: Colorless gas or yellow-brown oily liquid. It has special odor and Physic-ch can produce flammable vapor. emical Relative density: 0.58t/m³, it is consisting essentially of propane, propylene, characteri butane, butane, etc. stics The saturated vapor pressure: 4053 kPa (16.8 oC); the flash point:-73.5 oC. The range of explosion limit is 2 to 10%. Extremely flammable. It can form explosive mixtures with air and can explode with direct contact of heat or flame. It can react strongly with fluorine, chlorine in direct contact. Its vapor is heavier than the air and can spread to the distance areas. If it spread Hazard to a fire source, it can catch fire and lit backwards to the origin Most LPGs contain different percentages of hydrogen sulfide, which is corrosive, and will reduce the compressive strength of the container, shorten the service life of vessel, and cause perforation or burst, which will further lead to a fire and an explosion Toxicity: slightly toxic. It can cause a narcotic effect. Acute poisoning symptoms include dizziness, headache, excitement or lethargy, nausea, vomiting, slow pulse; In severe Health situations it can cause suddenly fell, urinary incontinence, loss of consciousness hazard and even stop breathing. identificati Long-term exposure to low concentrations can cause headache, dizziness, poor on sleep, fatigue, mood swings, and autonomic dysfunction. Vaporization of LPG can absorb a lot of heat, causing a sharp decline of ambient air temperature, which can lead to frostbite injury. 2. Risks in the business operation (1) Storage tanks The storage tanks are the most vulnerable place to accidents. Explosions can be triggered in lightening or static flash occasions when there is a fuel leakage. (2) Fuel pumps The fuel pumps are where the gas tanks of the vehicles are filled. Fire or explosion might occur in these occasions: (i) the exhaust gas carries some sparkles; (ii) the gas tank overflows; (iii) leakage in the gas pumps; and (iv) malfunction of gas pumps. (3) Oil product loading/unloading Fire or Explosion can occur and cause damage to equipments or cause casualties in these occasions: (i) engines of the vehicles filling gas tanks still running; (ii) fail to eliminate the static electricity on the oil truck; (iii) the conductivity of the pipelines for gasoline unloading is poor; (iv) gasoline unloading or gasoline pumping too fast or operating error in thunderstorm occasions; (v) gasoline leakage at connections; and (vi) poor management of fire flames. 3. Risk Identification Based on above risk indemnifications in materials and in the business

HAES -192- QXUTP EIA Report process, it is found that the accident risks of the Project include: (1) the pollution of soil and surface water caused by oil product leakage; and (2) the casualties or property loss caused by fires or explosions induced by oil product leakage. 7.5.2.3 Risk Sources Analysis 1. The probability of maximum credible accident (MCA) Based on the risk identification, the MCAs include the leakage of the gasoline and the LPG which can further cause fires or explosions. Based on the relevant data in the Risks from hazardous pipelines in the United Kingdom published by the journal of HSE, and on the experiences from similar projects, the probabilities of the leakage accidents in common petrochemical storage tanks are estimated. The results are listed in the Table 7.5-5. Table 7.5-5 Probabilities of the leakage accidents in common petrochemical storage tanks Probability Area Flash Leakage/a Explosion/a Jet fire/a Pool fire/a Fireball/a flame/a Storage 2.00×10-5 1.75×10-5 7.02×10-6 - 1.97×10-5 - tanks From the table, the accidents probability is between 10-5 and 10-6. 2. The MCA leakage amount For the identified hazardous chemical, the leakage amount was calculated based on the methods recommended in the Technical Guidelines. The results are listed in the Table 7.5-6. Table 7.5-6 MCA leakage amount Liquid Level Leakage rate 30min leakage Substance Pressure (kpa) Crack Area(m²) (h) (kg/s) amount (kg) Gasoline 10.6 0.0004 0.1 0.32 576 LPG 466 0.0004 0.1 5.7 10260

7.5.2.4 Impacts 7.5.2.4.1 Fire Under this Project, the potential fire accidents are caused by the leakage of gasoline or LGP in contact with flame or high tempereature. The damage to personels are calculated based on 30 seconds of leackage. The calculation was based on the poor fire model for gasoline leakage, and the jet fire model for LPG leakage. The results are listed in the Table 7.5-7.

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Table 7.5-7 Relationship between fire thermal radiation intensity and damage

Heat threshold Damage radius (m) damage (kJ/m²) Gasoline LPG 375 Degree 3 burns (casualty) 9 38 250 Degree 2 burns (severe injury) 11 47 125 Degree 3 burns (minor injury) 16 67 65 Skin pain 22 92 From the above calculation, the consequence of oil leakage fire is very severe. If the fire is caused by gasoline, the damage radius for 9 m for Degree III burning, 11 m for Degree II burning, 16 m for Degree I burning, and 22 m for skin pain. If the fire is caused by LPG, then the damage radius for 38 m for Degree III burning, 47 m for Degree II burning, 67 m for Degree I burning, and 92 m for skin pain. 7.5.2.4.2 Explosion Shockwave The Shock wave from explosions can cause damage to personnel on the site. The model that can be used for calculating the damage is discussed in this section.. For a standard TNT explosion, the below equations can be used for calculating the shockwaves:

2.09  R  ΔP= 0.71106   3  mTNT  In which, R represents for the distance from the explosion source, m; and ΔP represents the pressure difference, Pa.

Qd mTNT  QTNT

In which QTNT represents for the heat value of the TNT source with the typical value of 4500kJ/kg; and Qd represents for the total energy from the explosion, kJ.

In which ΔHd represents for the heat produced in the explosion. md=10%m In which md represents the mass of the gas exploded and m represents for the mass of total gas leaked. The area impacted by the explosion can be calculated using above equations with the assumption that the explosion happens after 30 minutes of leakage. The results are listed in the Table 7.5-8. Table 7.5-8 The damage radius of explosion shockwave

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Damage radius (m) Threshold (kJ/m²) Damage Gasoline LPG 1 Casualty 70% to 100% 7 18 0.75 Severe visceral injury or death（10%） 8 21 0.4 Hearing injury or bone fracture 11 29 0.25 Minor injury 14 36 From the above estimate, if the explosion is caused by gasoline, the damage radius for 7 m for 70% to 100% casualty, 8 m for 10% severe visceral injury of death, 11 m for hearing injury or bone fracture, and 14 m for minor injury. If the explosion is caused by LPG, then the damage radius for 18 m for 70% to 100% casualty, 21 m for 10% severe visceral injury of death, 29 m for hearing injury or bone fracture, and 36 m for minor injury. 7.5.2.4.3 Impacts on sensitive sites The results above suggest that the impact area of heat radiation is larger than the impact area of shockwave. Therefore in this section only the impact from heat radiation is discussed. According to the engineering design, there are no residential areas within 92 m distance from the gas station. The minimum distance from the gas station to the dormitory of the maintenance workshop is 35 m. The minimum distance from the gas station to the transfer center is 70 m. The personnel vulnerable to the fire accidents are mainly the gas station staff, the dispatch center staff, the workers in the maintenance workshop, and the passengers. However, because the gas station is well designed in compliance with all the requirements of the design code and well equipped with fire fighting facilities, the damage of fire accidents can be contained within a controllable level. In addition, the probability of fire accidents is approximately 1.97×10-5 /a, which is very low. Therefore, there will not be significant adverse impact on the people in the area if the accident risk mitigation measures are taken and the emergency plan is prepared. 7.5.2.4.4 Impacts on groundwater The potential leakage from the storage tanks or the pipelines can cause severe pollution to the groundwater. And if the groundwater is contaminated with the oil product, it will contain strong odor and become teratogenic, carcinogenic and not portable. In addition, as the oil product will infiltrate through the soil, some of the oil will be intercepted in the soil, causing damage to local plants. It can also become a secondary pollution source by releasing the intercepted oil into the groundwater

HAES -195- QXUTP EIA Report when the surface water infiltrates through the soil. In this case, even if the primary pollution source is eliminated, the complete recovery of the groundwater will still take decades or even more than one hundred of years. The gas station under this project will provide anti-seepage treatment of the foundation in the storage tank area. The tank and the pipeline will also have anti-corrosion and anti-seepage treatment. With these measures taken, even if a spill or leakage occurs, the spilled or leaked oil product will be kept within the storage area and will not cause significant impact on the groundwater.

7.6 Solid Waste

7.6.1 Construction Phase

(1) Construction Phase Waste The solid waste mainly comes from the earth works, the building demolishing, and the domestic solid wastes. According to the engineering design material, the excavation will be 598,600 m³, the filling will be 185,500 m³ and the waste will be 413,100 m³. Among the waste the permanent spoil will be 344,900 m³ which will be sent to the construction waste landfill for disposal, and the temporary waste is 68,200 m³ which is mainly the top soil and will be temporarily stored up for future landscaping use. According to the Resettlement Action Plan, there will be buildings of 150,261 m² floor area demolished which will produce construction waste of approximately 168,800 tons. This waste will be transferred to a proposed Xining Chengbei District Wuzhongdagou Landfill for treatment. The construction phase solid waste will be linearly distributed along the roads. If not well stored or handled, it could damage the vegetation along the roads, clog the irrigation ditches, or fall into the Huangshui River, Yungguchuan River or the ponds and consequently pollute the water bodies. If the solid waste is stored for too long, it could also cause flying dust on windy days, and cause impact to local residents. Therefore, construction management should be strengthened to clean up the solid waste promptly to reduce or prevent the above mentioned impacts. It is estimated that there will be 100 workers on site at peak period and producing 0.1 tons of domestic waste per day. The domestic waste such as the food residue, the plastic packaging, the waste cells, can cause adverse impact on

HAES -196- QXUTP EIA Report the city appearance and cause environmental pollution if not well handled. In addition, if the domestic waste is not well managed, it can attract rodents and mosquitoes which can also pose a threat to the workers’ health. The domestic waste will also produce highly concentrated leachate, which can cause further pollution to the soil and the water. When the domestic waste contains waste cells, it can cause contamination of heavy metals, making the pollution even worse. The domestic waste from construction workers will be collected in special containers and be handled by the Xining City Sanitation Department. The construction waste needs to be removed from the site within the same day and sent to the Wuzhong Dagou Landfill. With above measures are taken, the impact of solid waste on the local environment will become insignificant. (2) Feasibility of construction waste disposal Currently the Xining City is short of landfills for construction waste disposal. The construction wastes are randomly dumped. Other than the existing Shenjiagou Landfill and the Wuzhong Dagou Landfill, the City is planning to build another four landfills including the Yinjiagou Landfill in the Anjiakou Village in the Chengdong District, the Guanxiangou Landfill in the Nanyoushan Village in the Chengzhong District, the Shuicaogou Landfill in the Zhangjiawan Village in the Chengxi District, and the Wuzhong Dagou Landfill in the Chengbei District. These four new landfills will solve the construction waste disposal issues. Based on the Xining City Construction Waste Management Method issued on October 1, 2012, a FSR was prepared for the Wuzhong Dagou Landfill in November 2012. According to the implementation schedule in the FSR, the FSR will be approved in February 2013; the Preliminary Design and the Construction Drawings Design will be completed in March 2013; the procurement will be completed in April 2013; the construction will be completed before October 2013; and the acceptance test will be completed before November 2013. If the schedule is implemented accordingly, the landfill will be completed before this Project. Therefore it is feasible to send the construction waste to the Wuzhong Dagou Landfill for disposal. According to the FSR, the landfill has a volume capacity of 700×104 m³, sufficient for the total garbage production of 656.8×104 tons (or approximately 528.3×104 m³) till 2028 in the Chengbei District and surrounding areas. The service

HAES -197- QXUTP EIA Report life is over 15 years with treatment capacity of 1254 tons/day in the short term (by 2020) and 1459 tons/day in the long term (by 2028). According to the engineering material and the RAP, the construction waste and the spoil to be disposed is 513,700 m³, or 7.34% of the design volume capacity of the Wuzhong Dagou Landfill. Therefore the construction waste produced in this Project will not cause significant impact on the operation of the Wuzhong Dagou Landfill. 7.6.2 Operation Phase

(1) Urban Roads During the operation phase the solid wastes are mainly from the domestic waste produced by the pedestrian along the roads. In not properly handled, the solid waste can have an adverse impact on the landscape and the public hygiene, and can also pollute the air and pose a threat to public health. During the operation phase, the solid waste will be handled by the municipal solid waste management system. It will be sorted and collected using the garbage bins placed on both sides of the roads. The solid wastes that cannot be recycled will be sent to the sanitary landfills for disposal. (2) Yanxiaocun Interchange 1) Domestic Solid Waste The domestic solid wastes are from the staff members and the transferring passengers in the Yanxiaocun Interchange. According to the estimates in the engineering design, the volume of domestic solid waste volume during operational stage is 182.52t/a. During the operation phase, the domestic solid waste will be collected at designated location within the Interchange. At the same time, the district sanitation department will regularly clean up the solid waste and send it to the Liujiagou sanitary landfill for treatment. With these measures taken, the solid waste during operational stage will not have a significant impact on local environment. The Xining Liujiagou Sanitary Landfill is located at the Liujiagou of Shitoulei Village, which is located to the northwest of the poll station of the Ningda Highway. The phase I construction of the landfill was commenced in 1999 and the landfill started operation in the January of 2020. The designed total capacity of the Phase I landfill is 1.7 million m³ with a service life of 10.8 years and annual capacity of 0.169

HAES -198- QXUTP EIA Report million m³. The phase II of the landfill is located at the same place. The Phase II construction was commenced in the March of 2009 and completed in the July of 2011. It has a land area of 38668 m² with total capacity of 2.45 million m³. The design daily treatment capacity is 560.08 tons. The design service life is 10 years. The solid waste it accepts include the wastes from the residential, commercial, market, streets, and public areas, and the domestic wastes from organizations, schools, enterprises and mines. The domestic solid waste from the Yanxiaocun Interchange can meet the acceptance criteria of the Liujiagou Sanitary Landfill. The volume of the domestic waste is approximately 0.089% of the treatment capacity of the Phase II landfill. Therefore, the domestic waste from the Yanxiaocun Interchange will not cause significant pressure on the operation of the Liujiagou Sanitary Landfill. 2) Waste Oil. From the preliminary estimates in the engineering design, the waste oil from the Yanxiaocun Interchange maintenance workshop is hazardous waste and the waste oil will be handled by a qualified contractor in Qinghai province, Ningli Water Proof Material Company Limited, after being collected by the construction unit. Therefore the waste oil will not cause significant impact on the environment.

7.7 Social Impact

7.7.1 Positive social impacts

According to the Xining City Master Plan, the Xining Urban Network shows a grid network pattern along the Huangshui River. The Framework of the road network shows a “4 horizontal, 11 vertical and 1 circle” pattern. Because the road network is divided by the water system and the railway system, the framework of the road network is beginning to take shape but hasn’t been completed yet. The road network is not functioning effectively and the congestion situation is severe which has impeded the development of the social economy. The yearly survey in Xining City indicates that the annual traffic is growing at a rate of 7.1% while the road length is growing at a rate less than 2%. Currently the total length of roads in Xining city is 433 km. The road density is 4.2 km/km². The percentage of land for road use is 7.16% and the road area per capita is 6.15 m². The major issues in the existing road network include (1) the road

HAES -199- QXUTP EIA Report network has no bypass routes and the bypass traffic has to go through the urban area; (2) some part of the road network is not optimized and the traffic problems are concentrated at some intersections; and (3) the road cross section design is not optimized at some sections, leading to low efficiency of the land use. This project is an urban infrastructure development project aimed at improving the public welfare. It is in line with the Xining City Urban Road Plan and with the Xining City Master Plan. The project can help improve the connectivity between different urban districts. By developing the road network framework, the project can facilitate the development of fast transit corridor and facilitate the development of the bypass routes that can alleviate the pressure of urban transportation demand. The development of the Interchange can help optimize the urban transportation for cargo and for passenger, improve the road network efficiency, and alleviate the pressure of urban transportation demand. In addition, the development of intelligent traffic management system can ensure the road network is operating in a smooth way. In summary, this Project can help improve the urban road network and facilitate the development of the transportation hub; it can improve the urban development and ensure the sustainable development; and it can facilitate the economic development, improve the investment environment and improve the living condition. 7.7.2 Negative social impacts

The Project will also cause certain negative social impacts (1) The Project will involve some demolishing and resettlement of enterprises or residential houses and brings in adverse impact on the local enterprises and residents. (2) The Project will acquire 43.52 ha of land for the Urban Roads Component and 14.19 ha of land for the Yanxiaocun Interchange Component. The total land acquisition is 57.71 ha with 43.14 ha are currently farm lands. According to relevant laws and regulations including the Land Management Law of the People’s Republic of China, the notice on improvement of compensation of land acquisition, and the Method of the implementation of the national land management law in Qinghai Province, the compensation standards are 92,700 RMB/mu for farm lands, 126,000 RMB/mu for nursery gardens, and 132,700 RMB/mu for green houses.

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(3) The Project will have certain impact on the traffic safety, especially for residents of the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu Village, and the Wuzhong Village. After the Project is complete, the traffic flow will increase, brings in more traffic safety risk to the area. There are two folds of traffic safety risks. The first fold of risk is the risk in the street crossing. Because there are too many people and vehicles, the possibility of traffic accidents during the street crossing will increase. For some sections, facilities such as the traffic lights, the zebra crossing, or the overpass should be established. The second fold of risk is in the traffic along the roads that might happen between vehicles or between vehicles and pedestrians. The road design should consider different factors including the speed of different vehicle types, and the requirement of different vehicles (i.e., the motorized vs non-motorized vehicles). If the road design is not compatible with the actual traffic flow, the traffic safety risk will increase. It is recommended that on the roads, the different lanes are designed to have different functions. For example, the fast traffic lane vs the slow traffic lane; the motorized vehicle lane vs the non-motorized vehicle lane; the bus exclusive lane vs regular lanes; and vehicle lane vs sidewalk. These measures can help reduce the traffic risks. (4)The Wusi Road Bus Corridor upgrade will also have impacts on local traffic, residents and shops. The urban road involved in the proposed Wusi Road Bus Corridor is part of the Xining city Road Network. There are many sensitive sites along the Bus Corridor on the Wusi Road, including enterprise and institutes, residential areas, hotels and shops. The construction for the bus stations upgrade will occupy some of the roads and reduce the traffic passage capacity. The construction activities such as transportation of construction materials will pose more pressure on local traffic. Traffic accidents are likely to occur if the traffic management is not strengthened. In addition, the construction will cause adverse impacts on the operation of local enterprises and institutes, the travel of local residents and the business operation of local shops. To be more specific, the upgrade of the bus stations near the five sensitive sites including the Xining Modern Maternity Hospital, the Qinghai Broadcast and Television University, the Qinghai Normal University, the Huangchuan High school and the Huangchuan High school No.2 Campus, will cause temporary adverse impacts on the travel and safety of the patients and the students. Further, the flying dust and noise produced in the

HAES -201- QXUTP EIA Report construction activities will impact on the life quality of local residents and on the normal operation of local institutes. However, the construction period for bus stations upgrade is very short and the impacts are reversible. After the construction is completed, the impacts will expire too. (5) The Xicheng Avenue will undercross the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway as a jacked in frame bridge at K0+942.559. The elevation of the railway is 2324.662 m. the elevation of the undercross is 2317.12 m with net distance of 5 m. During the construction of the frame bridge, improper construction method might lead to interruption of the railway operation. The falling gravel from the railway might also cause a safety hazard. During operation phase, the falling gravel is also a safety concern to the vehicles using the undercross. 7.7.3 Resettlement

(1) Land acquisition and Resettlement The Project will permanently acquire 57.71 hm² of land. According to the RAP, the overall demolishing area is 150,261 m², in which, 47,806 m² was identified in the first round of survey and 102,455 m² was identified in the second round of survey. There will be 121 affected household or 527 affected people with demolishment of private houses of 144,468 m², in which 42,013 m² was identified in the first round of survey and 102,455 m² was identified in the second round of survey. There will be 7 affected institutes with demolishment of buildings of 5,792.73 m². The planed demolishment are all for the project construction need, instead of environmental protection. Compensation should be paid to the resettled residents or units according to the relevant regulations and methods at the national level and the municipal level. The compensation standards should be determined based on the type of the buildings to be demolished and the districts the affected people or units are located at. For the affected units, the compensation is mainly to compensate the cost of operational break, the house replacement, and the internal decoration. For the affected residents, the compensation is mainly to compensate the cost of house purchasing. After many rounds of negotiation and consultation with the affected people by the PMO and the safeguard consultant, the resettlement option selected is to build the multi-story housing apartments for concentrated resettlement in the same

HAES -202- QXUTP EIA Report village following the “one household one piece of housing land” principle. The land acquisition will follow relevant regulations at the national level and municipal level. The house demolishing will follow the Xining City Land Acquisition Compensation and Resettlement Method. The land acquisition and resettlement is a complex assignment with political significance. It is requested by this EIA that: (I) reasonable compensation should be paid to affected people in a timely manner; (II) the resettlement process should be transparent; (III) Sufficient consultation should be conducted so that the affected people can have access to information regarding the compensation standard, the time of demolishing; and (IV) Agreement with the affected units or affected people should be made prior to the construction commences. If such agreement is still pending, the construction activities should be suspended. In summary, with appropriate measures taken and reasonable compensation paid, the land acquisition and resettlement will not cause significant impact on the local residents. (2) Principles of resettlement 1) Minimize the resettlement need Because the project shows a “belt” shape pattern along the road route, the road alignment can be appropriately adjusted to reduce the project affected area and to reduce the amount of resettlement. 2) Equivalent Compensation In order to ensure the affected people’s living condition will not be degraded, equivalent compensation should be employed in this Project. It has two folds of meaning including (1) the property loss is compensated at the replacement cost and (2) other losses are compensated equivalent or on the basis of the actual amount of the loss. The affected household will get housing arrangement that is in similar conditions to the original house in terms of the transportation conditions, associated facilities and local environment. They can otherwise get compensation that is equal to the value of their original house. The size and function of the original organization and buildings will be maintained for the enterprises and institutes. The operational environment will be

HAES -203- QXUTP EIA Report restored or a compensation equivalent to the original building values will be provided. At the same time, the loss from the disturbance to the normal operation will also be compensated. The public facilities will be fully recovered to at least the original service level to ensure that the normal lives of the residents staying at the project area are not affected. Equivalent compensation should also be provided to the residents that are temporarily affected by the project and/or suffered some property loss but will stay in the project area. 3) Focus on key concerns The impact of the resettlement on the original social groups or social networks will be one of the key concerns. Grouped resettlement will be considered to maintain the integrity of the original community. Another key concern is the temporary difficulty the resettlement residents will encounter in and after the relocation process. The construction unit will urge the receiving communities or developers to form local residents committee to help the resettled residents become part of the local society. For the resettled enterprises or institutes that suffer an operational loss caused by the changes in the operational environment, compensations will be provided. Vulnerable groups are also a key concern (including the poor, disabled, woman-dominant, or single parent’s families). Preference will be given to the vulnerable groups during the resettlement process, in terms of the housing and the employment opportunities. Regular visits will be conducted after the resettlement to identify and provide assistance to families with special difficulties, until the local social affair department takes over. The project will adopt a development-oriented resettlement approach. The local government will arrange skills trainings and produce employment opportunities for the resettled residents so that they can adapt to the new environment and become economically independent in a short period of time. The project will try to maximize the cost effectiveness by improving the capacity of the resettlement agencies, normalizing the resettlement activities, establishing an internal review and control mechanism so that the waste or retaining of resettlement funds can be avoided, the fraud and corruption activities can be prevented, and that

HAES -204- QXUTP EIA Report the resettlement funds can be utilized in a most efficient way. In other words, the resettlement cost can be reduced to achieve the pre-assigned resettlement objectives. (3) Environmental impacts of resettlement activities The demolishing activities will cause impact to the daily lives of the local residents, including the traffic congestions or inconvenience, the demolished waste, the flying dust and noise produced in the demolishing activities. To be more specific, if the demolish waste are not well handled, the storage and transportation of such waste will jam the road traffic or pollute the environment. For example, if the vehicles will take the urban roads, it will cause an increase of the local traffic flow and cause the traffic congestion, it will also bring pollution to the urban environment if the waste spills. If the wastes are piled up randomly, it will cause soil erosion during rainy days. The waste can also be carried by the runoff and clog the drainage system or pollute the water bodies. During windy days, the particles can become flying dust and degrade the ambient air quality and local environment quality. The noise produced during the operation of the demolishing equipments, i.e. the excavators, will also cause noise impact on the local residents and institutes. The noise impact will be more significant if the equipments are operated during the night time.

