Public Disclosure Authorized Environmental Impact Assessment Report for Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest Tourism and Community Development Project Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Construction unit: Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area Management Committee Date of Preparation: February 2020 Table of Contents 1. Project Description 1 1.1 Project Background 1 1.2 Project Basic Information 2 1.3 Project Contents 3 1.4 Site Selection 6 1.5 Construction Conditions and Consumption of Resources 9 1.6 General Layout 10 1.7 Tourist Forecast for the Scenic Area 11 1.8 Compliance with Existing Industry Policies and Planning 12 1.8.1 Compliance with Industry Policies 12 1.8.2 Compliance with Existing Plans 12 2. Basis of Environmental Impacts Assessment 16 2.1 Legislative and Regulatory Framework 16 2.1.1 Domestic Laws and Regulations 16 2.1.2 Sector Regulations and Guidance 17 2.1.3 Technical Guidance 19 2.1.4 Other Technical Documents 19 2.1.5 World Bank Safeguards Policies 20 2.2 Review of Phase I Jingtai project 20 2.2.1 Basic Information 20 2.2.2 Project Scope and Composition 21 2.2.3 Performance Review of the Phase I Jingtai Project 23 2.3 Environmental Functional Zoning and Assessment Grades 27 2.3.1 Environmental Functional Zoning 28 2.3.2 Assessment Grade 28 2.4 Applicable Standards 29 2.4.1 Environmental Quality Standards 29 2.4.2 Pollutant Discharge Standards 31 2.5 Key Environmentally Sensitive Receptors 32 3. Environmental and Social Baseline 34 3.1 Geographical Location 34 3.2 Topography and Geology 34 3.2.1 Topography and Landform 34 3.2.2 Geology 35 3.3 Meteorology 36 3.4 Hydrology 37 3.5 Ecology 37 3.6 Introduction of Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest National Geological Park 38 3.7 Introduction of Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area 40 3.8 Introduction of Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest Provincial Nature Reserve 43 3.9 Environmental Quality 45 4. Project Pollution Analysis and Control Measures 49 4.1 Technical Process and Pollution Discharge during Construction 49 4.1.1 Technical Process 49 4.1.2 Pollution Discharge 53 4.2 Technical Process and Pollutant Discharge during Operation 57 4.2.1 Technical Process 57 4.2.2 Water Balance of the Project 62 4.2.3 Pollution Discharge 67 4.3 Summary of Pollutant Discharge 73 4.4 Pollution Control Measures 74 4.4.1 Pollution Control Measures during Construction 74 4.4.2 Pollution Control Measures during Operation 79 5. Environmental Impacts Analysis and Mitigation Measures 83 5.1 Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures during Construction 83 5.1.1 Analysis of Impacts on Ambient Air in Construction Period 83 5.1.2 Analysis of Impacts on Water Environment in Construction Period 85 5.1.3 Analysis of Noise Impacts in Construction Period 88 5.1.4 Analysis of Impacts of Solid Waste in Construction Period 89 5.1.5 Analysis of Environmental Impacts of Construction Camps 90 5.1.6 Analysis of Impact on Geopark Landscape 90 5.2 Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures during Operation 92 5.2.1 Analysis of Impacts on Water Environment in Operation Period 92 5.2.2 Analysis of Impacts on Ambient Air in Operation Period 95 5.2.3 Analysis of Solid Waste Impacts in Operation Period 97 5.2.4 Analysis of Impacts on Acoustic Environment in Operation Period 98 5.2.5 Analysis of Tourism Environmental Capacity 98 5.3 Ecological Impacts and Mitigation Measures 100 5.3.1 Project Necessity and Site Suitability 100 5.3.2 Scope and Period of Ecological Assessment 101 5.3.3 Ecological Baseline Survey 102 5.4.4 Analysis of Ecological Impacts and Mitigation Measures 108 5.4 Summary of Mitigation Measures 111 6. Environmental Risk Analysis and Response Measures 114 7. Social Impacts Assessment 119 7.1 Positive Impacts of the Project 119 7.2 Negative Impacts of the Project 120 7.3 Potential Social Risks of the Project 120 7.4 Recommendations and Actions 121 8. Environmental Protection Investment 124 9. Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan 125 9.1 Environmental Management plan 125 9.1.1 Institutional Arrangements for Environmental Management 125 9.1.2 Environmental Management Plan 126 9.2 Environmental Protection Training Program 128 9.3 Environmental Monitoring Plan 130 9.4 Environmental Protection Inspection and Acceptance for "Three simultaneousness" Completion 131 9.5 Supervision and Reporting Mechanism 132 9.5.1 Purpose and Method 132 9.5.2 Supervision and Reporting Mechanism 132 9.5.3 Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) 133 9.6 Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Management Requirements 137 10. Public Participation and Information Disclosure 138 10.1 Online Disclosure 138 10.2 Field Disclosure and Public Consultation 139 11. Conclusions and Recommendations 141 11.1 Conclusions 141 11.2 Recommendations 147 List of Abbreviation AO Anaerobic-oxic BOD Biological oxygen demand COD Chemical oxygen demand DO Dissolved oxygen EHS Environmental, health and safety EIA Environmental impacts assessment ESMP