Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (Draft) March 2018 THA: Chonburi Power Plant Project (Part 2 of 6) Prepared by Gulf SRC Company Limited for the Asian Development Bank. The environmental and social impact assessment report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the Term of Use section of this website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Sriracha Power Plant Project Environmental Impact Assessment Report CHAPTER 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL (BASELINE DATA) With the aim to understand existing natural and environmental conditions around the project area, both compilation of secondary data and the conduct of field survey are essential for the study of environmental impact assessment. The study is to present overall situations and environmental quality around the project areas. This covers the 4 categories of physical resources, biological resources, human use values and quality of life values. Since location of the project areas is at the Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate (Hemaraj ESIE), examination and monitoring on various quality of environment is always conducted in order to control and closely observe those qualities. Accordingly, the result of examination and monitoring will be used as basic environmental data for clear considering the change of environmental qualities and forecasting the future environmental impact. Consequently, the result of the assessment and the forecast will be used to formulate environmental impact mitigation and preventive measures during the construction period and operation period. The study area is within 5 km radius surrounding the project areas (hereinafter referred to as the study area), covering the areas of Si Racha District and Nong Yai District, Chon Buri Province and Pluak Daeng District, Rayong Province. The details are as follows: 4.1 PHYSICAL RESOURCES 4.1.1 Topography (1) Introduction The objective of the study on topography is to understand the topographical condition of the project area and its vicinity. The result of the study will be used to assess appropriateness of the project location and environmental impact assessment during the construction period and operation period. (2) Study methods Collect related secondary data as follows: Satellite imgaes form Google Earth program Topographic map with 1:50,000 from the Royal Thai Survey Department, L 7018, series 5235 (III), B.E. 2541 (1998) Field survey in study area of the project RNP/ENV/RT5703/P2810/CH4_(1) Page 4-1 Sriracha Power Plant Project Environmental Impact Assessment Report (3) Study results Chon Buri Province is located in the east of Thailand or on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, and is approximately 81 km from Bangkok. Its topography is diverse, ranging from undulating plains and hills in the east, coastal plains from the mouth of Bangpakong River to Sattahip District, Bangpakong River basin plentiful of sediment which is suitable for agriculture, high slope area and mountain in the central and the east, and several islands of various sizes. Rayong Province is a part of the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand and located about 179 km from Bangkok. To the south, it consists of beaches and beach ridges. The areas to the north is tidal flats and former tidal flats, and is flood plains, being water- logged all year round or nearly all year round. The province’s most areas are undulating and rolling, and located above the province’s plain and low-lying areas, with the gradient ranging from 3-16 %. Moreover, Rayong Province’s topography is hilly terrain and foothill slope, comprising small hill ranges. There are a lot of mountains and hills in the north, east, and the central of the province (in the north-south range). In this province, there are 2 main rivers: Rayong River which is approximately 50 km long and Prasae River, about 26 km long. The Project’s study areas covers some areas of the Districts of Si Racha, Nong Yai, and Ban Bueng of Chon Buri Province as well as some areas of Pluak Daeng District of Rayong Province. The areas are topographically undulating (the gradient percentage is 3-16) and undulating and rolling. Some parts are hilly terrains and foothill slopes, consisting of small hill ranges as well as various natural water sources, for example: Map Kradon Marsh, Khlong Rawoeng, Khlong Kram, Khlong Pluak Daeng, and Map Eiang marsh, according to Figure 4.1.1-1. 