7.8 Accumulated impacts analysis

The Xicheng Avenue and the No. 5 Road is connected with the existing Chaidamu Road in the north. The Xicheng Avenue is also connected in the south to the South Bypass Highway poll station under construction. The Wusixi Road is connected to the planned Wusixi Road (Huangshui River Section) in the east. The construction of the South Bypass Highway commenced on May 30, 2011 and is planned to complete in 2015. For the Chaidamu Road expansion and the planned Wusixi Road (Huangshui River Section), the FSR has been prepared. The constructions of these two roads will be synchronized with the construction of this Project. The proposed roads under this Project will be constructed at the same time with the other three roads including the South Bypass Highway, the Chaidamu Road extension section, and the Wusixi Road (Huangshui River Section). As the several closely related roads are to be constructed at the same time, the traveling

HAES -205- QXUTP EIA Report of construction vehicles and the transportation of construction materials will enhance the pollution impacts such as the flying dust, the exhaust gas and the noise. It will also enhance the adverse impacts on traffic safety of local residents. In addition, as there will be more traffic on the roads due to the construction activities, the probability of traffic accidents will increase.

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8 Mitigation Measures

8.1 Design Phase

(1) Coordination with relevant planning During the course of road alignment selection and alternatives selection, the Xining City Master Plan should be followed. The project design should take consideration of the existing conditions and aim at improving the quality and efficiency of urban transport infrastructure, at meeting the demand of industrial structure adjusting and future planning, and at realizing the “connecting and sharing” of urban transportation while properly handling the resettlement and ecological environment issues. The project should be able to serve the transportation need of regional economy and at the same time protect the ecological environment. (2) Mitigation measures for land acquisition One important principle to be followed in road alignment selection is to minimize the acquisition of farm land, green land and water areas. The Design Institute should follow the Notice on the Enforcement of the Strictest Farm Land Protection Policy in Highway Development, Ministry of Transportation No. 164 (2004) in the design of road alignment, bridge and landscaping. The land alignment design should take advantage of the relevant plans to use the land reserved for construction use. In the road base design, the elevation, slope and earth work balance should be comprehensively considered to maximize the utilization of earth excavated. The design of temporary facilities such as the construction camp, the access road, and the mixing station should also be well arranged to minimize the temporary land acquisition, especially to avoid the acquisition of green land and water bodies. (3) Mitigation measures for affected people in land acquisition During the land acquisition, the national and provincial regulations on the compensation for land acquisition should be strictly followed to ensure that the interests of the affected people are protected.

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(4) Water Quality Protection In order to minimize the impact on the water bodies and to reduce the water pollution, special attention should be paid during the selection of river crossing method and the bridge structures to minimize the construction works in the water. The selected construction camp site should also be kept away from the water body. These measures can help reduce the water pollution caused in the construction of bridge foundation, or by the domestic wastewater from the camp. The project will use a bridge to cross the Huangshui River, and use a box culvert to cross the Yunguchuan River. According to the Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan, the Huangshui River is a Class III water body near the crossing location, and the Yunguchuan is a Class II water body near the crossing location. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. Therefore, the wastewaters are not allowed to be discharged into the water bodies.

8.2 Construction Phase

The construction activities will cause different impacts on the environment along the roads, especially near the sensitive sites. The contractors are responsible for protecting the environment and mitigating the adverse impacts. The mitigation measures during construction phase will be incorporated into the bidding documents and contracts to ensure that effective environmental protection measures are implemented to protect the environment, and to protect the safety of workers and the local residents. 8.2.1 Social Environment

(1) Complete the preparations prior to the commencement of construction works, including carefully investigating the project related information such as the road, power supply, telecommunications, coordinating with relevant entities to confirm the demolishing and relocating plans and preparing relevant emergency plan to ensure the regular social activities are not disturbed. (2) Strengthen the propaganda on land acquisition and resettlement to allow the residents along the roads understand the significance of the project and to win their support to this project. Establish Information Board on the construction site with information on the project content, construction period, to seek the affected people’s support.

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At the entrance of the construction site, an Information Board should be established with the contact information of contractors, supervision agencies and local environmental protection agencies so that the local residents can complain to relevant entities if their life are affected by the noise, air pollution, traffic congestion or other adverse impact. (3) The construction unit will be responsible for the land acquisition and resettlement and for providing compensation to affected people according to relevant national and local policies. The objectives of the resettlement and livelihood restoration are to mitigate the impact on local people’s life and to recovery or even to improve their livelihood in a short period of time through monetary compensation. On the one hand the construction unit and resettlement agencies should conduct public awareness propaganda on the relevant policies and regulations regarding to land acquisition and resettlement. On the other hand, the construction unit and the resettlement agencies should identify a reasonable compensation standard to make sure that the affected people’s interest is protected from being adversely impacted in this Project. The main recommendations are: 1) The compensation on land acquisition and resettlement should comply with the requirements in the laws and regulations including the Law of Land Management, the relevant provincial regulations, the Land Acquisition Management Methods, and the Regulations of House Demolishment and Resettlement Management. The construction unit should complete the approval procedures with the relevant land management authorities, and prepare the resettlement action plan (RAP) together with the land planning management agencies and other involved governmental agencies. The prepared RAP should be strictly followed during project implementation. 2) when the construction unit is assisting the affected people to rebuild or to purchase a new house, the new house should be at least be as good as the demolished house in terms of floor areas and building structures. The placement of the affected work force should be arranged. Service business might be considered to help the work force to increase their income. The overall objectives of the resettlement and livelihood restoration are to recovery or even to improve the livelihood of affected people in a short period, and the income level should be

HAES -209- QXUTP EIA Report restored to at least the same level before the land acquisition.  Resettlement Agency A Resettlement Agency will be formed by the construction unit and the local authority. The roles and responsibilities of the agency are: (1) preparing the implementation plan and work schedule; (2) paying the compensation to affected community or affected people according to the compensation standard; (3) accepting and handling the local complaints.  Scope of resettlement The resettlement should be conducted in both living standard recovery and livelihood restoration. The living standard recovery includes the recovery of housing (purchasing or rebuilding), water supply and power supply, etc. The livelihood restoration includes agricultural and non-agricultural placement of affected farmers, the restoration of agriculture related facilities such as the irrigation trench, the roads, etc.  Principles and methods The affected people should be involved in the entire resettlement process. The finalization of compensation standards, the relocation sites, the resettlement schedule, the funding utilization, the placement of work forces should be made through thorough negotiation by means of group discussion or consultation meetings with the representatives. During the course of work force placement, the worker’s own opinions will be full respected. Assistance should be provided to the vulnerable groups. (4) In order to minimize the impact of the Wusi Road Bus Corridor on the urban transport, the regular life of local residents, and the operation of local shops, a traffic diversion plan should be prepared to avoid traffic congestion during the construction. The routes of the construction vehicles need to be well arranged too. Prior to the construction, notices should be issued via local media such as the broadcast, the television or the newspaper. At entrance of the construction sites, sign boards need to be established to inform the traffic of the detour routes. For sensitive sites such as the Xining Modern Maternity Hospital, the Qinghai Radio and Television University, the Qinghai Normal University, the Huangchuan High School and the Huangchuan High School No. 2 Campus, construction management need to be strengthened and the construction schedule should be

HAES -210- QXUTP EIA Report reasonably prepared. Designated staff should be positioned at the sensitive sites to guide the traffic and to ensure the pedestrian safety. (5) The safety mitigation measures for the Xichang Avenue undercross at the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway. During the preparation of the FSR, the Client and the LDI have consulted and discussed with the railway management agencies regarding the designed plan of the undercross. The railway management agencies agreed in general on the design. It is suggested that during the preliminary design phase, the LDI should further consult and discuss with the railway management agencies and seek their comments and suggestions in written. Relevant procedures should also be followed. Approval on the slow traffic management plan should be acquired prior to the construction of the undercross. During the construction phase, construction management and supervision should be strengthened to improve the construction quality. The construction should be scheduled properly to arrange the jack-in process during the intervals of the train operation. It is forbidden to conduct the jack-in process while there are trains on the rail. During the construction, the railway road base strengthening and protection should be improved to ensure the safe operation of the railway. In order to prevent the hazard of falling gravels during construction phase and operation phase, it is suggested that the railway management agencies should install safety net on both side of the undercross. 8.2.2 Ambient Air Pollution

The below measures are recommended to mitigate the pollution to the ambient air. (1) Contain the construction site using boundary fence (hoarding). The boundary fence can be established by using corrugated board or polypropylene cloth to build a 2.5-3.0 meter fence to prevent flying dust from escaping. (2) Keep watering as necessary during excavation, drilling and demolishing to maintain water content on the working surface and to prevent the flying dust. Frequently water the exposed dry soil surface on the construction site. And water the drying soil as necessary when conducting filling. (3) Strengthen the backfill storing site management by requiring surface compacting, regular watering and covering. The soil that are no longer needed and

HAES -211- QXUTP EIA Report the construction waste should be transported off site in a timely manner. (4) Keep the construction material storage sites away from sensitive sites along the roads. The storage sites should be selected at least 200 meters away from the main residential area in the downwind direction, to avoid the impact of flying dust of the construction material and the hazardous gas on the local residential area. The construction materials that can cause flying dust should be placed together and covered. (5) The vehicles transporting earth or construction materials should not overload, and should either be covered by canopy or by other measures to avoid the spilling. The roads are cleaned and watered regularly to avoid resuspending of the dust. Each road construction contract should have a water vehicle. (6) The on-site canteen should use liquefied petroleum gas or electricity as heating source instead of burning construction waste. When the construction activities are completed, the land and road should be recovered as soon as possible. (7) No asphalt mixing station will be established under this Project. Instead, commercial asphalt product should be purchased from the market to reduce the air pollution. 8.2.3 Water Environment

The contractors should arrange the construction activities properly and ensure the construction activities will be kept within the red lines. At the same time, the contractor should make arrangement of wastewater discharge to avoid environmental pollution. The detailed measures are as below: (1) Domestic Wastewater At the peak days, there will be approximately 100 workers on site, producing 9t/d of domestic wastewater. The major pollutants are COD, fats, SS, etc. There will be three construction camp established in the project. Septic tanks will be installed on these sites so that the wastewater can be treated prior to being discharged for farm land use. (2) Construction wastewater The construction wastewaters are mainly from the wastewater from cement mixing, machines or vehicles cleansing and maintenance. These wastewaters can cause water pollution if they are directly discharged. Therefore they are forbidden to

HAES -212- QXUTP EIA Report be discharged to the water bodies along the roads directly. The construction wastewaters will be recycled after oil separation and sedimentation processes. They are especially forbidden to be discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River. (3) Management measures The construction schedule should be prepared properly. The bridge foundation and the box culvert constructions should be arranged during dry seasons. The sediments or dispose excavated should be removed promptly to reduce the impact on the water bodies and are not allowed to be discarded into the river or randomly stored. The contractor should conduct water environment protection education to allow the workers understand the importance of protecting water environment. At the sections near the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River, the contractor should strengthen the construction management and supervision, enforce regular mechanical inspection to avoid oil spill that might pollute the water bodies. The construction materials such as asphalt, oil and chemicals should not be stored near the water body and these storage places should be equipped with canvas as temporary cover. Other measures should be taken to avoid the clogging of trenches by earth or construction materials. It is recommended to treat the mud in bridge construction by these procedure: (1) prepare the mud tank before drilling; (2) during the drilling, use the mud to carry the sand and rocks into the mud tank for sedimentation; (3) reuse the settled mud; (4) clean the mud tank regularly; and (5) the waste mud should be transported to designated location instead of being disposed randomly, to avoid soil erosions and increase of suspended solids in water bodies. The wastes, no matter they are domestic waste, construction waste or maintenance waste, should be sorted and recycled (usable material such as paper, wood, metal and glass materials). These waste that could not be recycled should be sent to sanitation utilities for treatment. 8.2.4 Sound Environment

According to the noise level prediction, there will be some places with noise levels exceeding the noise limit during the construction phase. The construction unit and the contractors should strictly follow the requirements in the Regulation of

HAES -213- QXUTP EIA Report the People’s Republic of China for noise prevention to minimize the noise impacts. Furthermore, it is recommended that the construction unit should take below measures to further mitigate the noise impacts. (1) Try to use low noise machines if possible. Before the machines are mobilized, regular noise test should be conducted to avoid the machines with poor performance from entering the site. During construction activities, the machines should be well maintained to avoid the increase of noise level due to wearing. (2) Make reasonable arrangement for construction schedule and locations. For the construction near sensitive sites, do not allow the operation of high-noise machines at night times. The construction noise is a short period impact compared with the operation phase noises. The major impact is that the night time activities might disturb the residents’ sleep. Therefore, it is necessary to prohibit the high-noise machineries from being used at night time (defined as from 22:00 PM to 6:00 AM). When the construction site is near a sensitive site, the construction time should be adjusted based on actual conditions. The contractor should mitigate the construction noise by enforcing civilized construction rules and strengthening effective management. The construction activities should be arranged at day times as much as possible. Temporary noise reduction measures should be taken near concentrated residential area, such as the wooden sound block. When continuous construction activities are needed, the contractor should contact the environmental management authorities in a timely manner and apply for the license for night time construction. At the same time, the contractor should issue public notice to inform the local resident and to seek their understanding and support. (3) According to the requirements of Emission standard for industrial enterprises noise at boundary, the boundary of the construction site should be reasonably identified, the entrances for construction and transportation vehicles should be arranged away from sensitive sites such as the residential area and schools. (4) The construction management and environmental supervision should be strengthened near the sensitive sites. The transportation of construction materials should be reasonably arranged. When the vehicles are passing by the villages or schools, they should reduce the speed and avoid honking. The construction

HAES -214- QXUTP EIA Report management near schools and villages should be strengthened by preparing feasible construction plans. The supervision unit should be equipped with sufficient amount of noise detecting devices to monitor the noise level at the residential areas that are near the construction sites and to ensure that they are not impacted by the excessive noise level. (5) The construction unit should request the contractors to post notices together with information of telephone numbers for complaints handling at the construction site. Once a complaint is received, the construction unit should promptly contact the local environmental protection department, to handle the environmental complaints or disputes. According to the provisions of the Regulations on Environmental Noise Pollution Prevention and Control, if the noise level cannot be reduced to a level below the standard limit after the noise reduction measures are taken, the contractor should apologize to and provide compensation to affected organization or individuals. 8.2.5 Solid Waste

The solid wastes mainly include the spoil, the construction waste and domestic waste from the workers. The below measures should be taken: (1) The solid wastes are not allowed to be disposed in the area of waters and riverbanks of the Yunguchuan River or Huangshui River. (2) The solid waste should be recycled as much as possible. The intact bricks and steel bars in the construction waste should be reclaimed. The other solid waste can be made into mortar for road construction after being sorted and smashed. The excavated soil should be used for filling by balancing the earthworks within the subproject or in the region so as to reduce the amount of the spoil. (3) As there are concentrated residential areas and the water bodies (including the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River) along the roads, the temporary storage and transport of solid waste should be reasonably arranged. The temporary storage sites should be covered by plastic or straw pad and surrounded by intercepting trench to avoid soil erosion. The sites should be distant from the Huangshui River. (4) The Xicheng Avenue crosses the Huangshui River as a bridge. During the construction of the bridge, the drilling mud should be discharged to the sedimentation tank to settle down the sand and rocks. Then the mud can be reused.

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The settled sand and rocks will be removed regularly. The waste mud that cannot be reused will be send to landfills. (5) The domestic waste during peak days should be collected, stored and transported to solid waste treatment facilities in a timely manner. The solid waste produced during construction will impact the ecological environment directly if not properly stored or treated. Therefore construction management should be strengthened to remove the waste in a timely manner to mitigate or to prevent the solid waste impact. 8.2.6 Ecological Environmental Protection and Restoration

8.2.6.1 Terrestrial plants (1) Avoidance Measures The avoidance of ecological impact is referring to the approach of taking appropriate measures to avoid the adverse ecological impact as much as possible. The avoidance measures are those to be taken in order to protect the ecological environment of significance. Typical approaches include the project relocation, engineering design, and construction method, road rerouting, changing of project scope or scale, etc. The mellow soil in the farmland should be reserved. For the permanent or temporary land acquisition of farm land or shrub land, the top soil should be collected and saved for post-construction site restoration or roadside (or road center) landscaping. (2) Mitigation Measures The mitigation of ecological impact is referring to the approach of taking appropriate measures to reduce the scope and extent of the impact for adverse impacts that cannot be avoided. Typical approach is to adopt advanced ecological design. When the construction is near a farm land, the construction activities should be contained within the area of land acquisition; the material storage area and other temporary land acquisition area are better to be maintained within the red lines. Use existing roads as the construction access roads to reduce the impacted area of construction activities, to reduce the land acquisition and to enhance the protection of forest and grass lands. The newly established construction camp should be arranged utilizing the residential communities or industry sites along the road.

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Random storage should be avoided. The domestic solid waste from the construction workers should be collected for treatment, and then be transported off site. Littering is forbidden to protect the local ecological environment. (3) Recovery and Compensation Measures Vegetation protection measures are mainly referring to the measures for vegetation restoration. According to the characteristics of the local climate, these technical keys issues should be noted for the vegetation restoration measures: 1) According to the requirement of the national Forest Law, other laws and regulations, the restored vegetation area in the landscaping plan should be at least equal to or higher than the original vegetation area to ensure the stability of the local ecological system in the region. In addition, during the course of vegetation restoration, the practitioner should consider not only selecting suitable species that can grow fast in the project area, but also consider mixed distribution of different species to improve the biodiversity, improve the disease resistance capability and enhance the stability of the corridor. Further, the young trees should undergo strict quarantine test to avoid introducing disease.

2) Road Landscaping Vegetation restoration within the acquired land for road construction. Construction management should be strengthened not to disturb or to minimize the disturbance to the vegetation outside the road boundary. For the road side vegetation restoration, the factors to be considered should include at least the road base protection, the landscaping and environmental protection (noise reduction and air pollutant interception), and the road safety (not to block the drivers’ sight and to ensure the smooth traffic), so that landscaping, Aesthetics and environmental protection can be integrated together. Landscaping on the road side slope and in the central divider area. The grass for slope stabilization should be selected from the perennial grass turf species that are local and drought-tolerant, have well-developed root system, are easy to survive and grow fast, and the species should be effective in soil stabilization. The selection of grass and tree species. The governing principle is that the tree and grass should match with the soil type in the area. In order to select the right species, detailed survey of the terrain, soil type, and climate conditions should be

HAES -217- QXUTP EIA Report conducted. The right species should be selected from the local and native species mostly, with supplement of some good external species to ensure the survival rate of afforestation planting. (4) Management measures Ecological impact should be monitored during both the construction phase and the operation phase. During the construction phase, the monitoring should be focused at the areas near sensitive sites. At the same time, a survey on the regional key protection targets should be conducted. If any key protection targets are identified, they should be reported to local authority promptly and relocated for protection. During the operation phase, the monitoring should be focused on the change of habitat, vegetation and the overall ecological system. By effective monitoring, the ecological management can be strengthened. The managing organization should be staffed with ecological environmental management personnel and should establish well-functioned management and reporting mechanism. The managing organization should promote the environmental education to improve the environmental awareness of construction workers and management personnel. Through dynamic monitoring and improved management the development can be facilitated in a favorable direction. 8.2.6.2 Wildlife The proposed protection measures include: (1) Improve the wildlife protection and no-hunting awareness of the construction worker. The construction worker should comply with the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife and do not hunt wildlife at the construction sites and surrounding areas. (2) In order to reduce the disturbance of the wildlife from the construction noise, the construction method and schedule should be well prepared and reviewed to avoid the noise impact especially during the twilight period and the noon time. (3) The habitat should be restored after the project is completed to reduce the adverse impact on wildlife caused by the habitat damage. 8.2.6.3 Aquatic life The water bodies involved in this Project include mainly the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River. The aquatic lives in the water bodies are very common in other similar environments. The Huangshui River Bridge crosses the river by one

HAES -218- QXUTP EIA Report span with no piers in the water, therefore it won’t cause disturbance to the aquatic lives. Before the construction phase, the construction plan should be well prepared. During the construction phase, measures should be taken to avoid soil erosion and to enhance the water body protection. The wastewater should not be allowed to be discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River to avoid pollutions. After the construction is completed, the ecological environment should be restored to reduce the adverse impact on the water quality and on the aquatic life. 8.2.7 Soil Erosion Control

8.2.7.1 Soil Erosion Control System There are three categories of soil erosion control measures including the engineering measures, biological planting measures and temporary measures. The temporary measure should be taken first to make sure the soil erosion is under control during construction phase. Then the top soils will be reserved to be used in vegetation restoration or farm land reclamation. The engineering measures will be the focus as they become effective promptly. The planting measures are supplementary to the engineering measures to ensure a long term soil erosion control and the landscaping and aesthetic at the same time. The Table 8.2-1 summarizes the proposed soil erosion control measures.