Environmental and social management plan FSR Feasibility study report GIIP Good International Industry Practice GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism LAS Linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, OHS Occupational health and safety PM Particulate matter SS Suspended solid TDS Total dissolved solid TSP Total suspended particulate WWTP Wastewater treatment plan 1. Project Description 1.1 Project Background Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest is located near Longwan Village in the southeast of Jingtai County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province. The site is about 136 km north of Jingtai County and 70 km north of Baiyin City. The Yellow River flows from east to west through the scenic spot which covers an area of 34 km2, in which the stone forest scenic area covers an area of 10 km2. Geographical coordinates of the site are as follows: 103°33'-104°43'E and 36°43'-37°38'N, with the altitude between 1340 and 1600 m. In January 2004, it was approved by the Ministry of Land and Resources as a national geological park. It is also a provincial-level Geological Heritage Natural Reserve and a National AAAA Scenic Tourism Spot. The park mainly consists of three parts, namely Yinma Gully (including Laolong Gully and Leopard Gully), Panlong Cave - Guanyin Cliff and Diwan Bay. Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area is distinct in China, especially in the north of China, which is called as "Chinese natural wonder" due to its unique shape, large scale and superior combination of natural landscape. The Yellow River Stone Forest was formed about 2.1million years ago in the Cenozoic Quaternary Early Pleistocene due to the geological effects of crustal movement, weathering and rain erosion. The stone forest is decorated by yellow glutenite with varied shapes. The Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area combines various elements such as the Yellow River, stone forest, desert, gobi, oasis and farmhouses. The scenic area is suitable for sightseeing, adventure, leisure activities, business tourism and so on. The site was first established as the scenic tourism site in 2004. Since then, efforts have been taken by local government to facilitate the tourism development there. Among others, the Yellow River Stone Forest improvement was one of the subprojects under the World Bank-financed Phase I Gansu Cultural and Natural Heritage Protection and Development Project (2008-2015) (simplified as Phase I Jingtai project below), under which a 2.5km access road, a 2500m2 museum and a 3000m2 parking lot were improved and constructed together with other associated facilities such as water supply and lighting for the scenic area and community facilities for Longwan Village. With such efforts, the Yellow River Stone Forest experienced rapid growth of tourism volume in recent years, quadrupled (406%) from 2010 to 2016. However, the fast-growing tourist volume has also put tremendous pressure on the current infrastructure and facilities in the scenic site. The Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Spot is still facing the challenges of limited financial capacity, insufficient infrastructure investments and low tourism carrying capacity, which has constrained the tourism development and poverty elimination in Jingtai County. Meanwhile, in view of its great potential for tourism development, the Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area has been identified as one of the 20 major scenic spots in the province in the "Gansu Silk Road Economic Belt Construction Master Plan" (2014-2020) and targets at the accreditation of 5A Scenic Tourism Spot following the requirements of Baiyin City Government. Based on the earlier World Bank’s investments here, the Jingtai Yellow River Stone Forest Tourism and Community Development Project was therefore proposed as a new subproject of the World Bank-financed Second Gansu Cultural and Natural Heritage Protection and Development Project for infrastructure improvements and tourism 1 development while maintaining effective conservation of the geologic relics in the scenic area. The proposed project is expected to address both needs for the upgrades and improvements of scenic site facilities and the community development of Longwan Village, as summarized in the table below. Table 1-1 Analysis of project necessity. Prospects for the Current Status of Community Tourists’ Demand Development of Scenic Scenic Area Demand Area 1) Effective protection of heritage resources and further enhancement of heritage value. 1) Visit cultural 2) Further and more heritage landscape 1) Provide more rational development of 1) Lack of effective for aesthetic job opportunities heritage tourism resources, protection for geological experience. and increase the to attract more tourists and relics 2) Appreciate the income. bring good social and 2) Too limited space natural heritage 2) Improve road economic benefits. for tourism activities in scenery and conditions for 3) Popularization of core scenic area to meet breathing fresh air.