4.1.2 Geology/Seismology 4.1.2.1 Geology (1) Introduction The objective of geological study is to comprehend characteristic of geological structure of the project and adjacent areas. This basic data is used for assessing environmental impact from the project development and operation. (2) Study methods Secondary data had been gathered from related agencies and reports to be used in the study as basic information. The geological data compilation was taken from geological map of eastern part of Thailand of Geological Survey Division, the Department of Mineral Resources B.E. 2547 (2004). RNP/ENV/RT5703/P2810/CH4_(1) Page 4-2 Sriracha Power Plant Project Environmental Impact Assessment Report FIGURE 4.1.1-1 : Topographical Conditions of Study Area RNP/ENV/RT5703/P2810/CH4_(1) Page 4-3 Sriracha Power Plant Project Environmental Impact Assessment Report (3) Study results Geological conditions of Chon Buri and Rayong Provinces consist of 3 types of hard rocks: sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks, and metamorphic rocks. The proportion of these rocks have been roughly estimated based on rock type and rock’s structural characteristics regardless of new deposits covering the top. The result shows that the geological conditions of the area are mainly metamorphic rocks (about 60 %) and igneous rocks (about 38 %) with small amount of sedimentary rocks (about 1 %). The geological conditions of the study areas consist of biotite-muscovite granite, ranging from light colour to rather black color, some of which are coarse-grained to moderately coarse-grained. The granite in some areas has porphyritic texture with some pegmatite. Some are quartz stacked stone, and igneous rock group of carboniferous period. (See Figure 4.1.2-1) 4.1.2.2 Seismology (1) Introduction The objective of seismic study is to recognize active faults which still have energy causes to earthquake which might have an effect on the project and vicinity areas. This basic data is used to assess impact from the project development and impact on project operation. (2) Methodof the study Seismic -secondary data had been gathered from the related agencies such as the Meteorological Department, Department of Mineral Sources, etc. to used as basic data for seismology study. (3) Study results According to seismic data of the Meteorological Department, there are two sources of earthquake in Thailand, namely: (a) Huge earthquake originates from outside Thailand, with vibration to the country. The original source is in the south of People Republic of China, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Andaman Sea and the north of Sumatra Island. High vibrating areas are in the north, the south, the west, the northeast of Thailand and Bangkok. According to previous data of earthquake, the hypocenter is mostly outside Thailand such as in the south of People Republic of China, Border between Thailand and Myanmar, Lao PRD, Andaman Sea and the north of Sumatra Island. Huge earthquake often occurs in these areas, because they are in hypocentric line of Alpine-Himalaya. Huge earthquake generates energetic vibration to Thailand, even the hypocenter is quite far from Thailand. RNP/ENV/RT5703/P2810/CH4_(1) Page 4-4 Sriracha Power Plant Project Environmental Impact Assessment Report FIGURE 4.1.2-1: GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF STUDY AREA RNP/ENV/RT5703/P2810/CH4_(1) Page 4-5 Sriracha Power Plant Project Environmental Impact Assessment Report (b) There are 14 active faults which cause earthquake in Thailand as shown in Figure 4.1.2-2. According to satellite data, most of active faults with severe occurrence in the past are large active faults aligning between the edge of the east–west namely; Mae Chan active faults. The other is Mae Hong Son active fault, locating between the north and the west regions of Thailand. The aligning is from the north down to the south paralleling with Dan Chedi Sam Ong (Three Pagoda Pass) active faults. In addition, map of earthquake hypocenter occurrence in Thailand and vicinity areas (between 1900-2014) as seen in Figure 4.1.2-2 shows that the project location in the east zone has no seismic source and the distance from the hypocenter is about 300 km far. Besides, compilation and review of seismic statistical data from 2009- 2015 revealed that there was no seismic statistic in Chon Buri and Rayong Provinces areas. Hence the seismic statistic is reported as seen in Table 4.1.2-1. According to seismic risky area data revised in October B.E.2556 (2013), the risky areas are divided into 12 scales by level of severity of seismic (as in mercalli scale) as shown in Figure 4.1.2-3. This map shows that the study area is the risky area at 4 (IV) mercalli (moderate). At this scale, people can feel on the occurrence of abnormal. If it occurs in day time, people in house can feel as a normal but if it is in night time, they are be frightened and wake up. 4.1.3 Soil Resource (1) Introduction Study on soil resources is aim to understand the physical properties and fertility of soil in vicinity of the project.