Table 8.2-1 Summary of Soil Erosion Control Measures Project area Type of Measures Control Measure Top soil cut off and recovery. At the both sides of the Engineering measures road base, use separated stormwater and Urban Roads wastewater trenches and slope protection. area Planting measures landscaping Temporary measures Temporary retaining on the filling side. Top soil cut off and return, storm water pipeline, Engineering measures Yanxiaocun wastewater pipeline Interchange area Planting measures landscaping Temporary measures Temporary drainage trench, sedimentation tank Engineering measures Land rehabilitation Temporary soil Planting measures restore the farmland storage Bagged soil retaining, geotextile cover, soil drainage Temporary measures ditch

8.2.7.2 The quantities of work for soil erosion control According to the project scale, the terrain characteristics, and the construction

HAES -219- QXUTP EIA Report methods, the quantities of works for soil erosion control are estimated as below: Urban Roads (bridge construction area). The engineering measures include 5000 m³ of top soil cutoff and restoration, 1.33 hm² of land leveling, 70 m of alloy gabion embankment. The planting measures include 1.33 hm² of landscaping. The temporary measures include 18m of cofferdam, 0.095 hm² of canopy cover, and 2 sets of mud tanks. Urban Roads (road construction area). The engineering measures include 47,800 m³ top soil cutoff and restoration, 2.37 hm² of embankment. The planting measures include 9.22 hm² of road side landscaping. The temporary measures include 14.29 km of temporary drainage ditches, 28 sets of sedimentation tanks on the road sides, and installing and demolishing of 1214 m temporary retaining wall at the foot of the filling slopes. Yanxiaocun Interchange. The engineering measures include 26,800 m³ of top soil cutoff and restoration. The planting measures include 2.44 hm² of landscaping in the Interchange. The temporary measures include 1400 m of drainage ditches and 4 sets of sedimentation tanks. Temporary soil storage sites. The engineering measures including 2.08 hm² post construction site cleanup. The planting measures including 2.08 hm² of farm land restoration. The temporary measures include the installation and demolishing of 620 m of fence enveloping made of bagged soil, 620 m of drainage ditch, and 2.08 hm² canopy cover. 8.2.8 Mitigation measures of accumulated impacts

The proposed roads under this Project will be constructed at the same time with the other three roads including the South Bypass Highway, the Chaidamu Road extension section, and the Wusixi Road (Huangshui River Section). In order to minimize the accumulated impacts on the local environment, the below measures are recommended: (1)Strengthen the coordination among different contractors in the arrangement of the traveling routes and schedule of construction vehicles to make sure the traffic on the existing roads near the construction sites are smooth and to reduce the number of traffic accidents. (2)Enhance the construction management near sensitive sites. Setup warning signs and speed limit signs. Conduct traffic diversion if necessary to ensure the

HAES -220- QXUTP EIA Report safety of local residents. (3)The contractors should strengthen its management on transportation vehicles. The vehicles loaded with earth or other construction materials should either be covered by canopy or by other measures to avoid the spilling. The roads should be cleaned and watered regularly to avoid resuspending of the dust. (4)Make reasonable arrangements on the traveling routes of construction vehicles and stay away from sensitive sites. Make reasonable arrangements on the transportation schedule. When the vehicles are passing by residential areas or schools, they are required to reduce speed and banned of honking to minimize the noise impact.

8.3 Operation Phase

8.3.1 Ambient Air

The major air pollution sources are from the vehicles running on the roads. As the vehicles are mobile, it will be difficult or ineffective to control the exhaust gas by taking measures only on a single road or only on several roads. An effective approach should be the systematic measures enforced in the whole city or a region. Therefore, the construction unit or management unit of the Project should enhance the enforcement of the policies or regulations in the whole city, while taking relevant measures to control the vehicle exhaust gas emission on the roads in this Project. (1)Control measures already in place 1)Starting from November 8, 2007, the Police Department, the Environmental Protection Bureau, and the Transportation Department jointly conducted an initiative to control the exhaust gas emission on the major urban trunk roads. The vehicles with non-compliance emission or without annual checkup sticker will be fined by 200 CNY and required to correct within a deadline. 2)Starting from January 1, 2008, the registration of new motorized vehicles will be strictly reviewed. The vehicle owners will be required to showcase their certificate of exhaust gas discharge. 3)The Xining Municipal Government issued the Management Method for the Motorized Vehicles Exhaust Gas Emission Pollution Control on October 29, 2009. The methods came into effectiveness on January 1, 2010. The purpose of this Method is to control the exhaust gas emission, protect the ambient air environment,

HAES -221- QXUTP EIA Report protect human health, and promote the sustainable development of local economy and local society. 4)According to the Reply to the Effectiveness Date of the Threshold Values of the Phase IV Emission Standards of Motorized Vehicles issued by the ministry of Environmental Protection, Xining City will enforce the Phase IV emission standard from July 1, 2011. The Phase IV standard of the Limits and measurement methods for emissions from light-duty vehicles (Ⅲ, Ⅳ) is applicable for the new registration or transferred registration of light gasoline-fuel vehicle, single gas-fuel vehicle or dual-fuel vehicles. 5)The Xining Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau and the Police Department organized a special law enforcement force and launched a special joint initiative to inspect the environmental protection stickers so that the management of the environmental protection stickers can be strengthened and the exhaust gas emission pollution can be effectively controlled. 6)In this initiative, 18690 vehicles were inspected. 510 vehicles without bearing environmental protection logos were fined and ordered to attend the regular exhaust gas test and apply for the sticker by a deadline. The initiative effectively reduced the amount of illegal activities of avoiding the regular exhaust gas test and running vehicles without the environmental protection logo. After this initiative, the number of vehicles attending the regular exhaust gas test increased dramatically. By November 19, 2012, there were 139,000 vehicles, 23.5% higher than the previous year, attending the test. The initiative enhanced the social benefits and environmental benefits of the motorized vehicle pollution control, and facilitated the efforts of maintaining the relevant indicators of pollution control as a national civilized city and model city. 7)The measures for the exhaust gas emission control can also be used for P M2.5 control. The Xining City established 4 national controlling air quality monitoring stations in the May 2012 to conduct real time monitoring of PM2.5. The monitoring stations are located at the Xining City Environmental Monitoring Center, the Provincial Medicine Warehouse, the Silu Hospital and the No. 5 Water Treatment Plant. Following the requirements in the Notice of Implementing the Pilot Monitoring for the Urban Ambient Air Quality Assessment Method (trial version) issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Xining city completed the

HAES -222- QXUTP EIA Report procurement, installation and testing of the monitoring equipments for the indicators including SO2, XO2, PM10, ozone, CO and PM2.5 and put the four facilities into testing operation in April 2012. As required by the “Specifications of the ambient air quality monitoring equipments” for the “National Air Quality Monitoring Network Development Project (Phase I), the Xining City added more new equipments for

PM2.5 detection. The equipments were put into operation in the late November after the procurement, installation and testing were completed. The public can access the air quality data from the Xining city Air Quality Realtime Data Platform (http://221.207.11.107:8080) or from the National Air Quality Realtime Data Platform (http://113.108.142.147:20035/emcpublish). To summarize, the above measures were to some extent effective in improving the local ambient air quality, especially in the control of exhaust gas emission. (2) Control measures to be strengthened by the government 1) Develop the transportation energy strategy of Xining City The central government is currently formulating the Revitalization and Development Planning of New Energy Industry. Given that the transportation sector is an energy-intensive sector, it is suggested that the Xining municipal government should follow the national plan to develop the local transportation energy strategy with consideration of local constraints. This strategy will provide assurance for the environmental accessibility of the municipal transportation strategy. The development and implementation of the transportation energy strategy is a revolutionary approach and it has more significance than the vehicle exhaust gas treatment to energy saving and emission reduction. 2) Strengthen the maintenance of vehicles and prevent the vehicles with excessive emission from being used. 3) Reduce the dust re-entrainment by cleaning the road surface. 4) Reduce the exhaust gas emission of slow traffic by strengthening the traffic management and optimizing the signaling system. 5) Promote the clean fuel such as the natural gas. The government should provide incentive for clean fuel such as the natural gas. (3) Engineering measures From the literatures it is found that the pollutant concentration at the receptor

HAES -223- QXUTP EIA Report site is related to the distance between the source and the receptor. The farther the distance is, the lower the concentration of the pollutant is. Therefore, if the distances between the road and the sensitive sites are increased, it will help the dilution of the pollutants and reduce the pollutant concentration at the receptor’s location. 1) The EIA consultant also suggests that the planning department should not make plans for any more sensitive sites along the new roads. 2) The broad-leaved trees along the roads can help quench the dust and reduce the pollutant amount. For those sensitive sites that cannot be relocated, they can increase the vegetation and take advantage of the purification function of the plants to mitigate the pollutions. 8.3.2 Water Environment

The sources of water environment pollution are mainly the oil-containing wastewater from vehicle maintenance and the gas station cleansing wastewater. at the Yanxiaocun Interchange, the domestic wastewater from the working staff and the passengers, and the road surface runoff. (1) Road According to the engineering design, the roads will have associated drainage system with separate stormwater and wastewater collection system. The road sections are within the service area of the No. 4 WWTP. The wastewater along the roads will be discharged into the city sewer and then be transported to the No. 4 WWTP for further treatment. After the project is completed, the storm water will be collected in the storm water pipeline and be discharged to the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River. Normally the road surface runoff carry only low amount of pollutants and will not cause significant impact to the water environment. The bridges crossing the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River will have bridge surface runoff collection system and accident tanks on both end of the river to collect the initial rain water or post-accident runoffs. There will be warning signs with warnings such as “cautions” or “reduce the speed” at the bridges. The bridges will also have crash barrier to prevent the vehicles from falling into the river. (2) Yanxiaocun Interchange According to the engineering design, Yanxiaocun Interchange adopts the separated wastewater and storm water system. The rain water will be collected in

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the storm water pipeline and discharged to the municipal drainage system. For the wastewater system there will be 1 set of septic tanks with 100 m³ volume and 3 set of oil separation tanks (2 at the maintence workshop and 1 at the gas staion). The domestic wastewater will be pre-treated in septic tanks and the oil-containing wastewater will be pre-treated in the oil separation tanks before they are sent to the No.4 WWTP for further treatment. 8.3.3 Sound Environment

The highway traffic noise control measures mainly include the road alignment adjustment, sound block, sound insulation window, and noise-reducing landscaping, etc. These measures are compared in the Table 8.3-1. Table 8.3-1 Technical and economic comparison for noise control measures Control Applicability Effectiveness Cost Advantage Disadvantage Measures There are a lot of sensitive sites or large Can remove Can completely May cause Alignment Case area of sensitive sites. the noise remove the difficulties for adjustment specific The Non-compliance impact noise impact engineering design noise situation is severe. The non-compliance The Cost is high. noise situation is severe Can remove Can completely May also cause and cannot be resolved Case Resettlement the noise remove the impact to the daily by other measures. The specific impact noise impact lives of local residents’ willingness is residents. prerequisite The non-compliance In the Very effective. The cost is high. noise situation is severe. range of Widely Some sound block Sound block The concentrated 6-13dB(A) 500-2000 applicable. Easy will cause impact to sensitive sites are near Yuan/m to implement the landscaping. the highway. The non-compliance noise situation is not Limited noise severe. There are 300-400 Fairly effective. reduction capability. Hoarding concentrated residential 3-5dB(A) Yuan/m The cost is low. Narrowly areas or schools or applicable. hospitals near the highway. The non-compliance Poor ventilation. In noise situation is severe. Very effective. the summer it is not The pollutants are widely The cost is fair. favorable for the Ordinary dispersed. There are Widely residents to enjoy Sound 300-400 concentrated residential 6-15dB(A) applicable. Low the natural cool air. insulation Yuan/m² areas or schools or impact to the It is difficult to window hospitals within certain lives of the implement, distance from the residents especially in rural highway. area. ventilation The non-compliance 8-20dB(A) 400-500 Very effective. It is difficult to

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Control Applicability Effectiveness Cost Advantage Disadvantage Measures and sound noise situation is severe. Yuan/m² The cost is fair. implement, insulation The pollutants are widely Ventilation and especially in rural window dispersed. There are noise reduction area. concentrated residential can be achieved areas or schools or at the same hospitals within a fairly time. long distance from the highway. Need large area of It can reduce The non-compliance land acquisition. It the noise, clean noise situation is not 20mwide also takes longer to the air, produce Noise severe. Landscaping is greenbelt can become effective. 200-500 landscaping reducing applicable for the reduce the The noise reduction Yuan/m effect and green belt concentrated residential noise impact effect has large improve the areas, schools or by 2-3dB(A) seasonal variance biological hospitals. and low environment. applicability. The project involves mainly urban trunk roads. According to the traffic noise projection for the first, 7th and 15th year after operation, there will be some non-compliance of noise level on the roads or at the sensitive sites. In order to reduce the noise impact and improve the sound environment quality, with consideration of the actual situation and the different operation phase, these measures are proposed for the roads and the sensitive sites along the roads. （1）Road In the road design, it is suggested that the elevation of the road base should be lowered as long as the drainage system is not compromised. This will help reduce the sound radiation area of the traffic noise. Immediately after the road construction is completed, the side and central landscaping belt (total of 9-11 m) should be built. The green belt should be planted with trees with dense branches. Later in the empty land at both sides of the road, greenbelts should be built to reduce the noise impact and ecological impact. During operation, the road maintenance should be strengthened to maintain the road smoothness. Besides, the motorized vehicle management should be strengthened to ensure the vehicles using the road are in good conditions. At the same time, honking should be banned along the roads. According to the Xining Urban Master Plan (2001-2020), the city will expand towards the east and the south directions in the short term (by 2005) and in the mid-term (by 2010), towards the west and the north directions in the long term (by

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2020). According to the Xining Urban Space Development Plan (2030), the city will develop the south part of the Xichuan New Urban Area in the mid-term (2016-2020) and the north side in the long term (2020-2030). The urban roads under this Project are within the planned Xichuan New Urban Area. The planed land use along the roads is mainly for residential use. It will be a key area of future development of the city. According to the noise prediction results, in the short term (2018) the noise levels at the sensitive sites will be all below the limits. And in the mid-term (2024), except for the night time noises at the Taobei Village along the Wusixi Road and the Wangjiazhai Road along the Xicheng Avenue will exceeds the limits by a range of 1.1-5.1 dB(A), other noise levels will all be below the limits. With consideration that the city is expanding at a very fast pace along the roads and the Taobei Village and the Wangjiazhai Village are very likely to be relocated, this Report will not propose any engineering measures to reduce the noise level for the mid-term. However, during the roads operation, the landscaping, the traffic management and the road maintenance should be strengthened. In addition, the monitoring frequency should be increased. If significant adverse impacts are identified, timely remedial measures should be taken, such as the resettlement or the changing of the building functions.

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Figure 8.3-1 Xining Urban Master Plan (2001-2020)

Figure 8.3-2 The land use plan for the new urban area

Table 8.3-2 Noise control measures for major sensitive sites. Distance Sensit Noise control measures and Road Locatio from center Noise Projection ive environmental compliance Name n or red lines results Sites analysis (m) Near term: All noise level below limits; Mid-term: day time Measures: Running noise levels below 1. landscaping across. limits and night time 2. strengthened traffic Wusixi Taobei K1+800- After noise level exceed the management. Honking banned Road Village K2+540 resettlement limits by 2.1-5.1 dB(A); for part of the road sections. 35/5 on both Long term: day time 3. strengthed noise monitoring sides noise levels below during operation. limits and night time noise level exceed the limits by 3-6.1 dB(A);

Near term: All noise level below limits; Measures: Mid-term: day time Running 1. landscaping noise levels below Xiche across. 2. strengthened traffic limits and night time ng Wangji K2+200- After management. Honking banned noise level exceed the Avenu azhai K2+660 resettlement for part of the road sections. limits by 1.1-3.7 dB(A); e 28/3 on both 3. strengthened noise Long term: day time sides monitoring during operation. noise levels below

limits and night time noise level exceed the limits by 4.1-6.7 dB(A);

(3) Road Management

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A. Strengthen the road maintenance to maintain the smoothness of road surface, and avoid the noise increase from bumping vehicles caused by poor road condition. B. Make sure the vehicles running on the roads are in good conditions. Strengthen the management and maintenance of motorized vehicle and prevent vehicles with poor condition from using the road, especially the heavy duty vehicles which have the most severe noise problems. C. Setup speed limit sign or traffic lights at intersections or near the concentrated residential areas so that the traffic will be moving at constant speed and do not use horns. D. Strengthen the monitoring of traffic noise. If non-compliance is identified, remedial measures need to be taken in a timely manner to reduce the amount of incidents of traffic noise disturbance. (4) Requirements on the road side development The noise protection distances for planned development are determined based on the predicted noise levels during the midterm operation phase. The results are shown in the Table 8.3-3. Table8.3-3 Noise protection distances during the mid-term operation, (m) Class 4a standard Class 2 standard Road 2018 2024 2032 2018 2024 2032 name Day Night Day Night Day Night Day Night Day Night Day Night time time time time time time time time time time time time Wusixi / 34 / 51 / 59 42 57 51 120 53 144 Road Xicheng / / / 41 / 66 / 34 40 94 60 167 Avenue No. 5 / / / 25 / 37 / 23 25 39 35 69 Road Guihua 1 / / / / / / / / / / / / Road Guihua 2 / / / / / / / / / / / 16 Road In the case that no noise control measures are taken, there should not be any noise sensitive buildings such as new schools, hospitals, nursing homes or residential areas to be built in the area for which class II standard is applicable. It is suggested that the planning department should avoid planning noise sensitive sites such as concentrated residential area, hospitals and schools within the noise protection distance. If such sensitive buildings are necessary, the construction unit

HAES -229- QXUTP EIA Report should adopt measures such as the building sound insulation or others so that the indoor environment quality can meet relevant functional requirement. 8.3.4 Solid Waste

(1) Urban Roads During the operation phase the solid waste on the roads is mainly from the domestic waste produced by the pedestrian. It will be handled by the municipal solid waste management system. The solid waste will be sorted and collected using the garbage bins placed on both sides of the roads. The solid wastes that cannot be recycled will be sent to the Liujiagou sanitary landfill or other designated locations for disposal. (2) Yanxiaocun Interchange During the operation phase the domestic solid wastes are collected at designated location in the interchange. The sanitation department will regularly cleans up the waste and send to the Liujiagou sanitary landfill or other designated locations for disposal. The waste oil from the maintenance workshop in the Yanxiaocun Interchange will be considered as hazardous solid waste (HW08 waste mineral oil). These measures need be taken: (1) during the process of maintenance, prevent oil spills and collect the waste oil. The workshop should have covers for anti-seepage and oil absorbing materials on the ground; (2) contain the waste oil in steel drums, steel cans or plastic containers. The containers should be labeled clearly with description of the nature and hazard of the contents, volume, loading date, and the identification marks of hazardous waste. (3) adopt the “five-copy” policy for the transfer of hazardous waste to ensure safe transfer and to avoid illegal transfer and disposal. This policy will help the monitoring of hazardous waste, preventing the pollution incidents of hazardous waste, and ensuring the hazardous waste be handled by qualified organization; (4) the waste oil can also be collected and sent to the Xining Water Proof Material Company Limited, a licensed contractor, for recycling. 8.3.5 Accident risks prevention measures

8.3.5.1 Traffic accidents (1) Strengthen the transportation management along the road; Setup

HAES -230- QXUTP EIA Report necessary signs with information such as the speed limit and the road shape; randomly conduct traffic safety checkup to reduce the amount of traffic accidents. (2) Prevention of risks in hazardous chemical transportation The roads in this Project are mainly urban trunk roads that do not allow hazardous chemical transportation. The transportation of such chemicals will take the route of the branch roads at the south end of the city. Therefore, there is little or no risk of water pollution caused by traffic accidents with vehicles loaded with poisonous or hazardous substances. However, these regulations should be strictly followed in actual situation by strengthening the management and monitoring. In rare occasions when the hazardous chemicals must be transported on these roads, the below measures must be taken: 1) Report to the local police department and environmental protection department, and prepare a hazardous substances risk management plan in advance. 2) Follow the time and road sections designated by the police department for the hazardous substance transportation. Implement a traffic control by the police department if necessary. 3) The vehicles used in the transportation should strictly follow the Rules of Regulations on Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals. (3) Prevention of traffic accidents risks on bridges The proposed roads cross the Huangshui River in the form of a bridge and cross the Yunguchuan in the form of a box culvert. According to the Xining city water environment function zoning, at the locations of the crossings, the Huangshui River is a category III water body and the Yunguchuan is a category II water body. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. The notice on the strengthening the EIA of highway planning and development jointly issued by the legacy national environmental protection agency, the national development and reform commission, and the ministry of transportation (No. 184, 2007) states: In highway construction particular attention should be paid to the protection of drinking water sources. The design of the route should be avoid drinking water source protection areas. In order to prevent the environmental risks brought about by the transport of hazardous chemicals, for the bridges crossing the class II drinking water protected areas, the secondary protected areas, and class II (and above)

HAES -231- QXUTP EIA Report water bodies, when the safety and technical feasibility is ensured, there should be a surface runoff collection system on the bridge and sedimentation tanks on both ends of the bridge to treat the runoff collected after a pollution incident occurs, to ensure the safety of drinking water. As the transportation of hazardous chemical is not allowed on the proposed roads, there is little or no risk of water pollution caused by traffic accidents with vehicles loaded with poisonous or hazardous substances. However there is still a possibility of water pollution if there is a traffic accident such as a collision, or a rollover. The risks of traffic accidents are mainly at the river crossing locations. During the operation phase, the prevention measures for water pollutions include: 1) Build the runoff collection system and sedimentation tanks. If a fire or a hazardous chemical spill occurs, these facilities can be used to collect and store the cleansing waste water or fire fighting waste water. The effluent of the sedimentation tank will enter the road side ditches. The ditches should not be connected with sensitive rivers. This measure can help effectively prevent the hazardous chemical from impacting the water quality in the river. 2) Select the pipeline material that is able to meet the requirements of the strength and stiffness, has a long service life, and is resistant to corrosion caused by acid or alkali so that it can be used for hazardous chemical collection. 3) Improve the containment capacity to a level sufficient enough to prevent the accident vehicles from falling into the river. 4) Set up warning signs with contents such as “River area, drive with caution”, “Bridge ahead, do not pass” or information about speed limit. Emergency phone number should be clearly listed. 5) The traffic accidents on the Huangshui Bridge of Xicheng Avenue should be incorporated into the municipal emergency plan. An emergency plan should be prepared with emergency aid equipments and devices provided. An environmental risk emergency commanding center and a field team should be established. When an accident occurs, it should be promptly reported to the police department, and informed of to the highway

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management, fire protection and environmental protection departments so that the emergency response measures can be taken to prevent the escalation of pollution and hazard. 8.3.5.2 Yanxiaocun Interchange Environmental Risk Prevention Measures 8.3.5.2.1 Fire or Explosion Accidents (1)The design of the gas station should strictly follow the relevant design code. The ratings are Level II for fire resistance, Level VI for seismic intensity, and level IV for structural seismic resistance. The seismic resistance of the foundation should be strengthened to ensure the gasoline tank and pipelines will not leak when common intensity of natural hazard occurs. (2) Strengthen the anti-seepage treatment of the foundation of the storage area, and the anti-corrosion and anti-seepage treatment of the tank surface and pipeline surfaces. (3) Establish a routine checkup mechanism for potential leakage positions to timely identify and resolve problems. (4) Strengthen safety education for the workers to improve the security risk awareness. (5)Establish feasible technical measures and strict operational protocols for anomalies or potential safety risks in operation. (6)Strictly follow the requirements on the prevention of harms from fire, explosion, lightning, and poison. The electrical equipments should be compatible with the explosion control requirement. (7)Establish and improve a safety and environmental management system and an efficient safe production department to handle the accidents immediately, efficiently and safely once they occur. (8)Setup warning signs at the entrances of storage takes and gas stations to ban open flames. (9)Setup “no-mobile phone call” warning signs at the gas station. (10)Establish an occupational health and safety management system. 8.3.5.2.2 Emergency Plan In order to timely and effectively respond to and contain the accidental leakage, fire or explosion, to minimize the casualties and the property losses, the construction unit should establish an emergency rescuing team and prepare an

HAES -233- QXUTP EIA Report emergency plan. The construction unit should coordinate with relevant government department to incorporate the emergency response into the municipal emergency response network. 1. Emergency Management (1) Emergency Response Organization The construction unit should establish a leading group as the organization for handling emergency incidents. The leading group should include: the General Manager of the Interchange as the team leader, the gas station director as the deputy team leader, and the head of each disciplines in the gas station as the team members. The role and responsibilities of the team leader: Be responsible for ordering the start of emergency status, organizing the emergency response team, and allocating the resources for emergency response. Be responsible for the inter-department coordination and information sharing, ensure the implementation of necessary material provision, transportation, medical care, communication, and fire fighting arrangements. Undertake the rescue and production restoration. The role and responsibilities of the deputy team leader: Be responsible for the onsite emergency response, the reporting and emergency scene protection. Take appropriate actions according to actual conditions before the fire team arrives and be responsible for the emergency response on-site actions. The role and responsibilities of the team members (staff): when an accident is identified, report and implement the emergency procedure. Contain the accident if possible. Evacuate the site if the danger cannot be contained. (1) Emergency Principles Contain the danger promptly to prevent the damage from expanding and to minimize the casualties and property losses. Follow orders strictly. Give priority to lives than to properties. Try to quench the fire after reporting. When the accidents cannot be contained, organize the evacuation promptly. (2) Emergency Reporting procedure and reporting chain diagram The person who spots the accidents first should report to the deputy team leader (director of the gas station) promptly. The deputy team leader should report to the team leader promptly, and report to the local police department, fire fighting department, first aid center according to the nature of the emergency. Seal the

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The management epartment of the Interchange

Gas station director Fire Fight Force 119 Accident report to upper level discovere supervisor directly r Emergency Center 120

Police 110

(3) Rescuing When the fire fighting capacity of the construction unit is insufficient to handle the emergency, the emergency rescuing plan should be triggered. The phone number for firefighting agency is 119 and for the medical center is 120. (4) Emergency response practice Purpose: The purpose of the practice is to help the staff member be familiar with the procedures and methods for emergency response so that when an actual accident occurs, the loss can be minimized. Practice method: a) on-site emergency response, with focus on the utilization of the facilities, first aid actions, and rescue simulations; b) emergency simulations at the similar locations to other accidents; c) monthly accident response practice; d) quarterly fire-fighting practice with the local fire fighting agency. 2. Emergency Plan For the Gas pumps leakage (1) For the gas pump the gasoline pumping should be terminated. The valves should be turned off. The pumps should be powered off and the gasoline in the pipes should be discharged. (2) All gasoline pumping should be suspended in the station. The vehicles should be pushed away from the gas pump area. The site manager or the safety officer on duty should evacuate the people and vehicle in the area, and designate a staff member for monitoring. (3) Other staff member should start to recover the oil spill with cottons or mops. It is forbidden to use devices that can cause sparkles, such as metals or plastics, in the recovery process. After the recovery is completed, use sands to cover the spill ground, and remove the sands when the remaining gasoline is absorbed in the sands.

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(4) After the spill is cleaned up, the site manager can resume the operation. For the gas tanks spills (1) When there is a spill from the oil tanks during oil unloading, the staff member should turn off the unloading valve and shut the power immediately and then report to the director of the gas station or the site manager. (2) When necessary, the accident should be reported to the police department so that the roads nearby can be closed. The director of the gas station (or site manager) should designate personnel for site monitoring, evacuate vehicles or personnel in the station, and eliminate all fire sources in the station. Other vehicles or personals are not allowed to enter the scene. (3) Prepare fire fighting materials at the upwind areas. (4) Use sand or earth to contain the oil spill and conduct recovery as necessary. It is forbidden to use devices that can cause sparkles, such as metals or plastics, in the recovery process. After the recovery is completed, use sands to cover the spill ground, and remove the sands when the remaining gasoline is absorbed in the sands. (5) Provide assistance to personnel that are caught by the oil splashes. Notify the nearby institutes and residents of the hazard. (6) Check the oil well and clean up the remaining oil if any. Check other potential hazards. (7) Calculate the oil spill amount and make records. (8) If it is confirmed that all potential hazards are eliminated, the operation can be resumed. (9) The site manager should record the oil spill amount and report to his supervisor. For vehicle fire If a vehicle catches fire on its gas tank openings, the staff member should take off the cloth and clog the opening and quench the fire, or cover up the opening with asbestos blanket and quench the fire with fire extinguishers. For fires on oil trucks (1) The staff should turn off the unloading valves immediately. (2) The driver should move the oil trucks away to an open area for further

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actions. (3) If the tank opening is on fire, cover up the opening with asbestos blanket or other material such as wet clothes, wet sacks. When the fire is stronger than that, use portable or wheeled dry power extinguisher to quench the fire. (4) Call 119 for assistance. (5) If the fire fighter has not arrived and the fire cannot be controlled, evacuate immediately. Large area fire in the station (1) One designate personnel should report to the local fire fighting department (with the phone number 119) with information’s regarding the location and nature of the fire, and also report the supervising department. (2) The director of the station should organize on-site personnel to quench the fire with fire fighting facilities available. (3) Stop gasoline pumping and turn off gasoline valves immediately. Cover up the gasoline pipes, close the operational wells and shut of the power. (4) Evacuate other personnel and vehicles, and make ways for fire fighting access. (5) When the fire fighting trucks arrive, cooperate with the fire fighting force to quench the fire by following the emergency plans.

Fires on electric devices (1) When electric-induced fire occurs, shut off the power immediately and use carbon dioxide or dry power extinguisher to quench the fire. It is forbidden to use foam extinguisher directly to the fire source. (2) If the power cannot be shut off, the fire fighter should wear fire-resistant and insulated shoes and outfits to avoid electricity shock. Then use carbon dioxide or dry power extinguisher to quench the fire. Oil product spill or leakage (1) When an oil product spill or leakage occurs, report to the municipal environmental management agencies promptly, request for emergency monitoring by the emergency monitoring team within the agencies. (2) The emergency monitoring team should identify the pollutant diffusion area

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based on the diffusion speed and the local meteorological characteristics. (3) Based on the monitoring results, analyze the trend of pollution, and predict the development of the pollution incident and the fate of the pollutant through specialist consultation and discussion, and use the prediction results as the basis for decision making.

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9 Information Disclosure and Public Consultation

Public consultation is a critical component of the EIA of development project. It is an interactive process among the client, the EIA consultant and the affected people. Public consultation can help the EIA consultant better understand the environment issues of concern, and then formulate feasible environmental protection measures. It can make the EIA process more open, make the conclusion more practical, and ensure the realization of expected social and economic benefits.

9.1 Purpose of the public consultation

The purposes of the public consultation are: (1) to allow the public understand the Project in terms of objectives, scale, location, potential impact during construction stage and operation stage, and associated measures to be taken, to create an environment that the public can provide comments, and to achieve understanding and support from the public; (2) Through soliciting local residents’ view on the local environment, to facilitate the evaluation of the pollution conditions and the baseline environmental qualities and to protect the interest of local residents. (3) Through inviting the public to participate in the identification of environmental resources protection measures, to improve the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed environmental protection measures, as the local residents are more familiar with the ecological and economic resources. (4) To allow the public participate in the decision making process of the Project.

9.2 Public Participation Survey

Following the requirements in the policy documents including the Law of the People’s Republic of China for Environmental Impact Assessment, the Interim Method for EIA Public Consultation (No. 28, 2006) issued by the legacy National Environmental Protection Agency, the World Bank Operation Manual (OP4.01)-Environmental Assessment and the BP17.05-Public participation, the survey was conducted in the area along the project roads. The participants are

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9.3 Survey Contents

The content of the survey mainly includes: (1) The extent to which the participants understand about the Project; (2) The understanding on the environmental quality baseline; (3) Identification of the adverse impact to affected people during construction phase and operation phase; (4) Public view on the project from the environmental protection angle; (5) Comments and suggestions on the proposed environmental protection measures (6) Other comments and suggestions.

9.4 Survey Methods

The public consultation was conducted with different methods including the online disclosure, newspaper disclosure, interview and questionnaires. The construction unit and other relevant stakeholders actively cooperated with HAES in the process. HAES conducted two rounds of questionnaires by publicizing the project information including the project overview, the scale, the significance and the potential positive impacts and adverse impacts, and then asking the participants to voluntarily answer the questions on the questionnaire. The feedbacks were then collected and compiled for analysis. The details of the questionnaires are as below: Table 9.4-1Questionairs of the EIA Public Consultation [Project Background]The proposed project is an urban transport improvement project consists of 4 components, namely the Urban Roads, the Public Transport, the Intelligent Traffic Management and the Institutional and Capacity Building. The Urban Roads components include the Xicheng Avenue (from the South Bypass Highway in the south to the Chaidamu Road in the north, with length of 3.7 km and width of 50 m), the Wusixi Road Extension (from the No.4 Road in the east to the Xicheng Avenue in the west, with length of 3.49 km and width of 60 m), the No. 5 Road (from the Wusixi Road Extension in the south to the Chaidamu Road in the north, with length of 1.02 km and width of 40 m), with associated facilities including the bridges, drainages, landscaping, lighting and

HAES -240- QXUTP EIA Report traffic control facilities. The Public Transport component includes the Integrated Public Corridor (15.6 km), and the Yanxiaocun Interchange (located in the Xichuan Yanxiaocun Village with land area of 14.19 hm²). The Intelligent Traffic Management component is focused on the Wusi Road. It contains 10 items including the upgrade of the traffic signal control system, and the bus signal system, etc. the Institutional and Capacity Building component contains 4 areas including the relevant studies on urban transport, project management and technical support, technical training and public campaign. The total investment is 1.453 billion RMB. The construction period is 5 years from 2013 to 2017. [Summary of the Environmental Impacts] The physical interventions in this project include the urban roads component and public transport components. There will be environmental impacts both in the construction phase and the operation phase of the project implementation. The excavation for road construction and the development of the Yanxiaocun Interchange and bus stations will also both have impact on the environment. The land acquisition, waste earth transport, pavement construction can cause traffic congestion, noise and flying dust, which will further impact on the local environment. At the same time, there will be waste earth produced in construction activities. If it is not properly handled, it will cause soil erosion problems. After the project becomes operational, it will help improve the road networks between the city center and the new urban area, and provide rapid, safe and comfortable travel services. However, as the traffic flow increases, the noise and exhaust gas will increase, causing impact on the daily life of residents along the roads. The volume of wastewater produced in the bus stations and the parking areas is small. The wastewater will be discharged into the municipal sewer network. The impact on the drainage system is insignificant. [Description] According the relevant requirements in the Law of the People’s Republic of China for Environmental Protection and the Law of the People’s Republic of China for Environment Impact Assessment, the construction unit should solicit the opinions of the institutions and residents in the project area. In order to ensure the project can better serve the public along the roads and minimize the adverse environment impact, we sincerely hope you will provide your opinions or suggestions. We will honestly record your opinions or suggestions in the EIA Report and forward your suggestions to the construction unit and design unit for consideration.

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You can also provide your opinions or suggestions to us via mails, emails or telephones. The contact information is: Construction Unit: The World Bank financed Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project Development Office Attn: Mr. Ma Shengjun Phone: (0971)6109157 E-mail：[email protected] Mailing Address: No. 13 Wusi Street, Xining City Post Code: 810001 EIA Consultant: Hubei Academy of Environmental Science Attn: Mr. Chen Jun Phone: 027-87210036 E-mail：[email protected] Mailing Address: No. 338 Bayi Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan Post Code: 430072

[Public Consultation Questionnaires for Individuals]

Name：______Address：______Education Level：______Age ：______Telephone：______Occupation：______Type of Employer______（1）Enterprise （2）Institute （3） Commercial （4）Governmental Agency 1．From what source do you know the World Bank financed Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project? （1）website （2）newspaper （3）television （4）this questionnaire （5） others 2．Are you satisfied with the environmental qualities conditions at work and at home? （1）very satisfied （2）fairly satisfied （3）not satisfied （4）does not matter. 3．How do you rate the conditions of existing exhaust of vehicles on the roads? （1）Severe （2）Not severe （3）Fair 4．How do you rate the conditions of noise on the roads? （1）Severe （2）Not severe （3）Fair 5．The construction activities under this Project might cause environmental pollution or disturbance to your life. Which one is the major impact in your opinion? （1）Noise （2）Vibration （3）Flying dust （4）Wastewater and mud （5）

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Traffic congestion（6）Resettlement（7）Ecological damage (8)Others (Please specify: ） 6 ． The operational activities under this Project might cause environmental pollution or disturbance to your life. Which one is the major impact in your opinion? （1）Noise （2）Exhaust gas （3）Others 7．In your opinion, which one of these must have good environmental quality? （1）The regional environment （2）The whole residential environment （3）The bedroom 8．Which environmental protection measures do you think should be taken during operational stage? （1）Low noise road surface （2）Sound insulation windows （3）Resettlement （4） Landscaping （5）Planning （6）Others（Please specify: ） 9．If the project causes environmental impact to your residential environment, which kind of measures do you prefer? （1）Economical compensation （2）better treatment of the discharge （3）resettlement （4）Does not matter. 10．Your opinion about the temporary impact at construction stage? （1）Understandable （2）Understandable but mitigation measure is a must （3） Complain 11．Which do you think is an effective method to handle the environmental pollution issue in this project? （1）Complain to the environmental protection agencies （2）Law suit （3）Stop the project construction and operation 12．How about the impact of resettlement on your life and work? （1）Willing to do （2）Unwilling to do （3）Conditionally willing to do （4）positive impact （5）adverse impact （6）not much difference 13．Which do you think will improve after this project is implemented?

（1）Economic development （2）More smooth travel （3）Living environment

（4）Road flying dust （5）No impact

14．Your overall opinion to this Project? （1）Support （2）Conditional support (Reasons?: ） (3)Against （Reasons?: ） 15．Other than the questions above, what other impacts do you think the project has on your

HAES -243- QXUTP EIA Report work and life? Any comments or suggestions?

[Public Consultation Questionnaires for Organizations]

1．From which source do you know about this Project? （1）Media such as broadcast, newspaper, television and internet （2）This survey （3） Others 2．Are you satisfied with the environmental qualities conditions at work and at home? （1）very satisfied （2）fairly satisfied （3）not satisfied （4）does not matter. 3．In your opinion which one is the major environmental impact the construction activities under this Project might cause? （1）Flying dust （2）Noise （3）Vibration （4）Wastewater and mud （5）Traffic congestion （6）Resettlement（7）Others 4．Your opinion towards the temporary impact during construction stage? （1）Understandable （2）Understandable but mitigation measure is a must （3） Complain 5．Which is the major environmental impact during operational stage? （1）Traffic noise （2）Exhaust gas （3）Landscape （4）Others 6．If the project causes environmental impact to your work environment, which kind of compensation do you prefer? （1）Economic compensation （2）better treatment of the discharge （3）Resettlement （4）Does not matter 7．Your overall opinion to this Project? （1）Strongly support（2）Support （3）Against If your choice is (3) Against, please specify reasons:

8．Please provide your comments and suggestions based on the relationship between the project and your institute.

Information of the Unit Name of the unit（please stamp）: Nature of the Unit: Phone: Contact Person: Date: Year, Month, Day

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9.5 Assessment of the Public Consultation Results

9.5.1 First round

After the outline of the EIA was prepared, HAES conducted the first round of public consultation (survey) in the July of 2012 in the forms of posters, group discussions, interviews, questionnaires, etc. The participants are mainly the local residents.

Figure 9.5-1 Posters in the project affected area

Figure 9.5-2 Group discussion

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Figure 9.5-3 Explaining the potential environmental impacts to affected residents.

Figure 9.5-4 Explaining the questionnaire survey to participants 9.5.1.1 Basic information of participants Participants in the survey are the residents from the villages, communities, and workers. There are 70 copies of questionnaires distributed and 66 copies recovered (recovery rate of 94%). The compositions of the participants are in the Table 9.5-1 Table 9.5-1 Summary of Questionnaire Participants

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Item Subgroup No. of people Percentage (%) Below 30 9 13.6 31-40 11 16.7 41-50 14 21.2 Age 51-60 11 16.7 Above 60 3 4.5 Not known 18 27.3 Farmer 20 30.3 Self employed 3 4.5 Doctor 1 1.5 Driver 3 4.5 Occupation Worker 2 3.0 Student 1 1.5 Retired 1 1.5 Not known 34 51.5 No education 2 3.0 Primary school 6 9.1 Junior High school 21 31.8 Education Level Senior High School / Secondary School 13 19.7 College and above 2 3.0 Not known 22 33.3 From the table above, the composition of participants is from different ages, different education levels and different occupations, therefore the sampling is representative and the result is credible. 9.5.1.2 Questionnaires survey results

The results of first round of questionnaire survey are summarized in the Table 9.5-2. Table 9.5-2 Summary of public opinions from individuals No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) website 11 16.7 From what source do you know newspaper 6 9.1 the World Bank financed 1 television 7 10.6 Qinghai Xining Urban Transport this questionnaire Project? 42 63.6 Others 4 6.1 very satisfied 25 37.9 Are you satisfied with the fairly satisfied 30 45.5 2 environmental qualities Not satisfied 9 13.6 conditions at work and at home? does not matter 2 3.0 How do you rate the conditions Severe 12 18.2 3 of existing exhaust of vehicles Not severe 23 34.8 on the roads? Fair 32 48.5 4 How do you rate the conditions Severe 10 15.2

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No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) of noise on the roads? Not severe 26 39.4 Fair 31 47.0 Noise 40 60.6 The construction activities under Vibration 9 13.6 this Project might cause Flying dust 38 57.6 environmental pollution or Wastewater and mud 20 30.3 5 disturbance to your life. Which Traffic congestion 10 15.2 one is the major impact in your Resettlement 25 37.9 opinion? Ecological damage 12 18.2 Others 3 4.5 The operational activities under Noise 48 72.7 this Project might cause Exhaust gas 28 42.4 environmental pollution or 6 disturbance to your life. Which Others one is the major impact in your 13 19.7 opinion? The regional 29 43.9 In your opinion, which one of environment 7 these places must have good The whole residential 36 54.5 environmental quality? environment The bedroom 3 4.5 Low noise road surface 29 43.9 Sound insulation Which environmental protection 19 28.8 windows measures do you think should 8 Resettlement 16 24.2 be taken during operational Landscaping 41 62.1 stage? Planning 15 22.7 Others 0 0 Economical 33 50.0 If the project causes compensation environmental impact to your better treatment of the 9 39 59.1 residential environment, which discharge kind of measures do you prefer? resettlement 15 22.7 Does not matter 0 0 Understandable 34 51.5 Your opinion about the Understandable but 10 temporary impact at mitigation measure 33 50.0 construction stage? must be taken Complain 0 0 Which do you think is an Complain to the effective method to handle the environmental 46 69.7 11 environmental pollution issue in protection agency this project? Law suit 19 28.8

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No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) Stop the project construction and 4 6.1 operation Willing to do 13 19.7 Unwilling to do 6 9.1 How about the impact of Conditionally willing to 21 31.8 12 resettlement on your life and do work? positive impact 8 12.1 adverse impact 3 4.5 not much difference 20 30.3 Economic development 38 57.6 Which do you think will improve Smooth travel condition 49 74.2 13 after this project is Living environment 11 16.7 implemented? Road flying dust 4 6.1 No impact 4 6.1 Your overall opinion about this Support 51 77.3 14 Project? Conditional support 15 22.7 Against 0 0 9.5.1.3 Assessment of the survey results (1)The public opinion and their understanding about the project 77.3% of the participants support the project and 22.7 % conditionally support the project. No participants are against this project. The participants have some understanding about this project. Some participants expressed that they would continue to be concerned about this project and hoped that they could be informed the progress in a timely manner. (2) The understanding on the existing environmental conditions. 37.9% of participants are very satisfied with the current environmental conditions while 45.5% are only satisfied, 13.6% are unsatisfied and 3.0% think it does not matter. 18.2% of participants think the exhaust gas pollution is severe while 34.8% think it is not severe and 48.5% think the pollution is only fair. 15.2 % of participants think the road noise is severe while 39.4% think it is not severe and 47% think it is only fair. These results suggest that the residents in the project area have some but not complete understanding of environmental protection and the current pollution conditions. Campaigns and educations are needed to improve the environmental protection awareness.

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(3) The opinions about resettlement For the land acquisition and resettlement compensation policies, 19.7% participants are willing to accept while 31.8% are conditionally willing and 9.1% are unwilling. Most of residents know the land acquisition and resettlement issues induced by the road construction. (4) Public opinions on the impact of road construction Most people think the adverse impacts during construction phase include the noise and flying dust. 60.6% of participants selected noise pollution and 57.6% selected flying dust. The adverse impacts during operation phase are noise and exhaust gas. 72.7% of participants selected noise and 42.4% selected exhaust gas, 19.7% selected others. If the noise increases after project is completed, 43.9% and 54.5% of participants hope the environmental quality can be maintained for regional environment and for the whole residential environment, respectively. The selected mitigations include landscape, low noise road surface, sound insulation windows, resettlement, and planning. The percentage of choosing these mitigation measures are 62.1%, 43.9%, 28.8%, 24.2% and 22.7%, respectively. 74.2% of participants think this project will help traveling more convenient and 57.6% think it will help the local economy. (5) Other comments and suggestions: nobody in this survey raised other comments or suggestions. 9.5.2 Second round

The second round of public consultation was conducted in the January of 2013 after the draft EIA report was completed. The methods used in this activity include posting the simplified version of EIA, interviews, questionnaires for individual and organizations. The participants include the local residents, enterprises and institutes along the proposed roads and around the proposed Interchange. The details are as below: The Consultant first publicized the information regarding the project scope, major impacts and proposed environmental protection measures by using posters at the village residents committees, so that the residents can understand the project impacts (Figure 9.5.5). The Consultant interviewed each committee, including the Yanxiaocun Village, the Wuzhong Village, the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai

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Village, and the Zuoshu Village, and held discussions with their staff and village residents to explain to them the potential impacts (Figure 9.5-6). As the same time, the Consultant also convened local residents to discuss the above mentioned information with them and distributed questionnaires to solicit the comments (Figure 9.5-7 and Figure 9.5-8). The Consultant also interviewed representative enterprises and institutes along the Wusixi Road Bus Corridor and distributed questionnaires.

Figure 9.5-5 Poster disclosure

Figure 9.5-6 Interview with the community committee

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Figure 9.5-7 Explaining the project information

Figure 9.5-8 A participant answering the questionnaire 9.5.2.1 The questionnaire survey for individuals (1) Basic information of participants There are 90 copies of questionnaires distributed and 84 copies recovered (recovery rate 93%). The compositions of the participants are in the Table 9.5-3.

Table 9.5-3 Summary of Questionnaire Participants Item Subgroup No. of people Percentage (%) Below 30 3 3.6% 31-40 16 19.0% 41-50 34 40.5% Age 51-60 16 19.0% Above 60 5 6.0% Not known 10 10.7%

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Item Subgroup No. of people Percentage (%) Farmer 33 39.3% Occupation Self employed 2 2.4% Doctor 49 57.1% Driver 13 15.5% Worker 28 33.3% Education Student 7 8.3% Retired 3 3.6% Not known 33 38.1% From the table above, the composition of participants is from different ages, different education levels and different occupations, therefore the sampling is representative and the result is credible. (2) Questionnaires survey results The results of first round of questionnaire survey are in the Table 9.5-4. Table 9.5-4 Summary of public opinions from individuals No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) website 1 1.2 From what source do you know newspaper 23 27.4 the World Bank financed 1 television 4 4.8 Qinghai Xining Urban Transport this questionnaire 62 73.8 Project? Others 2 2.4 very satisfied 58 69.0 Are you satisfied with the fairly satisfied 27 32.1 2 environmental qualities Not satisfied 0 0 conditions at work and at home? does not matter 1 1.2 How do you rate the conditions Severe 6 7.1 3 of existing exhaust of vehicles Not severe 27 32.1 on the roads? Fair 53 63.1 Severe 5 6.0 How do you rate the conditions 4 Not severe 28 33.3 of noise on the roads? Fair 54 64.3 Noise 33 39.3 The construction activities under Vibration 8 9.5 this Project might cause Flying dust 27 32.1 environmental pollution or Wastewater and mud 22 26.2 5 disturbance to your life. Which Traffic congestion 26 31.0 one is the major impact in your Resettlement 39 46.4 opinion? Ecological damage 5 6.0 Others 1 1.2 The operational activities under Noise 62 73.8 6 this Project might cause Exhaust gas 30 35.7

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No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) environmental pollution or disturbance to your life. Which Others 13 15.5 one is the major impact in your opinion? The regional 15 17.9 In your opinion, which one of environment 7 these places must have good The whole residential 65 77.4 environmental quality? environment The bedroom 2 2.4 Low noise road surface 24 28.6 Sound insulation Which environmental protection 18 21.4 windows measures do you think should 8 Resettlement 12 14.3 be taken during operational Landscaping 67 79.8 stage? Planning 16 19.0 Others 0 0 Economical 49 58.3 If the project causes compensation environmental impact to your better treatment of the 9 51 60.7 residential environment, which discharge kind of measures do you prefer? resettlement 1 1.2 Does not matter 1 1.2 Understandable 47 56.0 Your opinion about the Understandable but 10 temporary impact at mitigation measure 40 47.6 construction stage? must be taken Complain 0 0 Complain to the environmental 81 96.4 Which do you think is an protection agency effective method to handle the 11 Law suit 11 13.1 environmental pollution issue in Stop the project this project? construction and 0 0 operation Willing to do 33 39.3 Unwilling to do 3 3.6 How about the impact of Conditionally willing to 20 23.8 12 resettlement on your life and do work? positive impact 11 13.1 adverse impact 1 1.2 not much difference 23 27.4 Economic development 32 38.1 Which do you think will improve Smooth travel condition 68 81.0 13 after this project is Living environment 28 33.3 implemented? Road flying dust 4 4.8

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No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) No impact 0 0 Your overall opinion about this Support 79 94.0 14 Project? Conditional support 7 8.3 Against 0 0 The results are summarized as below: (1)The public opinion and their understanding about the project 94% of the participants support the project and 8.3 % conditionally support the project. There are no participants against this project. (2) The understanding on the existing environmental conditions. 69% of participants are very satisfied with the current environmental conditions while 32.1% are only satisfied, 1.2% think it does not matter and nobody are unsatisfied. 7.1 % of participants think the exhaust gas pollution is severe while 32.1% think it is not severe and 63.1% think the pollution is only fair. 6 % of participants think the road noise is severe while 33.3% think it is not severe and 64.3% think it is only fair. These results suggest that the residents in the project area have some but not complete understanding of environmental protection and the current pollution conditions. Campaigns and educations are needed to improve the environmental protection awareness. (3) The public opinions about resettlement For the land acquisition and resettlement compensation policies, 39.3 % participants are willing to accept while 23.8% are conditionally willing and 3.6% are unwilling. Most of residents know the land acquisition and resettlement issues induced by the road construction. (4) Public opinions on the impact of road construction Most people think the adverse impacts during construction stage include the noise and flying dust. 39.3% of participants selected noise pollution and 32.1% chose flying dust. The adverse impacts during operation stage are noise and exhaust gas. 73.8% of participants selected noise and 35.7% chose exhaust gas, 15.5% chose others. If the noise increases after project is completed, 17.9% and 77.4% of participants hope the environmental quality can be maintained for regional

HAES -255- QXUTP EIA Report environment and for the whole residential environment, respectively. The selected mitigations include landscape, low noise road surface, sound insulation windows, resettlement, and planning. The percentage of choosing these mitigation measures are 79.8%, 28.6%, 21.4%, 19% and 14.3%, respectively. 81% of participants think this project will help traveling more convenient and 38.1 % think it will help the local economy. 9.5.2.2 The questionnaire survey for organizations In this survey, HAES solicited opinions on project and on the alignment of the roads from the 4 village committees (The Wangjiazhai Village, the Taobei Village, the Yanxiaocun Village and the Wuzhong Village), representative agencies (the Qinghai Provincial DRC, the Qinghai Provincial Education Department, the Xining City Chengxi District Government), enterprises and institutions (the Qinghai Panyou Law Firm, the Qinghai New Energy Group Company Limited), and hospital (Xining Modern Maternity Hospital).

Table 9.5-6 Summary of public opinion from institutes No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) Media such as broadcast, From which source 4 36.4 newspaper, television and internet 1 do you know about This survey 7 63.6 this Project ? Others 0 0 Are you satisfied very satisfied 6 54.5 with the satisfied 5 45.5 environmental not satisfied 0 0 2 qualities conditions at work and at does not matter 0 0 home? In your opinion Flying dust 5 45.5 which one is the Noise 6 54.5 major Vibration 0 0 environmental Wastewater and mud 2 18.2 3 impact the Traffic congestion 3 27.3 construction Resettlement 5 45.5 activities under this Project might Others 1 9.1 cause? Your opinion Understandable 7 63.6 4 towards the Understandable but mitigation 3 27.3 temporary impact measure must be taken

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No. of Percentage No. Question Choices participants (%) during construction Be silent 0 0 stage? Which is the major Traffic noise 4 36.4 environmental Exhaust gas 4 36.4 5 impact during Landscape 5 45.5 operational stage? Others 1 9.1 If the project causes Economic compensation 0 0 environmental better treatment of the discharge 10 90.9 impact to your work Resettlement 0 0 6 environment, which kind of Does not matter 0 0 compensation do you prefer? Strongly support 8 72.7 Your overall opinion 7 Support 3 27.3 to this Project. Against 0 0 According to the survey results, 100% recovery rate was achieved, suggesting all the organizations are willing to take this opportunity to voice out their opinions and are hoping their voice can be heard. 72.7% of the participants strongly support this project and 27.3% support this project. No institutes were found against this project in the survey.

9.6 Information Disclosure

According to the requirements in the policy documents including the Interim Method for EIA Public Consultation (No. 28, 2006) issued by the legacy National Environmental Protection Agency, the World Bank Operation Manual (OP4.01) - Environmental Assessment and the BP17.50 - Public Disclosure, the EIA consultant should disclose the information related to the EIA to the public using a method that is convenient for the public to receive the information. (1) First round of online disclosure After the outline of EIA were prepared, HAES disclosed the information on the website of the Xining City Urban and Rural Construction Committee (http://www.qhxnjw.gov.cn/two/detail.jsp?lmbh=18&wdbh=3127) to solicit comments and suggestions on the project and on the EIA assignment from the public (Figure 9.6-1). During the disclosing period, no feedback was received.

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Figure 9.6-1 First round of online disclosure

(2) Second round of online disclosure After the draft EIA was prepared, HAES disclosed a simplified version of the EIA draft on the website of the Xining City Urban and Rural Construction Committee (http://www.qhxnjw.gov.cn/two/detail.jsp?lmbh=18&wdbh=3127) on January 30, 2013, so that the public can understand the project components and the possible impact during construction stage and operational stage. At the same time, it solicited comments and suggestions on the project and on the EIA assignment from the public (Figure 9.6-2). During the disclosing period, no feedback was received.

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Figure 9.6-2 Second round of online disclosure

(3) Disclosure on Newspapers On January 31, 2013, HAES issued a notice named “the notice of information disclosure for the EIA of the World Bank financed Qinghai Xining Urban Transport Project” on a local newspaper called Xining Evening. At the same day, HAES published the EIA Report (simplified version) on the official website of the Xining City Urban and Rural Construction Committee (http://www.qhxnjw.gov.cn). Hard copies of the report were also placed at the PMO office for public to read. The Notice on the newspaper is shown in the Figure 9.6-3. During the period of the disclosure, no feedback was received.

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Figure 9.6-3 Newspaper disclosure

9.7 Feedback of the public consultation

9.7.1 Major Comments

During the random survey, the major comments collected include that (1) the resettlement compensation should be paid in full as early as possible before the resettlement is implemented; and (2) the construction should be executed fast to reduce the impact on local residents. The compiled feedbacks indicate: (1) Most of the participants are in favor of this Project. However they have concerns on resettlement issues. (2) The participants have some knowledge regarding the major environmental issues and the mitigation measures, suggesting the residents along the project sites have some but no complete understanding on environmental protection. (3) Most of the public understand some but not all the information regarding the road construction and the resettlement compensation policies at national and provincial level. Therefore the construction unit should improve the promotion of road construction to receive more support from local residents. (4) The road construction will cause certain impact on the regular life, travel and work of the local residents. Though these impacts are acceptable to the participants, the contractors should mitigate the impacts as much as possible.

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HAES have forwarded the feedbacks to the construction unit and provided suggestions and proposed measures 9.7.2 Construction Unit

(1) With the help from local governmental agencies, the construction unit should publicize the project information and relevant policies regarding the resettlement and land acquisition compensation to protect the interests of local affected people, and to seek the public support of this Project. (2) The construction unit should prepare detailed and feasible resettlement action plan based on national and local laws and regulation. During the implementation the construction unit should strictly follow the requirement of national policies and ensure the compensation be received by relevant affected people. (3) The construction unit should listen to the views of affected people along the routes and make reasonable decisions on alignment of the road to reduce the need of farm land acquisition and impact on agriculture facilities. The construction unit should arrange access roads during construction for convenience of the travel need of local residents. (4) Sound insulation or sound block facilities should be established at road section where the noise pollution exceeds the applicable standards. For the places where the noise pollution exceeds the applicable standards significantly and the residents are scatterly located, the option of resettlement can be considered. 9.7.3 Contractors

(1) The Contractor should be required to sign the civilized construction agreement at the time of contract signing. When construction work interferes with the traffic on existing roads, temporary passageway should be established to avoid congestions. When the construction is near the farm land or water sources for irrigation, interception trench should be in place to avoid the construction wastewater from flowing into the farm land. (2) During the construction phase, the mechanical noise, the flying dust and the waste (waste water and solid waste) produced by the construction workers will cause impact on the regular life and work of local residents. The contractors should enforce civilized construction to reduce the environmental pollution. The flying dust

HAES -261- QXUTP EIA Report during hot summers is especially annoying to local residents. Therefore the contractors should implement watering of certain frequency and amount to quench the flying dust. (3) The contractor should avoid using high noise equipment during night time (22:00PM to 6:00 Am the next day). For road sections near sensitive sites, the work time of construction should be adjusted accordingly. For example, it is the best to arrange the construction near schools during breaks between semesters. The construction site should be equipped with fences and warning signs, or temporary noise-reducing facilities, such as wooden sound blocks. When continuous construction is needed, the contractor should contact the environmental protection department in a timely manner and apply for license for night time construction. At the same time, the contractor should issue notices publicly to win support from the local residents.

(4)The contractor should adopt low noise machines. The machines to be used in construction should be tested for noise level of normal conditions prior to be mobilized. The machines that have non-compliance noise level should not be allowed to enter the construction site. The machines being used should be well maintained to avoid the increase of noise level during construction period. 9.8 The adoption of public opinions

The comments to be implemented in different phases of the project are as below: (1) The construction unit should prepare detailed and feasible resettlement action plan based on national and local laws and regulation. During the implementation the construction unit should ensure the compensation be received in full and in time by relevant people prior to the realization of resettlement. (2) The construction unit and design unit should listen to the views of affected people along the road routes and make reasonable decisions on alignment of the road to reduce the need of farm land acquisition and impact on agriculture facilities so that the impact of road construction on the local agriculture is minimized. (3) For road sections near schools and crowded residential area, the construction should be arranged during school breaks and avoid the resting time of local residents. The contractor should install fences/hoardings and warning signs

HAES -262- QXUTP EIA Report on the construction site to reduce the disturbance of the construction noise on students and local residents. (4) The contractor should adopt low noise machines. The machines to be used in construction should be tested for noise level of normal conditions prior to being mobilized. The machines that have non-compliance noise level should not be allowed to enter the construction site. The machines being used should be well maintained to avoid the increase of noise level during construction period.

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10 Environmental Management Plan

In order to make sure all adverse environmental impacts are controlled and mitigated, environmental management and monitoring need to be implemented in the whole process of project implementation. 10.1 Institutional Arrangement

10.1.1 Institute for Environmental Management

A PMO will be established under the Xining City Construction Commission to be responsible for the environmental management of this Project, including the preparation of the work plans for environmental protection, the coordination between the local authorities and construction units, and the guidance for the construction units to implement relevant management measures and the management of the environmental activities during construction phase. The PMO will also be responsible for the environmental management during the preparation of the FS, the EMP and designs. The XURCC, the Xining Transportation Investment Company (XTIC), the Xining Transportation Bureau (XTB), the Xining Police Department (XPD), the Xining Public Transportation Company (XPTC), and the PCO/PMO are responsible for the implementation and management of the environmental protection measures during the operation phase. 10.1.2 Institute for Environmental Supervision

The institutes for environmental monitoring include the provincial EPB and the municipal EPB. The monitoring duties are phased as below: (1) FS Phase. The provincial EPB, the World Bank, the XEPB and the XMG are responsible for the monitoring in this phase. The Qinghai Provincial EPB is responsible for the overall environmental management, review of the outline for EIA, review and approval of the EIA report, guidance to the municipal EPB for law enforcement, and the acceptance test of the environmental protection facilities. The XEPB is responsible for monitoring and managing the environmental protection at the municipal level, including (i) organizing and coordinating among relevant institutes; (ii) supervising the implementation of the EMP; (iii) leading the

HAES -264- QXUTP EIA Report acceptance test of the associated environmental protection facilities; and (iv) providing guidance to district EPB in the environmental management activities during construction phase and operation phase. (2) Design Phase. The environmental protection division under the PMO is responsible for the monitoring in this phase while the Xining Municipal Construction Commission will provide supervision at the review of the project preliminary design. (3) Construction Phase. The Qinghai Provincial EPB and the environmental protection division under the PMO are responsible for the monitoring in this phase. Under the guidance of the provincial EPB, the XEPB will implement the EMP and relevant environmental management regulations and standards, coordinate different agencies in the environmental protection activities, be responsible for the construction, acceptance test, operational inspection, supervision and management of the environmental protection facilities. The details include: 1)Prepare the environmental protection management method and detailed management plan based on relevant national regulations and norms on construction management and operation, and with consideration of detailed construction plan and the pollution control measures proposed in this report. Prepare and provide trainings to contractors, environmental supervision engineers on knowledge regarding the environmental protection and environmental monitoring. 2)Inspect the construction sites on a regular basis, supervise the implementation of environmental protection management method, and identify and correct any construction activities that do not comply with the management method. 3)Investigate and handle the disturbance, nuisance or pollution issues caused by the construction activities. 4)Submit the environmental management progress report to the local environmental protection authority (4) Operation Phase. The Qinghai provincial EPB, the XEPB and the local authorities are responsible for the monitoring in this phase. The local authorities will prepare the detailed rules for the environmental protection and will supervise the enforcement of these rules; will identify environmental quality control targets which can be used for performance review; will propose control measures and report to the superior governing agencies and authorities; will organize the license exams

HAES -265- QXUTP EIA Report and trainings, and scientific research and technical exchanges. (5) The environmental monitoring activities during the construction phase and operation phase will be conducted by the Xining City Environmental Monitoring Center. The environmental supervision will be implemented by relevant supervision companies. After the project is completed, the environment protection divisions will be formed with designated staff to be responsible for the environmental protection activities. 10.1.3 Environmental Management Procedure

The procedure of the environmental protection management is shown in the Figure 10.1-1.

Figure 10.1-1 Environmental Protection Management Procedure

Project preparation Project proposal Preliminary environmental assessment

Pre-appraisal Feasibility study Outline of EIA

Appraisal Project plan EIA

Implementation plan of Official appraisal Preliminary design mitigation measures (draft)

Loan Negotiation Tendering documents Implementation plan of mitigation measures (final)

Board consideration Project construction plan Supervision of mitigation measures implementation plan n Effectiveness Construction supervision Review of the implementation and environmental facilities Project delivery acceptance test

10.1.4 Contents

In order to effectively control the potential environmental pollution during construction phase, it is needed not only to control the construction quality and progress, but also to manage and supervise the implementation of the mitigation measures and the execution of contract terms related to environmental protection, and to make sure the construction is performed in a “civilized” manner.

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(1) The construction unit should include the environmental protection measures in relevant tendering documents and contract documents, and should request the contractor to implement these measures strictly with economic incentives and penalties. (2) The contractor should follow the requirement in the relevant laws and regulations, in the contract terms to conduct the construction activities. At the same time, the contractor should implement the environmental protection measures proposed in this EIA report. (3) A qualified supervision agency should be retained for construction supervision so that its designated environmental supervision engineer can supervise the implementation of the environmental protection measures. (4) The contractor should assign environmental management staff at each construction site to be responsible for the on-site control and management of the pollution sources. For the high-noise and high-vibration equipments, the work hours should be strictly controlled. (5) Spend efforts in public awareness promotion. Due to the constraints in technical conditions and the construction environments, sometimes the environmental pollution is inevitable even after control measures are taken. Therefore, public awareness should be promoted to the residents in the project area and project affected areas to seek their understanding and cooperation. (6) Environmental evaluation and associated facilities development need to be done for the settlement location for affected people to ensure the life conditions of the resettled people are not worse off after the project. (7) The local construction authority and the contractor should establish the complaint address office and establish hotlines to accept potential complaints, and designate staff to handle the complaints within a required timeframe. 10.1.5 Environment Supervision Management Plan

The environmental management duties and responsibilities are different in content in different phases. They are performed in different timeframe with the operation phase following the construction phase. Therefore the environmental management duties responsibilities can also be phased and taken up by different organizations. The environmental management arrangement during the project

HAES -267- QXUTP EIA Report implementation is shown in the Table 10.1-1. Table 10.1-1 Environmental Management Arrangement Phase Institute Content Objectives 1. Ensure that the EIA report is comprehensive with appropriate topics and highlighted focus. 2. Ensure that the potential and Qinghai significant issues that might be FS Provincial 1.Review the EIA report induced by this project are reflected phase EPB in the report 3. Ensure that there is a feasible implementation plan of the environmental impact mitigation measures. Qinghai 1. Review whether the costs of 1. Ensure the funding of Provincial environmental protection measures environmental protection measures EPB are included. is included. 2. Inspect the restoration of 2. Ensure that the landscape and temporary land acquisition, the land resource along the roads vegetation and environmental are not significantly damaged, and restoration will be restored. 3. Inspect the status of the 3. Ensure that the surface waters Qinghai treatment and discharge of are not polluted. Provincial domestic and construction

EPB and wastewater Design Xining 4. Review the appropriateness of 4.Ensure that these sites comply and Municipal the material storage sites and with relevant environmental constru EPB mixing stations for asphalt and protection laws and regulations ction concrete. phase 5. Reduce the environmental 5. Inspect the pollution control for impact induced by the Project, and dust and noise, and determine the enforce relevant environmental construction time. laws and standards. 6. Inspect the three-simultaneousness of the 6. Ensure the compliance of environmental protection facilities Qinghai three-simultaneousness and ensure they are completed in Provincial time. EPB 6. Inspect the compliance of the 6 Inspect the environmental performance of environmental protection facilities protection facilities 1. Review the implementation of 1. Ensure that the implementation Qinghai the monitoring plan of the monitoring plan. Provincial 2. Identify the need of further 2. Ensure that the environmental EPB environmental protection measures protection is successful Operati (for issues not expected) on Qinghai 3. Inspect the environmental phase Provincial quality at sensitive sites against 3. Enhance the environmental EPB and relevant quality standards management to protect the public Xining 4. Inspect the solid waste storage, health Municipal transportation and treatment. EPB

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10.2 Environmental Monitoring Plan

10.2.1 Objectives

The environmental monitoring mainly includes the monitoring of the environmental impacts on the local environment along the roads or near the Yanxiaocun Interchange induced by the construction and operation of this Project. The purpose of the environmental monitoring plan is to ensure the measures and recommendations of the EIA report are implemented accordingly so that the environmental impact are controlled with compliance of relevant national laws, regulations and standards. 10.2.2 Institute for the Monitoring

The monitoring will be carried out by qualified institute with the national environmental monitoring certificate. The monitoring should be conducted regularly with the monitoring reports prepared and provided to the management authorities so that the environmental protection bureaus at different levels can all have access to the reports. If any issues are identified in the monitoring, they should be reported promptly so that effective measures can be taken to solve the issues. 10.2.3 Environmental Monitoring Plan

The sensitive sites with possible significant pollutions will be selected as the monitoring locations based on the results of the environmental impacts predictions. The environmental qualities at these locations will be monitored during the construction phase and the operation phase. The selected items to be monitored include the noise, ambient air and surface water. The monitoring indicators are identified based on the typical pollution factors of the Project. The analytical methods will be selected from relevant methods in the Technical Specifications of Environmental Monitoring issued by the legacy National Environmental Protection Agency. The national standards identified in the EIA process will be selected as the applicable standards. Based on the engineering characteristics of the Project, the environmental monitoring plan will be phased as shown in the Table 10.2-1.

Table 10.2-1 Environmental Monitoring Plan Sampling Indicator Sampling Implementatio Phase Frequency Location s Duration n Agency

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Sampling Indicator Sampling Implementatio Phase Frequency Location s Duration n Agency Concrete mixing stations, Once every earth quarter Xining City 3-4 times mixing (may increase Environmental Ambient Air TSP PM each stations, 10 at peak Monitoring quarter Wangjiazha construction Center i Village, periods) and Taobei Constructio Village n Phase One at Wangjiazha Xining City Once day time i Village, 2 Environmental Noise LAeq every and one and Taobei day Monitoring quarter at night Village Center time Huangshui Twice Xining City Water River and COD during the Two days Mn Environmental Environme Yunguchua Oil bridge / per Monitoring nt n Crossing SS constructio sample Center locations n period Wangjiazha 18 hours Xining City 1 i Village, Once a continuou Environmental Ambient Air CO, NO day and Taobei x year s Monitoring s Village sampling. Center One at Wangjiazha Xining City 2 day time i Village, Once a Environmental Noise LAeq day and one and Taobei year Monitoring Operational s at night Village Center Phase time The outlet of the Xining City wastewater pH, NH -N, Waste 3 Once Environmental at the COD, Water every year Monitoring Yanxiaocun BOD , Oil 5 Center Interchang e

10.2.4 Equipment and Budget

The monitoring equipments will be prepared by the Monitoring agencies instead of being covered under this Project. The budget for monitoring is 200,000 RMB (for 5 years at 40,000 RMB/year) during construction phase and 180,000 RMB during the first 3 years of operation phase (3 years at 60,000 RMB/year). The budget for monitoring after the third year of operation will be included in the annual budget of the O&M unit. The monitoring agencies will prepare the monitoring report based on the results and submit to the local authorities including the local EPB.

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10.2.5 Environmental Monitoring Procedures

The construction unit should develop the environmental monitoring procedures based on the nature of the project, the experiences gained in similar projects, and the relevant requirement of the Environment Management System (ISO 14001). The procedures should include: (1) Establish special organization for the environment management organization, and arrange sufficient funding and staffing for the organization; (2) Develop the environment management mechanism, environmental monitoring plan, training plan and the pollution control measures based on the construction plan and the information provided in this report. (3) Implement the training plan on topics including the improvement of the environmental awareness, the improvement of operating skills, and the skills of performing above mentioned pollution control measures. (4) Clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of each person, and perform the daily management (including the site inspection). (5) Establish well functioned information exchange channel, especially the address mechanism for the potential claims from the residents. (6) Organize the monitoring agencies to implement the monitoring plan and report the results to relevant local authorities. (7) For the environmental non-compliance issues and disturbance issues in construction phase and operation phase, preventive plans must be prepared. If they occur, corrective actions must be taken promptly. When necessary, the management method can be adjusted accordingly to respond to the actual situations. (8) The filing of important documents in the environmental management needed to well managed, including the monitoring reports, complaints from the residents, and orders of correction with timeframe requirements. (9)The environment monitoring institutes will review the monitoring work regularly and prepare the environmental monitoring report for submission to the relevant local authorities. The institute will also progressively update the monitoring procedures according to the review comments from the local authorities and to potential complaints, so that the overall environment management can be improved.

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10.2.6 Environmental monitoring report

(1) Construction Phase The project construction phase is approximately 4 years and can be divided according to the activities into sub-phases including the land acquisition and resettlement, drainage system construction, road construction, traffic signs installation, and acceptance tests. According to relevant laws and regulations, and the requirements of the World Bank Operation Manuals, the environmental monitoring agencies should prepare progress reports. The purpose of the progress report is to ensure the environmental protection agencies that all relevant measures are being implemented as stipulated in the approved environmental monitoring plan, and to inform them of the measures being taken or to be taken in order to control the foreseeable adverse environmental impact. The report frequency is twice every year. The progress reports should include: the establishment of environmental management institute, the construction progress, the main construction methods, and the environmental impacts induced, the mitigation measures, the implementation status of mitigation measures, and the complaints received and the solutions. Other than the progress reports, the construction unit should also prepare daily reports and monthly reports and submit these reports to governing agencies and local environmental protection agencies. (2) Operation phase After the project is completed, the monitoring agencies will regularly prepare the environmental monitoring reports (once a year) which include: the status and changes of the environmental management organization, the implementation status of the review comments provided by the environmental protection authorities to the previous reports, the monitoring mechanism (time, frequency, locations, equipments or instruments used, applicable standards, etc.), the summarized results and evaluations, the proposed follow-up pollution control measures.

10.3 Environment Supervision

Construction supervision is required for construction projects in China so that the total quality management can be performed for the construction management and environmental protection.

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10.3.1 Principles of Environmental Supervision

(1) Environment supervision is an important part of the construction supervision. The construction supervision agency should have designated personnel for the environmental supervision duties. (2) The construction supervision agency should develop and strictly implement the environment supervision plan based on the relevant environmental protection standards and norms, the engineering design drawings and other design documents, the construction contract and tendering documents, the EIA report (including the EMP), the construction supervision contract, etc. (3) The objects of the environmental supervision include all the pollution incidents that might arise in construction activities, with focus on (i) the environmental protection during the construction phase; (ii) the post-construction ecological restoration, and (iii) the implementation status of all the pollution control measures. 10.3.2 Scope and Duration

The scope of the environmental supervision includes the project area and the project affected areas. The scope of work includes the construction sites, the construction camps, the construction access roads, construction associated facilitates and the area in which the construction activities might cause environmental pollution or ecological impacts, and the area for which environmental protection measures are needed as the project operation might cause environmental impacts. Phases: there are two phases of environmental supervision, including the construction preparation phase and the construction phase. The service duration starts from the construction preparation and ends at the completion of the construction. 10.3.3 Methodology and procedure

(1) Methods The resident supervising engineer can adopt walk-through or stationed supervision methods. The supervising engineer should conduct on-site monitoring of the waste water, the gas emission and the noise levels at the construction sites. If a pollution incident is identified, the supervising engineer should notify the

HAES -273- QXUTP EIA Report responsible person of the contractor immediately so that corrective measure can be taken. The notice should also be copied to the supervision agency and the client representative. After the contractor receives the notice from the environmental supervising engineer, the contractor should solve the problem immediately. (2) Procedures The environmental supervision procedures are designed as below:

Inspection Inspection Construction- Other governmental Xining EPB unit agencies Regular report Regular report

Environmental quality assessment interim report Employ Major environmental issues report Supervision and inspection Supervision monthly report Comments on variations for environmental facilities Feedback on the comments on the environmental Comments on variations for facilities variations environmental facilities Design Environmental Construction institute supervision agent Comments on variations Environmental inspection supervision agent for environmental Comments on resumption of facilities environmental facilities Comments on variations Request for variations of environmental facilities for environmental facilities Construction method statement Construction monthly schedule Supervision and inspection Monthly progress report Notice to suspend Application forms for resumption of works Notice of supervision engineer General application forms Environmental accident sheet Supervision and inspection Notice to resume Contractor

Figure 10.3-4 Procedure of Environmental Supervision

10.3.4 Contents of Work

10.3.4.1 Construction preparation phase The environmental supervision at construction preparation phase is referring to the activities related to environmental supervision in the construction methods design and the tendering processes. In the construction methods design, the relevant authorities will supervise and make sure the environmental protections measures proposed in this EIA report and approved by the provincial EPB are reflected in the construction methods design and included in the cost estimate, so that the principle of the “environmental protection facilities are designed simultaneously” of the “three simultaneous” is

HAES -274- QXUTP EIA Report complied with. In the tendering process, the construction unit should give emphasis to the environmental protection facilities and request the contractors to prepare construction plans accordingly. The construction unit should selected contractors with good environmental protection awareness, capability and track records. This will help form a basis for the compliance of the principle of the “environmental protection facilities are constructed simultaneously” of the “three simultaneous”. Before the construction workers are mobilized, trainings should be provided on environmental laws and regulations, ecological protection and pollution control. 10.3.4.2 Construction phase 1. Objectives of the environmental supervision The environmental supervision is related to the construction supervision. However, their focuses are different. The objectives of the environmental supervision are: (1) To inspect the implementation of the environmental protection measures proposed in the EIA report. (2) To ensure the quality, schedule, ecological restoration and pollution control of the environmental protection facilities meet relevant standard requirements and comply with the relevant laws and regulations. (3) To perform the duties of supervision and to identify any construction activities that are not following the relevant regulations or that have inferior construction qualities. If these activities are identified, the supervision engineer should report to the construction unit and propose appropriate correction measures. Appropriate procedures should be followed for the approval and the corrective activities. (4) To provide assistance in the inspection conducted by the local environmental authorities and to provide support in the handling of environmental disputes. (5) To review the quantity and quality of the environmental facilities, and participate the acceptance test. 2. Supervision of the noise source The noise sources need to be controlled to reduce the noise levels in the construction area and the project affected areas to a level below the limits.

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Environmental supervising engineers should be familiar with different noises sources including the machineries, the traffic and the daily life of the workers, and should ensure the relevant control measures are taken to avoid the noise impacts on the concentrated residential areas. 3. Supervision of the ambient air pollution source The main pollutants to the ambient air include the waste gas emission and the flying dust produced in the construction activities. The construction sites need to be watered routinely based on the weather information to quench the flying dust, and need to be maintained clean. The environmental supervising engineer needs to evaluate the ambient air quality monitoring results at the sensitive sites within 200 meters from the construction sites. If the quality level does not meet the standard requirement, the environmental supervising engineer should notify the contractor to take appropriate prevention measures to ensure the compliance of air quality. 4. Supervision of the water pollution source One of the environmental supervising engineer’s focuses is the water environment. The engineer should monitor the source, amount, water qualities of the wastewater, and the construction progress and performance of the treatment facilities. The engineer should also inspect the drainage system of the construction site and make sure the site has no impounded surface water. The cleansing of vehicles should be conducted within the construction site. The cleansing wastewater should be recycled after treatment in the oil-separation and sedimentation tanks. The construction wastewater is not allowed to be discharged into the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River. After the construction is completed, the oil-separation tanks and sedimentation tanks will be demolished and cleaned up by the contractors. 5. Supervision of the solid waste pollution source The environmental supervising engineer should supervise and make sure the construction solid waste is well controlled as required. The construction site should be maintained in order. 6. Management of transportation vehicles. The contractor should strengthen its vehicle management. The transportation should be arranged during the daytimes. When the night time transportation is inevitable, measures such as reducing the speed and avoiding honking should be

HAES -276- QXUTP EIA Report taken to reduce the noise impact on local residents. If 4 or more complaints of a single noise source are received within one week, the contractor must review its construction methodology and inspect its machineries used, and take appropriate and effective control measures to reduce the noise impact. The transportation vehicles should not be overloaded otherwise there will be potential of spills. The contractor should regularly clean up the entrance roads and access roads, and quench the dust by watering to reduce the impact of flying dust. 10.3.4.3 Post construction environmental supervision The environmental supervising engineer should supervise the implementation of the environmental restoration plan and should inspect the performance of the environmental protection facilities. The engineer will also need to participate the acceptance test of the environmental protection facilities, provide assistance in the trainings organized by the construction units, and be responsible for the planning and wrap up of the environmental supervision. 10.3.5 Performance Requirement

(1) Enhance the supervision on the contractor to control the ecological and landscaping impacts and to control the pollutant discharge. Facilitate the environmental management on the construction by the environmental authorities. (2) Be responsible for the environmental protection facilities as a supplement to the construction supervision. (3) Work with the environmental authorities to ensure the enforcement of relevant environmental protection laws and regulations at the national, provincial and municipal levels.

10.4 Acceptance test of environmental protection facilities

According to the Provisions on the Management of Inspection and Acceptance of Completed Environmental Protection Facilities of Construction Projects, the construction unit will apply for the environmental protection acceptance test to the local environmental authority, and prepare the acceptance monitoring plan. The plan will be implemented once approved. The basic documents need be prepared prior to the test. These documents include the EIA report, the environmental acceptance test monitoring report, environmental protection report, etc. the list of contents for environmental

HAES -277- QXUTP EIA Report acceptance test is shown in Table 10.4-1.

Table 10.4-1 List of contents for environmental acceptance test No. Items Major contents of acceptance test Notes Environmental management organization is formed as Provided 1 Organization requested by the EIA report by the Relevant environmental protection terms are included in project 2 Tendering document the Civil Works contracts or the Goods contracts owner together The environmental monitoring and supervision are 3 Monitoring with the conducted following the request of the EIA report. application Performance of for The performance test reports of the environmental 4 environmental protection acceptance protection facilities during trial operation period. facilities test Environmental protection 5 measures Phase Controlling target Control Measures Temporary septic tanks are installed at the construction camps. The domestic wastewater will be treated in the septic tanks and the effluent will be used for fertilizing the farm land; the construction wastewater will Wastewater be recycled after treatment in the oil-separation tank and sedimentation tank. The wastewaters are not allowed to be discharged into Huangshui River and Yunguchuan River. Waste The contractors are equipped with small watering vehicles to quench Flying dust gas the flying dust on the roads and the working area. Low-noise machinery will be used. The machine will be well Construction maintained. Sound block facilities will be installed if there is residential Noise noise area in proximity. The construction workers are equipped with Constructio protection devices. n phase Garbage bins are placed at the construction camp to collect the Domestic domestic waste. It will be timely transported to the sanitary landfill for waste Solid further treatment. Waste Spoil and The construction wastes are timely transported to the Wuzhong Dagou Construction Landfill. The waste is not allowed to be piled randomly. waste Soil erosion control and biological restoration are implemented (the Biological Soil erosion temporary storage will be covered, the slope is protected) to effective protection control control the soil erosion. Social People Public notices and press releases. Sign board on the construction sites. A separated system for rainwater and wastewater is adopted. The wastewater is collected through the sewer network and sent to the No. Drainage 4 WWTP for treatment. The rainwater is collected in the drainage system and discharged into Huangshui River, Yunguchuan and Shier river. Wastewat er The oil containing wastewater is treated in the oil-separation and Water sedimentation tanks to comply with the acceptance standard of the pollution at sewer network and then sent to No. 4 WWTP for further treatment. the The domestic wastewater is treated in the septic tanks to comply with Operation Interchange the acceptance standard of the sewer network and then sent to No. 4 Phase WWTP for further treatment. For the sensitive sites where the noise level exceeds the limit, ventilation and sound insulation windows are installed, the speed limit Protection of and no honking signs are installed in order to make sure the noise level Noise the noise can be reduced to below the limit stipulated in the GB3096-2008. Noise sensitive sites monitoring plan has been prepared to make sure the noise level is below the limit during operation phase. Solid Domestic Assorted trash bins are placed along the roads and in the Yanxiaocun Waste waste Interchange to collect and timely transport out the domestic waste.

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No. Items Major contents of acceptance test Notes The waste oil from the vehicle maintenance is collected by the Waste oil operational unit and sent to qualified contractors for recycling and treatment. Landscaping will be provided for the central belt and the green belts on both Biology Landscaping sides, and for the Yanxiaocun Interchange. The landscaping area meets the requirement of the design. Water body A set of runoff collection and sedimentation tanks are installed each for pollution the Huangshui River Bridge and the Yunguchuan River Bridge. Environm induced by ental risk traffic Warning signs with information such as the speed limit accidents

10.5 Training Plan

The purpose of the training plan is to ensure that all involved parties understand the environmental management plan to facilitate the implementation of environmental protection measures. The proposed trainees mainly include the environmental management and environmental supervision practitioners. The training provided to them is also a part of the technical assistance under this Project. During the project implementation, trainings will also be provided to the contractors and the construction workers. Before the construction commences, all the contractors, the operation units, and supervising engineers must attend the mandatory trainings on Environment Health and Safety (EHS). Detailed plan is shown in the Table 10.5-1 Table 10.5-1 Training plan for the environmental technicians Cost, No.s of Type Topics Personnel Contents Time Schedule (10,000 participants RMB) Advanced experiences and Managerial the best practices 10 staff in the of construction 6 2014 16 days PCO. phase Environmental environmental Overseas Management management Technical methods Engineers of environmental from PMO management 20 14 2015 40 and Client during construction phase Basic theory and methods of Environmental environmental 4days Environmental management 2014 Domestic monitoring; 10-20 each 8.5 Protection staff of -2017 monitoring report time contractors preparation, on the job training; EMP

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Cost, No.s of Type Topics Personnel Contents Time Schedule (10,000 participants RMB) implementation and emergency plan Environmental laws and regulations; construction plan; rules and planning Environmental of environmental supervision monitoring, engineer and 5days Environmental monitoring and 2014 environmental 5-10 each 5.5 Supervision control -2017 staff on time technologies for construction ambient air; unit side monitoring and control technologies of noise Total 70

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11 Environmental Protection Cost and Environmental Benefit Analysis

11.1 Environmental protection cost

11.1.1 Environmental protection capital cost The total project cost is approximately 1.6632639 billion CNY. The environmental protection investment includes the cost of environmental protection facilities, equipments, and construction phase monitoring. The estimated capital investment for the environmental protection measures proposed in this EIA report is 29.0937 million CNY, or 1.75% of total project cost, in which 21.3352 million CNY is listed in the engineering cost and 7.7585 million is additional cost required by the EIA. The summary of the environmental protection investment is shown in the Table 11.1-1.

11.1.2 Environmental protection operational cost The first three year operational cost of the environmental protection facilities will be included in the World Bank loan while the cost after the third year will be included in the annual budget of the O&M unit. The total cost for the first three years will be 930,000 CNY as listed in the Table 11.1-2

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Table 11.1-1 Cost Estimate for Environmental Protection Cost Quantit Measures Performance (10,000 Notes y RMB) Part I Environmental Monitoring Additional Construction Phase 50,000 RMB/Year 4 years 20 based on EIA Additional Completion acceptance test and monitoring - 50 based on EIA Part II Environmental Protection Measures Temporary septic tanks are installed The wastewaters are not at the construction camps. The Domestic allowed to be discharged into Included in the domestic wastewater will be treated Wastewat Huangshui River and 4 sets 4 engineering in the septic tanks and the effluent er Yunguchuan River. No impact cost will be used for fertilizing the farm Wastewat on the water environment land er The wastewaters are not Constructi The construction wastewater will be allowed to be discharged into Included in the on recycled after treatment in the Huangshui River and 4 sets 4 engineering Wastewat oil-separation tank and Yunguchuan River. No impact cost er sedimentation tank. on the water environment Constr The contractors are equipped with Included in the uction Ambient Flying small watering vehicles to quench Self The impact of dust is reduced 10 engineering Phase air dust the flying dust on the roads and the prepared cost working area. The boundary noise level is Sound block facilities will be Included in the Constructi below the noise limit required by Noise installed if there is residential area in 2 places 6 engineering on Noise the Noise Limit of Industry Sites proximity. cost GB12348-90 Garbage bins are placed at the construction camp to collect the Garbage is timely transported Included in the Domestic Solid domestic waste. It will be timely off site. The construction site is 4places 4 engineering waste waste transported to the sanitary landfill for clean. cost further treatment. Constructi The construction wastes are timely Recycle if possible. No random 219,400 219.38 Additional

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Cost Quantit Measures Performance (10,000 Notes y RMB) on waste transported to the landfill. pile allowed to prevent tons based on EIA environmental impact 4.2737 million included in the Soil erosion control and biological engineering restoration are implemented (the Biological Soil cost and temporary storage will be covered, Soil erosion is controlled 614.84 protection Erosion 1.8747 million the slope is protected) to effective additional control the soil erosion. based on the EIA Included in the Public notices and press releases. Social People 3 places 4 engineering Sign board on the construction sites. cost Oil The oil containing wastewater is containing Class III standard of the treated in the oil-separation and wastewat comprehensive wastewater Additional sedimentation tanks and then sent 3 sets 9 er at the discharge standards based on EIA to No. 4 WWTP for further Interchan (GB8978-1996) Wastewat treatment. ge er Domestic The domestic wastewater is treated Class III standard of the wastewat in the septic tanks to comply with the comprehensive wastewater Additional er at the acceptance standard of the sewer 1 set 5 Operati discharge standards based on EIA Interchan network and then sent to No. 4 on (GB8978-1996) ge WWTP for further treatment. Phase Vehicles with non-compliance Ambient Exhaust exhaust gas are not allowed to use Ambient air pollution is reduced. / Air gas the roads. Protection of the The noise level can be reduced Included in the The speed limit and no honking Noise noise to below the limit stipulated in 6 places 12 engineering signs are installed sensitive the GB3096-2008 cost sites Solid Domestic Assorted trash bins are placed along The garbage is promptly 20 Additional

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Cost Quantit Measures Performance (10,000 Notes y RMB) Waste waste the roads and in the Yanxiaocun transported out to keep the area based on EIA Interchange to collect and timely clean. transport out the domestic waste. The waste oil is handled by qualified the waste oil is effectively Additional Waste oil contractors for recycling and handled with no impact on the / based on EIA treatment. environment Landscaping will be provided for the Included in the Landscap central belt and the green belts on both The landscaping area meets the Ecology 116,595 1,654.15 engineering e sides, and for the Yanxiaocun requirement of the design. cost Interchange. A set of runoff collection and Water Traffic risk is controlled. No sedimentation tanks are installed Additional body impact on water quality in the 2 sets 95 each for the Huangshui River Bridge based on EIA Environm pollution water bodies and the Yunguchuan River Bridge. ental risk induced Included in the by traffic Warning signs with information such 4 places 8 engineering accidents as the speed limit cost Part III Environmental Management Training of environmental management staff during Additional 70 construction phase based on EIA Additional EMP EMC cost 100 based on EIA Total cost for Environmental protection 2,909.37

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Table 11.1-2 Operational cost for the environmental protection facilities

No. Item Cost (10,000 CNY) Notes 1 Monitoring cost 6 2 Energy cost 1 Bridge runoff collection, 3 Maintenance 20 sewer treatment, solid waste collection, etc. 4 Labor 4 Subtotal 31 Total (3 years) 93 3 years

11.2 Environmental economic benefit analysis

11.2.1 Social economic benefit

The Project can help improve the regional transportation network by improving the infrastructure development, and can help improve the functionability of the city. The Project can not only improve the service level of the roads, but it can also help reduce the travel time needed for passengers and cargoes, thus can help reduce the transportation cost and reduce the number of traffic accidents. The utilities services including the water supply, the power supply and the drainage systems can be upgraded together with the road construction. These improved utilities services can help improve the living conditions and qualities of the local residents. They can also appreciate the value of the land in the project area, bringing in significant benefits in the values of land resources. The construction will cause certain adverse impacts on the life and work of local residents. If the land acquisition and resettlement can be well handled and the local residents are satisfied, this impact can be controlled to an acceptable level. 11.2.2 Environmental benefits

The environmental impact caused in the roads construction is usually a complex issue that involves a wide range of factors. For example, the noise, dust and water pollution can all cause impact on the environmental quality. They can also have a negative effect on the vegetation along the roads. Therefore, for highway construction projects, necessary environmental protection measures must be taken to mitigate these adverse impacts. These measures include landscaping, sound block, proper treatment of wastewater, and emergency response facilities,

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The highway construction can bring in significant social and economic benefits. At the same time, with the implementation of the environmental protection measures in the construction and operation phases, the temporarily affected ecological environment can be restored and improved.

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12 Conclusions

12.1 Project background

The proposed project is an urban transport improvement project consists of 4 components, namely the Urban Roads, the Public Transport, the Intelligent Traffic Management and the Institutional and Capacity Building. The Urban Roads components include the Xicheng Avenue (from the South Bypass Highway in the south to the Chaidamu Road in the north, with length of 3.7 km and width of 50 m), the Wusixi Road Extension (from the No.4 Road in the east to the Xicheng Avenue in the west, with length of 3.49 km and width of 60 m), the No. 5 Road (from the Wusixi Road Extension in the south to the Chaidamu Road in the north, with length of 1.02 km and width of 40 m), with associated facilities including the bridges, drainages, landscaping, lighting and traffic control facilities. The Public Transport component includes the Integrated Public Corridor (15.6 km), the Yanxiaocun Interchange (located in the Xichuan Yanxiaocun Village with land area of 14.19 hm²), and associated Guihua 1 Road and Guihua 2 Road. The Intelligent Traffic Management component is focused on the Wusi Road. It contains 10 items including the upgrade of the traffic signal control system, and the bus signal system, etc. the Institutional and Capacity Building component contains 4areas including the relevant studies on urban transport, project management and technical support, technical training and public campaign. The project will acquired 57.71 ha of land. The implementation will start in 2013 and end in 2017. The total project cost is approximately 1.6632639 billion CNY. The environmental protection capital cost is 29.0937 million CNY, or 1.75% of total project cost.

12.2 Baseline Environmental Conditions

12.2.1 Ecological Environment

The proposed new roads are mainly located in the suburban area with concentrated human activities. The ecological system is an agro-ecosystem based on farm land. There is no primeval vegetation and large wild animals in the project area. The ecological system has its stability and functional integrity. If effectively

HAES -287- QXUTP EIA Report managed, the ecological system can be well maintained with some capacity of disturbance resistance. 12.2.2 Ambient Air

From above survey results during the period between January 25, 2013 and

January 31, 2013, the daily NO2 and SO2 concentrations were all below the Class II standard value of the Environmental Air Quality Standards (GB3095-1996), with

100% compliance rate. However, the TSP and PM10 concentrations both exceeded the Class II standard value. The possible reason is that the monitoring was conducted during the winter time when it was dry and the vegetation coverage rate was low. Flying dust can easily occur in windy days or when a vehicle passes by. In addition, there is a steel factory (Xining Steel Mill) near the sampling site from which the waste gas emissions will also contribute to the TSP and PM10 concentrations. From the monitoring data at the municipal monitoring center, the No.5 WTP, the provincial medicine warehouse, and the Silu Hospital released on the Xining City air quality platform, the average CO concentration near the Silu Hospital exceeded the Class II standard values. While the average CO concentrations near other sites were below the Class II standard values, the sampling locations of the City Environmental Monitoring Center and the Provincial Medicine Warehouse had higher maximum percentages of 86.1% and 92.9%, respectively. The daily averages of SO2 concentrations all exceeded the Class II standard values at the No. 5 WTP and were below the standard values at other places. The daily averages of

NO2 concentrations were all below the Class II standard values at all monitoring locations. For the PM10 indicator, only the daily averages at the No. 5 WTP were below the Class II standard values. At other locations, the daily average concentrations all exceeded the standard values. In summary, the baseline air quality condition in the Xining City is poor.According to the field investigation, the major reasons of air pollution are that there are many enterprises and restaurants in Xining that are using coal as fuel. As the consequence, the amount of pollutants emitted from coal burning is massive. At the same time, the amount of pollutant from vehicles emission is also significant.

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12.2.3 Surface Water

At the Zhamalong cross section, all water quality indicators are below the standard value of the Class III standard with the standard index values below 1.0. However, for the cross sections at the Wangjiazhai Village and at the Xining Steel Mill Bridge, the ammonia nitrogen concentration both exceeded the standard value. The possible reason is that the river received pollutants from domestic wastewater and agriculture non-point sources. In the Yunguchuan River, the COD and ammonia nitrogen concentrations both exceeded the standard values for the Class II standard. The possible reason is that the water received pollutants from domestic wastewater and agriculture non-point sources. 12.2.4 Sound Environment

From the above results, the noise levels at the 4 sensitive sites (including the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu Village and the Wuzhou Village) were below the Class II standard value of the Sound Environment Quality Standards (GB3096-2008). However, the noise levels at the Yanxiaocun Village (near the Chaidamu Road, first row) exceeded the Class 4a standard value. The possible reason is due to the traffic noise from the Chaidamu Road.

12.3 Compliance analysis of the industrial policy and relevant plans

(1) The Industrial Policy The Project is in the Item 24 of Industrial Restructuring Catalog (2011) which is a sector to be encouraged. Therefore the Project is in compliance with the national industrial policy. (2) Qinghai Provincial Highway and Water way Transport 12th Five Year Plan The development of this Project will provide convenient travel service and alleviate the urban traffic pressure. Therefore the development of this Project is in line with the Qinghai Province Highway and Waterway Transport 12th Five-Year Plan. (3) Xining State Highway Transportation Hub Master Plan The proposed Wusixi Road is part of the “4-horizontals, 11-verticals and 1

HAES -289- QXUTP EIA Report circle” in the master plan. The proposed Xicheng Avenue is part of the “3-horizontals and 2-verticals” in the master plan. Therefore, the Project is in line with the Xining City State Highway Transportation Hub Master Plan. (4) Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan The Huangshui River is a Class III water body and the Yunguchuan is a Class II water body. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. From the engineering design, the forbidden activities indicated in the Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan will not occur during the construction phase. During the operation phase, the wastewater will be discharged to the No. 4 WWTP through the city sewers and will not cause pollution to the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River. Therefore this Project is in compliance with the Xining City water environment function zoning plan. (5) Xining Huangshui Forest Park Plan The Xining Huangshui Forest Park is located in the Huangshui Forest which is located in the Dananshan Scenic Area. The minimum distance from the park to the proposed Project is 4 km. Therefore this Project will not cause any impact on the Huangshui Forest Park. (6) Current Urban Plans 1) Xining City Urban Master Plan The proposed Wusixi Road Extension Section and the proposed Xicheng Avenue are both parts of the important “4-horizontals, 11-verticals and 1 circle” in the master plan. Therefore, the proposed Project is in line with the Xining City Urban Master Plan. 2) Development Plan for Urban Space of Xining City (2030) The proposed Wusixi Road Extension section and the upgrade of the Wusi Road Bus Corridor are part of the trunk road in the development plan. Therefore this Project is in line with the development plan for urban space of Xining City (2030) 3) Huangzhong County Urban Master Plan (2011-2030): Douba Master Plan The proposed Xicheng Avenue under this Project will pass through the Huangzhong County and the Chengbei District of the Xining City in the south-to-west direction. This part of the project area is in the rural area. The development of the Xicheng Avenue can help improve the transportation

HAES -290- QXUTP EIA Report infrastructure and improve the public transportation service. In addition, the planned Xingduo Road in the Duoba Master Plan is connected to the Wusi Corridor in this Project. Therefore, this Project is in line with the Huangzhong County Urban Master Plan 4) Control Plan of the Haihu New District The Wusi Road Bus Corridor will be upgraded on the existing Wusi Road. The Haihu Road to Huangshui River section of the Wusi Road is located in the Haihu New District with a road width of 60 m between the red lines. It is in line with the Wusi Road plans in the control plan. Therefore this Project is in compliance with the Haihu New District Control Plan. 5) Control Plan of the Chaidamu Road Area The Wusi Road Bus Corridor will be upgraded on the existing Wusi Road. Some sections of the Wusi Road are also part of the road network in the Chaidamu Road Area Control Plan. In the future the Wusi Road Bus Corridor will also become part of the east-to-west network. Therefore this Project is in line with the Chaidamu Road Area Control Plan. 6) Hutai District Control Plan The Wusi Road Bus Corridor will be upgraded on the existing Wusi Road. The section between the Xinning Road and the Haihu Road is located within the Hutai District. It will become the planned trunk roads in the control plan. Therefore this Project is in compliance with the Hutai District Control Plan

12.4 Environmental Impact Assessment Results

12.4.1 Ecological System (1) The project will cause certain impact on the ecological system along the roads alignment. However, the affected plants are common species that can grow in different area and have good adaptability. Generally the project will not cause distinction of any species within the area. Also the post-construction landscaping will offset some of the ecological loss. (2) Most of the impacts on wild animals are in the construction phase. The area of land acquisition is relatively small with similar habitats available in surrounding area, and the affected species are mostly widely distributed in many areas. The animals in the evaluation area are adaptable to human being. As most of the

HAES -291- QXUTP EIA Report project area has already become populated with human activities, the wildlives dwelling in the area are adaptable to human beings. Therefore the project will not cause extinction of these animals or cause significant change in their life patterns. (3) The Xicheng Avenue will cross the Huangshui River using the new Huangshui River Bridge. The Wusixi Road will cross the Yunguchuan River by a box culvert. The Huangshui River Bridge will cross the river by one single span with no piers in the water channel. Thus the bridge construction will cause little or no disturbance to the water environment in the Huangshui River. During the construction phase, the waste water produced will not be discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River, therefore no impact on the aquatic lives will be cause by the wastewater. In addition, the wastewater discharge arrangement is well designed. If the operation phase wastewaters are well managed accordingly, there will be no significant impact on the aquatic lives in the Huangshui River. (4) The project area along the roads has a stable ecological system that has been in place for many years. The Project will acquire 57.71 hm² of lands, most of which is farm land or construction use land. The project will cause some loss of vegetation and the impacts will show a linear pattern. However the area of the vegetation loss due to contraction is relatively small, and the landscaping works along the roads will offset some of the vegetation loss, the overall loss is minimal and will not affect the stability and integrity of the over ecological system. (5) The landscaping in the central divider and in the greenbelts on both sides of the roads will strengthen the landscape effect and add a modern feature to the roads. (6) Impacts on soil erosions: The road construction will permanently acquire some lands, destroy the original geomorphologic conditions and reduce the area of water conservation facilities. As the top soils or vegetations are damaged in the excavation, or buried, the nature of land use will permanently be changed, causing the loss of land resource. The construction waste will be stored at temporary spoil field. If no effective measures are taken, the loose soil pile will cause erosions in storm occasions and become silted in surrounding farmlands and ponds. During dry weathers, it may

HAES -292- QXUTP EIA Report also become flying dust and damage the regional environment. The damage to vegetations will also cause damage to the integrity of the landscaping. The road construction activities will cause an increase in the soil erosion coefficient. As the amount of newly added soil erosion is huge, it will cause an increase in the suspended solids in the water can cause damage to the water storage capacity and the water quality. The nutrient in the soil loss will also cause nutrient pollution as a non-point source. At the same time, as large amount of soil and sand enters the irrigation system in the project area, the irrigations trenches might be clogged and the irrigation system might not function normally. If not sufficient soil erosion control measures are taken, the road side slope made by filling will be vulnerable to surface runoff and become unstable. This will consequently cause damage to the road and impact on the normal road operation.

12.4.2 Water Environment 1. Construction phase The wastewaters are mainly from the domestic wastewater of the construction workersand the wastewater construction (1) In the construction camp, only very simply living facilities are provided and the wastewater amount produced will be small. The wastewater will contain organic matters such as fats, food residues, detergents, etc. If the wastewater is discharge directly without any treatment, it will cause adverse impact on the surface water bodies in the surrounding area. (2) The construction wastewaters are mainly from the wastewater for cement mixing, and the wastewater for machines or vehicles cleansing and maintenance. The process water of concrete manufacturing is mainly for cleansing of sand material and for cement mixing. The wastewater has high turbidity and high sand content. The washing of machineries and vehicles will produce a large amount of wastewater with high sand content. According to similar project experiences, the major pollutants for construction wastewater are COD (50-80mg/L), oil (1.0-2.0mg/L), and SS (150-200mg/L).These wastewaters can cause water pollution; therefore they are not allowed to be discharged to the water bodies along the roads directly. The construction wastewater will be recycled after oil separation and sedimentation processes. They are not allowed to be discharged into the Huangshui River or into the Yunguchuan River.

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(3) According to the Xining Water Environment Function Zoning Plan, the Huangshui River is a Class III water body near the crossing location, and the Yunguchuan is a Class II water body near the crossing location. Both of them are drinking water source protection areas. If the construction wastewater is discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River directly, it will impact on the water quality and on the water body functions. Therefore it is required that the construction wastewater be recycled after treatment instead of being discharged into the water body. If this requirement is followed, the impact on the water quality will be insignificant. 2. Operation phase The wastewaters during operation phase are mainly from the domestic wastewater produced by the work staf and moving populations at the Yanxiaocun Interchange, the oil containing wastewater for vehicle maintenance and gas station, and some wastewater from the road surface runoff. (1) At the Yanxiaocun Interchange, the oil-containing wastewater will be treated in the oil-separation and sedimentation tank, and the domestic wastewater will be treated in the septic tanks. After these treatments, the water quality will meet with the requirements of the Class III standard of the Comprehensive Wastewater Discharge Standards (GB8978-1996). The wastewater will be then sent to the Xining City No. 4 WWTP for further treatment. The effluent will meet the Class I A discharge standard and will not cause any adverse impact on the water quality of the Huangshui River. (2) The wastewater from the roads during operation phase is mainly composed of the storm water. The major pollutants include the SS and the COD. According to the analogy estimation, the discharge intensity and the annual load of COD are relatively small. They are within the self purification capacity of the water body. Therefore the road runoff will not cause significant impact on the water environment. (3) The roads to be constructed in this Project are mainly urban roads that do not allow transportation of hazardous chemical. Therefore there is no risk of water pollution caused by accidents of vehicles loaded with hazardous or poisonous substances. However, consider that traffic accidents can lead to oil spill and contaminate the water environment, it is recommended that a runoff collection

HAES -294- QXUTP EIA Report system on the bridge surface and sedimentation tanks on the both ends should be arranged to collect and treat the surface runoff after the traffic accident.

12.4.3 Sound Environment 1. Construction phase During the earth works, when a single machine is being used, the noise level at 60 meters distance will be below 70dB(A) (the day time limit of the Noise Limits of Construction Sites), and the noise level at 300 meters can be below 55 dB(A) (the night time limit of the Noise Limits of Construction Site). During the structural works, the noise level at 40 meters distance will be below 70dB(A) (the day time limit of the Noise Limits of Construction Sites), and the noise level at 200 meters can be below 55 dB(A) (the night time limit of the Noise Limits of Construction Site) There are five sensitive residential sites along the roads, including the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu Village, the Wuzhong Village and the Yanxiaocun Village. All of these five sites are located within 3-200 m distance away from the roads. The construction activities will cause different level of noise impact. It will exceed the noise limit by 3-14 dB(A) during day time and 2-24 dB(A) at night time. 2. Operation phase (1) The prediction results of the traffic noise along the roads. 1) The Wusixi Road Short term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the only areas that are 34 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 42 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the only areas that are 57 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Mid-term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the

HAES -295- QXUTP EIA Report areas that are 51 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 51 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 120 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Long term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 59 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 53 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 144 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). 2) The Xicheng Avenue Short term: For both the day time and the night time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 34 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Mid-term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 41 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 40 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment

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(GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 94 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Long term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 66 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 60 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 167 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). 3) The No. 5 Road Short term: For both the day time and the night time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 23 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Mid-term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 25 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 25 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 39 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). Long term: During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red

HAES -297- QXUTP EIA Report lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 37 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas 35 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 69 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). 4) Guihua 1 Road For all operational stages, the noise level for areas outside the red lines both in day time and night time, can comply with the Class 4a and Class 2 standards of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). 5) Guihua 2 Road During the short term and the mid-term, the noise level for areas outside the red lines both in day time and night time, can comply with the Class 4a and Class 2 standards of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). For the long term, both in the day time and in the night time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 4a standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). During the day time, the noise levels for areas outside the red lines can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). While during the night time, the noise level of the areas that are 16 meters away from the central line can comply with the Class 2 standard of the Quality Standards of Sound Environment (GB3096-2008). From the table, the noise level compliance distances are within the scope of evaluation. In real situation, because of different factors including the terrain absorption, building absorption, vegetation absorption and air attenuation, the actual noise level will be lower than the predicted theoretical values. (2) The prediction results of the traffic noise at the sensitive sites. For the short term (by 2018) the noise levels at the sensitive sites are all below the limits. For the Midterm (by 2024), the noise levels at the Zuoshu Village and the Wuzhong Village along the Xicheng Avenue and at the Taobei Village along the

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No.5 Road are all below the limits. For the Taobei Village along the Wusixi Road and the Wangjiazhai Road along the Xicheng Avenue, the noise levels during day time are below the limits. But they are all above the limits at night times. They exceed the limits by a range of 1.1-5.1 dB(A). For the long term (by 2032), the noise levels at the Wuzhong Village along the Xicheng Avenue and at the Taobei Village along the No.5 Road are below the limits. For the other three sensitive sites, the noise levels are below the limits during day time but exceed the night time limits by 1.8 to 6.7 dB(A). (3) The prediction results of the traffic noise near the Bus Corridor. The traffic flow will not change significantly after the upgrading as the red line width will not change. The bus speed will increase significantly. As the traffic can move more smoothly, the traffic noise will decrease compared with that on a congested road with vehicles engines idle running. In addition, the upgraded bus service will provide more convenience for the local travel and will attract more and more people to adopt the public transportation. The use of private cars will be reduced. So is the source of pollution. With a comprehensive consideration of above factors, it is predicted that the environmental noise on the road side will remain unchanged. (4) The prediction results of the noise levels at the Interchange. The noise of bus engine idle running is 75-78 dB. The bus interval is 2-3 minutes during peak hours and 3-4 minutes during regular hours. According to the layout plan, after attenuation from obstacle and from distance, according to the calculation the boundary noise contributions are below standard requirements and will not cause advserse impacts on surrounding area.

12.4.4 Ambient Air 1. Construction phase (1) In a windy occasion, the mixing of construction material will produce TSP pollution. According to the monitoring data of similar projects, the TSP concentrations at 50m, and 100m distances downwind from the mixing stations are 8.90 mg/m³, 1.65 mg/m³. At the 150 m distance downwind from the mixing stations, the TSP concentration will be below 0.3 mg/m³, the limit stipulated by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). The TSP produced in other processes can be contained within the distances of 50-200

HAES -299- QXUTP EIA Report meters from the construction sites. Outside of this range, the TSP concentration can meet the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). (2) The loading/unloading and the transportation of construction materials can also produce TSP pollution. According to the monitoring data of similar projects, the TSP concentrations at 50m, 100m, and 150m distances downwind from the transportation routes are 11.652 mg/m³, 9.694 mg/m³, and 5.093 mg/m³, respectively, all exceeding the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). Above analysis suggests that the dust pollution and the TSP pollution are significant and need appropriate mitigation measures. 2. Operation phase

(1) Based on the prediction results, the hourly NO2 concentrations for all the reference years including 2018, 2024 and 2032 at the 5 sensitive sites (including the Guanzhong Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu village, the Taobei Village, and the Yanxiaocun Village) all exceed the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012). While the hourly CO concentrations for all the reference years (including 2018, 2024 and 2032) at the 5 sensitive sites (including the Guanzhong Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu village, the Taobei Village, and the Yanxiaocun Village) are all below the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012).

The daily NO2 concentrations for all sensitive sites exceed the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012). The daily CO concentrations at the Guanzhong Village, at the Zuoshu Village, at the Taobei Village and at the Yanxiaocun Villages in 2032 exceed the standard limits; the daily CO concentrations for other occasions are all below the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996 and GB3095-2012).

The yearly NO2 concentrations at the Wangjiazhai Village, at the Zuoshu Village, at the Taobei Village and at the Yanxiaocun Villages in 2024 and in 2032 exceed the standard limits, the yearly NO2 concentrations for all other occasions

HAES -300- QXUTP EIA Report are all below the standard limit required by the Class II standard of the Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-1996). However if the new Quality Standards of the Ambient Air (GB3095-2012) is applicable, then all the concentrations will exceed the Class II standard limits. (2) The traffic flow will not change significantly after the upgrading as the red line width will not change. The bus speed will increase significantly. However, as the traffic move smoothly, the pollutants from the exhaust gas will decrease. In addition, the updated bus service will provide more convenience for the local travel and will attract more and more people to adopt the public transportation. The use of private cars will be reduced. So is the exhaust gas emission. For the bus stations and the Interchange, the normal operation will not cause significant impact on the ambient air environment. (3) After the construction is completed and the traffic flow increases, the exhaust gas emission will also increase, leading to an increase in PM2.5 concentration and an adverse impact on the air quality.

12.4.5 Solid Waste 1. Construction phase The solid waste mainly comes from the earth works, the building demolishing, and the domestic solid wastes. According to the engineering design, it is estimated that the excavation volume will be 598,600 m³, the fill volume will be 185,500 m³ and the waste volume will be 413,100 m³. Among the waste the permanent spoil will be 344,900 m³ which will be sent to the construction waste landfill for disposal, and the temporary waste is 68,200 m³ which is mainly the top soil and will be temporarily stored up for future landscaping use. According to the Resettlement Action Plan, there will be buildings of 150,261 m² floor area demolished which will produce construction waste of approximately 168,800 tons. This waste will be transferred to a proposed Xining Chengbei District Wuzhong Dagou Landfill for treatment. It is estimated that there will be 100 workers on site at peak period and producing 0.1 tons of domestic waste per day. The construction phase solid waste will be linearly distributed along the roads. If not well stored or handled, it could damage the vegetation along the roads, clog the irrigation ditches, or fall into the Huangshui River, Yungguchuan River or the

HAES -301- QXUTP EIA Report ponds and consequently pollute the water bodies. If the solid waste is stored for too long, it could also cause flying dust on windy days, and cause impact to local residents. Therefore, construction management should be strengthened to clean up the solid waste promptly to reduce or prevent the above mentioned impacts. The domestic waste such as the food residue, the plastic packaging, the waste cells, can cause adverse impact on the city appearance and cause environmental pollution if not well handled. In addition, if the domestic waste is not well managed, it can attract rodents and mosquitoes which can also pose a threat to the workers’ health. The domestic waste will also produce highly concentrated leachate, which can cause further pollution to the soil and the water. When the domestic waste contains waste cells, it can cause contamination of heavy metals, making the pollution situation even worse. 2. Operation phase (1) Urban Roads During the operation phase the solid wastes are mainly from the domestic waste produced by the pedestrian along the roads. In not properly handled, the solid waste can have an adverse impact on the landscape and the public hygiene, and can also pollute the air and pose a threat to public health. During the operation phase, the solid waste will be handled by the municipal solid waste management system. It will be sorted and collected using the garbage bins placed on both sides of the roads. The solid wastes that cannot be recycled will be sent to the sanitary landfills for disposal. (2) Yanxiaocun Interchange 1) Domestic Solid Waste. The domestic solid wastes are from the staff members and the transferring passengers in the Yanxiaocun Interchange. According to the estimates in the engineering design, the volume of domestic solid waste volume during operational stage is 182.52t/a. During the operation phase, the domestic solid waste will be collected at designated location within the Interchange. At the same time, the district sanitation department will regularly clean up the solid waste and send it to the Liujiagou sanitary landfill for treatment. With these measures taken, the solid waste during operational stage will not have a significant impact on local environment. 2) Waste Oil. The waste oil from the Yanxiaocun Interchange maintenance

HAES -302- QXUTP EIA Report workshop is hazardous waste and the waste oil will be handled by a qualified contractor in Qinghai province, Ningli Water Proof Material Company Limited, after being collected by the construction unit. Therefore the waste oil will not cause significant impact on the environment. 12.4.6 Accident Risk Analysis

There are two kinds of accident risks in this project, including the traffic accident risk and the explosion risk of the gas station within the Yanxiaocun Interchange. (1)The proposed roads in this Project are mainly urban trunk roads that do not allow hazardous chemical transportation. The transportation of such chemicals will take the route of the branch roads at the south end of the city. Therefore, there is little or no risk of water pollution from traffic accidents with vehicles carrying poisonous or hazardous substances. However, there is a potential risk of that the management is not well enforced, or that the vehicle drivers make a mistake. In either case, collisions or rollover of vehicles might occur and pollute the environment. A lot of studies show that most of pollution accidents along the roads are caused by traffic accidents. When the roads are near a water body, these accidents might leed to water pollutions. However, though the possibility of a traffic accident is low, if such accident occurs, the consequence can be significant. (2)According the gas station risk analysis, the impact area of heat radiation is larger than the impact area of shockwave. Therefore only the impact from heat radiation is discussed. According to the engineering design, there are no residential areas within 92 m distance from the gas station. The personnel vulnerable to the fire accidents are mainly the gas station staff, the dispatch center staff, the workers in the maintenance workshop, and the passengers. However, the gas station is well designed in compliance with all the requirements of the design code and well equipped with fire fighting facilities, and the probability of fire accidents is very low. Therefore, there will not be significant adverse impact on the people in the area if the accident risk mitigation measures are taken and the emergency plan is prepared. In addition, the leakage, fire or explosion can also cause pollution to the ambient air, the surface water and the soil.

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12.4.7 Social Impact (1) Positive Impact This Project can help improve the urban road network and facilitate the development of the transportation hub; it can improve the urban development and ensure the sustainable development; and it can facilitate the economic development, improve the investment environment and improve the living condition. (2) Adverse Impacts 1) The Project will involve some demolishing and resettlement of enterprises or residential houses and brings in adverse impact on the local enterprises and residents. 2) The project will occupy the land of local residents and causing loss to local farmers. Therefore it is necessary to include the local residents suffering loss into the social security system and ensure their normal life and work. In addition, preference should be given to these people suffering loss for employment placement. 3) The Project will have certain impact of the traffic safety, especially for residents of the Taobei Village, the Wangjiazhai Village, the Zuoshu Village, and the Wuzhong Village. After the Project is complete, the traffic flow will increase, brings in more traffic safety risk to the area. For some sections, facilities such as the traffic lights, the zebra crossing, or the overpass should be established. 4) There are many sensitive sites along the Bus Corridor on the Wusi Road, including the enterprise and institutes, residential areas, hotels and shops. The construction for the bus stations upgrade will increase the pressure on local traffic and induce more traffic accidents. The construction will cause adverse impacts on the operation of local enterprises and institutes, the travel of local residents and the business operation of local shops. However, the construction period for bus stations upgrade is very short. After the construction is completed, the impacts will expire too. 5) The Xicheng Avenue undercrosses the Qinghai-to-Tibet Railway in the form a jacked-in frame bridge. Improper construction method may interrupt the normal operation of the railway. The falling gravel will cause safety concern of the construction workers and the vehicles using the undercross.

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12.5 Environmental Mitigation Measures

12.5.1 Social Environment

The preparations need to be completed prior to the commencement of construction works, including carefully investigating the project related information such as the road, power supply, telecommunications, coordinating with relevant entities to confirm the demolishing and relocating plans and preparing relevant emergency plan to ensure the regular social activities are not disturbed. It is also needed to strengthen the propaganda on land acquisition and resettlement to allow the residents along the roads understand the significance of the project and to win their support to this project. Establish Information Board on the construction site with information on the project content, construction period, to seek the affected people’s support. At the entrance of the construction site, an Information Board should be established with the contact information of contractors, supervision agencies and local environmental protection agencies. The construction unit will be responsible for the land acquisition and resettlement and for providing compensation to affected people according to relevant national and local policies. A resettlement office should be established to manage the resettlement activities, develop relevant policies and handle issues arise from the land acquisition, demolishing and resettlement to ensure the smooth project implementation. It is also needed to minimize the impact on local people’s life and to recovery or even to improve their livelihood in a short period of time through monetary compensation.

12.5.2 Ambient Air 1. Construction Phase. Contain the demolishing or construction sites with 2.5 m hoardings. Pave the construction sites. Keep watering as necessary during excavation, drilling and demolishing to maintain water content on the working surface and to prevent the flying dust. Frequently water the exposed dry soil surface on the construction site. Water the drying soil as necessary when conducting filling. Strengthen the backfill storing site management by requiring surface compacting, regular watering and covering. The soil that are no longer needed and the construction waste should be transported off site in a timely manner. Keep the construction material storage sites

HAES -305- QXUTP EIA Report away from sensitive sites along the roads. The vehicles transporting earth or construction materials should not overload, and should either be covered by using canopy or by other measures to avoid the spilling. The roads are cleaned and watered regularly to avoid resuspending of the dust. Each road construction contract should have a water vehicle. The on-site canteen should use liquefied petroleum gas or electricity as heating source instead of burning construction waste. When the construction activities are completed, the land and road should be recovered as soon as possible. 2. Operation Phase. Develop the transportation energy strategy of Xining City and enforce the stricter emission standard for the newly registered vehicles. Strengthen the maintenance of vehicles and prevent the vehicles with excessive emission from being used. Reduce the dust re-entrainment by cleaning the road surface. Reduce the exhaust gas emission of slow traffic by strengthening the traffic management and optimizing the signaling system. Promote the clean fuel such as the natural gas. It is also suggested that the planning department should not make plans for any more sensitive sites along the new roads. In addition, because the broad-leaved trees along the roads can help quench the dust and reduce the pollutant amount, for those sensitive sites that cannot be relocated, they can increase the vegetation and take advantage of the purification function of the plants to mitigate the pollutions. 12.5.3 Water Environment

1. Construction Phase. The contractors should make arrangement of wastewater discharge to avoid unorganized discharge and environmental pollutions. Septic tanks should be installed on construction sites so that the wastewater can be treated prior to being discharged for farm land use. The construction wastewaters will be recycled after oil separation and sedimentation processes. They are especially forbidden to be discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River. The contractors should strengthen the construction management and supervision, enforce regular mechanical inspection to avoid oil spill that might pollute the water bodies. The construction materials should not be stored near the water bodies and necessary

HAES -306- QXUTP EIA Report measures should be taken to prevent the soil or construction materials from clogging the irrigation ditches. 2. Operation Phase. 1) Urban roads The roads will have associated drainage system with separate stormwater and wastewater collection systems. The wastewater along the roads will be discharged into the city sewer and then be transported to the No. 4 WWTP for further treatment. The storm water will be collected in the storm water pipeline and be discharged to the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River. Normally the road surface runoff carry only low amount of pollutants and will not cause significant impact to the water environment. To mitigate the risks of water pollution in accidents occasions, the bridges crossing the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River will have bridge surface runoff collection system and accident tanks on both end of the river to collect the initial rain water or post-accident runoffs. There will be warning signs with warnings such as “cautions” or “reduce the speed” at the bridges. The bridges will also have crash barrier to prevent the vehicles from falling into the river. 2) Yanxiaocun Interchange Yanxiaocun Interchange adopts the separated wastewater and storm water systems. The rain water will be collected in the storm water pipeline and discharged to the municipal drainage system. For the wastewater system there will be 1 set of septic tanks with 100 m³ volume and 3 set of oil separation tanks (2 at the maintenance workshop and 1 at the gas station). The domestic wastewater will be pre-treated in septic tanks and the oil-containing wastewater will be pre-treated in the oil separation tanks to the Class III standard of the Comprehensive Wastewater Discharge Standards (GB8978-1996) before they are sent to the No.4 WWTP for further treatment. 12.5.4 Sound Environment

1. Construction Phase. Try to use low noise machines if possible. Well maintain the machines to avoid the increase of noise level due to wearing. Make reasonable arrangement for construction schedule and locations. For the construction near sensitive sites, do not allow the operation of high-noise machines at night times. The high-noise work area should be arranged away from sensitive sites. The construction management

HAES -307- QXUTP EIA Report and environmental supervision should be strengthened near the sensitive sites by implementing “civilized construction” rules. 1. Operation Phase. (1)Road In the road design, it is suggested that the elevation of the road base should be lowered as long as the drainage system is not compromised. This will help reduce the sound radiation area of the traffic noise. Immediately after the road construction is completed, the side and central landscaping belt (total of 9-11 m) should be built. The green belt should be planted with trees with dense branches. Later in the empty land at both sides of the road, greenbelts should be built to reduce the noise impact and ecological impact. During operation, the road maintenance should be strengthened to maintain the road smoothness. Besides, the motorized vehicle management should be strengthened to ensure the vehicles using the road are in good conditions. At the same time, honking should be banned along the roads. According to the noise prediction results, in the short term (2018) the noise levels at the sensitive sites will be all below the limits. And in the mid-term (2024), except for the night time noises at the Taobei Village along the Wusixi Road and the Wangjiazhai Road along the Xicheng Avenue will exceeds the limits by a range of 1.1-5.1 dB(A), other noise levels will all be below the limits. According to the Xining Urban Master Plan (2001-2020) and the Xining Urban Space Development Plan (2030), the proposed urban roads under this Project are within the planned Xichuan New Urban Area. The planed land use along the roads is mainly for residential use. It will be a key area of future development of the city. With consideration that the city is expanding at a very fast pace along the roads and the Taobei Village and the Wangjiazhai Village are very likely to be relocated, this Report will not propose any engineering measures to reduce the noise level for the mid-term. However, during the roads operation, the landscaping, the traffic management and the road maintenance should be strengthened. In addition, the monitoring frequency should be increased. If significant adverse impacts are identified, timely remedial measures should be taken, such as the resettlement or the changing of the building functions.

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(3)Requirements on the road side development In the case that no noise control measures are taken, there should not be any noise sensitive buildings such as new schools, hospitals, nursing homes or residential areas to be built in the area for which class II standard is applicable. It is suggested that the planning department should avoid planning noise sensitive sites such as concentrated residential area, hospitals and schools within the noise protection distance. If such sensitive buildings are necessary, the construction unit should adopt measures such as the building sound insulation or others so that the indoor environment quality can meet relevant functional requirements. 12.5.5 Solid Waste

1. Construction Phase. The solid wastes mainly include the soil excavation, construction waste and domestic waste from the workers. The soil excavation and construction waste will be transferred to a proposed Xining Chengbei District Wuzhong Dagou Landfill for treatment. The domestic waste should be collected, stored and transported to solid waste treatment facilities in a timely manner. The solid wastes are not allowed to be disposed in the area of waters and riverbanks of the Yunguchuan River or Huangshui River. 1. Operation Phase. (1) Urban Roads The solid waste on the roads is mainly from the domestic waste produced by the pedestrian. It will be handled by the municipal solid waste management system. The solid waste will be sorted and collected using the garbage bins placed on both sides of the roads. The solid wastes that cannot be recycled will be sent to the Liujiagou sanitary landfill or other designated locations for disposal. (2) Yanxiaocun Interchange During the operation phase the domestic solid wastes are collected at designated location in the interchange. The sanitation department will regularly cleans up the waste and send to the Liujianggou sanitary landfill or other designated locations for disposal. The waste oil from the maintenance workshop in the Yanxiaocun Interchange will be considered as hazardous solid waste (HW08 waste mineral oil). These measures need be taken: (1) during the process of maintenance, prevent oil spills

HAES -309- QXUTP EIA Report and collect the waste oil. The workshop should have covers for anti-seepage and oil absorbing materials on the ground; (2) contain the waste oil in steel drums, steel cans or plastic containers. The containers should be labeled clearly with description of the nature and hazard of the contents, volume, loading date, and the identification marks of hazardous waste. (3) adopt the “five-copy” policy for the transfer of hazardous waste to ensure safe transfer and to avoid illegal transfer and disposal. This policy will help the monitoring of hazardous waste, preventing the pollution incidents of hazardous waste, and ensuring the hazardous waste be handled by the Xining Water Proof Material Company Limited for recycling. 12.5.6 Ecological Environment

(1) Vegetation The construction activities should be contained within the area of land acquisition; the material storage area and other temporary land acquisition area are better to be maintained within the red lines. Use existing roads as the construction access roads to reduce the impacted area of construction activities, to reduce the land acquisition and to enhance the protection of forest and grass lands. The domestic solid waste from the construction workers should be collected for treatment, and then be transported off site. Littering is forbidden to protect the local ecological environment. The top soil should be collected and saved for post-construction site restoration or roadside (or road center) landscaping. (2) Wild life Improve the wildlife protection and no-hunting awareness of the construction worker. In order to reduce the disturbance of the wildlife from the construction noise, the construction method and schedule should be well designed and reviewed to avoid the noise impact especially during the twilight period and the noon time. The habitat should be restored after the project is completed to reduce the adverse impact on wildlife caused by the habitat damage. (3) Aquatic life The water bodies involved in this Project include mainly the Huangshui River and the Yunguchuan River. The aquatic lives in the water bodies are very common in other similar environments. The Huangshui River Bridge crosses the river by one span with no piers in the water, therefore it won’t cause disturbance to the aquatic lives.

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Before the construction phase, the construction plan should be well prepared. During the construction phase, measures should be taken to avoid soil erosion and to enhance the water body protection. The wastewater should not be allowed to be discharged into the Huangshui River or the Yunguchuan River to avoid pollutions. After the construction is completed, the ecological environment should be restored to reduce the adverse impact on the water quality and on the aquatic life. (4) Soil erosion control There are three categories of soil erosion control measures including the engineering measures, biological planting measures and temporary measures. The temporary measure should be taken first to make sure the soil erosion is under control during construction phase. Then the top soils will be reserved to be used in vegetation restoration or farm land reclamation. The engineering measures will be the focus as they become effective promptly. The planting measures are supplementary to the engineering measures to ensure a long term soil erosion control and the landscaping and aesthetic at the same time. 12.5.7 Accident risks

1. Traffic accidents (1) Strengthen the transportation management along the road; Setup necessary signs with information such as the speed limit and the road shape; randomly conduct traffic safety checkup to reduce the amount of traffic accidents. (2) Prevention of risks in hazardous chemical transportation The roads in this Project are mainly urban trunk roads that do not allow hazardous chemical transportation. The transportation of such chemicals will take the route of the branch roads at the south end of the city. Therefore, there is little or no risk of water pollution caused by traffic accidents with vehicles loaded with poisonous or hazardous substances. However, these regulations should be strictly followed in actual situation by strengthening the management and monitoring. In rare occasions when the hazardous chemicals must be transported on these roads, the below measures must be taken: 1) Report to the local police department and environmental protection department, and prepare a hazardous substances risk management plan in advance. 2) Follow the time and road sections designated by the police department for

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the hazardous substance transportation. Implement a traffic control by the police department if necessary. 3) The vehicles used in the transportation should strictly follow the Rules of Regulations on Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals. (3) Prevention of traffic accidents risks on bridges The proposed roads cross the Huangshui River in the form of a bridge and cross the Yunguchuan in the form of a box culvert. To mitigate the risks of water pollution in accidents occasions, build the runoff collection system on the bridge surface and sedimentation tanks on the bridge ends to collect and treat the post-accidents surface runoff. Set up warning signs with contents such as “River area, drive with caution”, “Bridge ahead, do not pass” or information about speed limit. The bridges will also have crash barrier to prevent the vehicles from falling into the river. The traffic accidents on the Huangshui Bridge of Xicheng Avenue should be incorporated into the municipal emergency response plan. An emergency plan should be prepared with emergency aid equipments and devices provided to avoid the pollution and hazard. 2. Accident Risk Mitigation measures for Yanxiaocun Interchange In the design and construction of the gas station, relevant design codes should be strictly followed. The seismic resistance of the foundation should be strengthened to ensure the gasoline tank and pipelines will not leak when common intensity of natural hazard occurs. Strengthen safety education for the workers to improve the security risk awareness. Establish standard operational protocols. Establish a routine checkup mechanism for potential leakage positions to timely identify and resolve problems. Strictly follow the requirements on the prevention of harms from fire, explosion, lightning, and poison. The electrical equipments should be compatible with the explosion control requirement. Establish and improve a safety and environmental management system and an efficient safe production department to handle the accidents immediately, efficiently and safely once they occur. Setup warning signs at the entrances of storage takes and gas stations to ban open flames. Setup “no-mobile phone call” warning signs at the gas station. In addition, in order to timely and effectively respond to and contain the accidental leakage, fire or explosion, to minimize the casualties and the property losses, the construction unit should establish an emergency rescuing team and prepare an

HAES -312- QXUTP EIA Report emergency plan. The construction unit should coordinate with relevant government department to incorporate the emergency response into the municipal emergency response network.

12.6 Public Consultation

The public consultation was conducted with different methods including the online disclosure, newspaper disclosure, and interview and questionnaire survey. Through the public consultation, the EIA consultant solicited comments from the local residents, shops or enterprises and institutes. The results are listed below: (1) Most of the participants supported the project and no participants were against this project. (2) Most of the participants have some understanding about this project. Some participants expressed that their concerns about the resettlement issues and wished that the construction unit and relevant government agencies will take care of this issue. (3) For road sections near schools and crowded residential area, the construction should be arranged during school breaks and avoid the resting time of local residents. The contractor should install fences/hoardings and warning signs on the construction site to reduce the disturbance of the construction noise on students and local residents. (4) The contractors should follow relevant regulations and requirements and try to minimize the impact on local environment and local residents.

12.7 Environmental Management Plan

In order to make sure all adverse environmental impacts are controlled and mitigated, environmental management and monitoring need to be implemented in the whole process of project implementation.

12.8 Overall Conclusions

The Project can facilitate the optimization of the urban road network, the development of fast transit corridor and the development of the bypass routes that can alleviate the pressure of urban transportation demand. The development of the Interchange can help optimize the urban transportation for cargo and for passenger, improve the road network efficiency, and alleviate the pressure of urban

HAES -313- QXUTP EIA Report transportation demand. In addition, the development of intelligent traffic management system can ensure the road network is operating smoothly. The Project will produce domestic wastewater, noise and solid waste which will have some impacts on the local environment. However, if the three-simultaneousness policy is strictly followed and the mitigations measures proposed in this Report are implemented accordingly, the adverse impacts can be contained within an acceptable level that can fulfill the functional requirement of the regional environment. In addition, the project is in line with the national industrial policy, the urban master plan, and the principle of achieving integrated environmental benefits, social benefits and economic benefits. In summary, this Project is feasible provided that the Project is implemented in the proposed location and according to the proposed project scope and scale, and that the environmental protection measures proposed in this Report are implemented accordingly.

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