Initial Environmental Examination (DRAFT) July 2020 People's Republic of China: Hunan Miluo River Disaster Risk Management and Comprehensive Environment Improvement Project Prepared by Pingjiang County Government for the Asian Development Bank. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 14 May 2020) Currency unit – yuan (CNY) CNY1.00 = $0.1409 $1.00 = CNY7.0988 ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank LIEC - loan implementation environmental consultant BOD5 - 5-day biochemical oxygen demand MEE - Ministry of Ecology and Environment CNY - Chinese yuan NDRC - National Development and Reform Commission COD - chemical oxygen demand NPS - non-point source COVID-19 - coronavirus disease O&M - operation and maintenance CRVA - climate risk vulnerability assessment PCG - Pingjiang County Government CSC - construction supervision company WHO - World Health Organization DI - design institute PCC - public complaint center EEB - ecology and environment bureau PM - particulate matter EHS - environment, health, and safety PMO - project management office EIA - environmental impact assessment PIU - project implementation unit EMA - environmental monitoring agency PPE - personal protective equipment EMP - environmental management plan PRC - People’s Republic of China FSR - feasibility study report SPS - Safeguard Policy Statement FYP - five-year plan TEIA - tabular environmental impact assessment GDP - gross domestic product TrTA - transaction technical assistance GHG - greenhouse gas TSP - total suspended particulate GRM - grievance redress mechanism WBG - World Bank Group IEE - initial environmental examination WRB - Water Resources Bureau LAeq - equivalent continuous A-weighted WWTP - wastewater treatment plant sound pressure level WEIGHTS AND MEASURES oC - degree centigrade m3 - cubic meter dB - decibel m3/a - cubic meter per annum kg/d - kilogram per day m3/d - cubic meter per day km - kilometer mg/l - milligram per liter km2 - square kilometer mg/m3 - milligram per cubic meter kW - kilowatt t - metric ton m - meter t/a - ton per annum mu - 1/15 hectare t/d - ton per day m2 - square meter time/h - time per hour NOTES In this report, "$" refers to United States dollars. This initial environmental examination 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 “terms of use” section on ADB’s 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. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I A. Introduction i B. Environment Baseline iii C. Anticipated Impacts and Mitigation Measures iii D. Public Consultation and Grievance Redress Mechanism v E. Climate Change v F. Environment Management Plan vi G. Risks and Key Assurances vi I. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 1 A. ADB Safeguard Policy Statement 1 B. PRC Legislative Framework 1 C. PRC Environmental Impact Assessment Framework and Procedures 3 D. International Agreements 5 E. Assessment Standards for Proposed Project Components 5 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 16 A. Background 16 B. Project Overview 16 C. Project Design 17 D. Associated and Existing facilities 39 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 43 A. Physical Setting 43 B. Ecological Resources 46 C. Physical Cultural Resources 60 D. Social and Economic Conditions 60 E. Environmental Quality 61 IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 93 A. Project Area of Influence and Sensitive Receptors 93 B. Anticipated Project Benefits and Positive Impacts 94 C. Value-added during the project preparation 95 D. Pre-Construction Phase 96 E. Construction Phase 97 F. Operation Phase 110 G. Indirect, Induced and Cumulative Impacts 119 H. Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions 120 V. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 124 A. No Project Alternative 124 B. Alternative Methods of Dredging 124 C. Dredger Types and Appropriate Use 125 D. Alternatives for Embankment Layouts for Subproject 1 127 E. Alternatives for Subproject 6 128 VI. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 131 A. Legislative Framework for Public Consultation and Information Disclosure 131 B. Information Disclosure 131 C. First Round Consultation 133 D. Second Round of Consultation 140 E. Future Information Disclosure and Public Consultation Program 141 VII. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 142 VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 142 IX. ASSURANCES 142 X. CONCLUSIONS 144 ATTACHMENT 1: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 145 A. Objectives 146 B. Institutional Responsibilities 146 C. Summary of Potential Impact and Mitigation Measures 149 D. Environmental Monitoring, Inspection and Reporting 163 E. Institutional Strengthening and Training 169 F. Grievance Redress Mechanism 170 G. Consultation, Participation, and Information Disclosure 173 H. Cost Estimates 174 I. Mechanisms for Feedback and Adjustment 176 ATTACHMENT 2: DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POSITIONS 177 ATTACHMENT 3: COVID 19 – HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN. APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICE OHS AT THE WORKPLACE 184 i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Introduction 1. This initial environmental examination (IEE), including an environmental management plan (EMP), is prepared for the proposed Hunan Miluo River Disaster Risk Management and Comprehensive Environment Improvement Project (the project) in Hunan Province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The project will assist the Pingjiang County Government (PCG) to strengthen disaster risk and flood management, improve the environment, including water quality, water supply, sanitation, and livestock waste management, and promote green procurement and eco-farming practices. The IEE has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS 2009) (under which the project is classified as Category B for environment safeguards) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures of the PRC, on the basis of seven domestic tabular environmental impact assessment (TEIA) reports, a domestic feasibility study report (FSR), and site investigations and stakeholder discussions. 2. The project outputs are (i) water-related disaster risk management strengthened, (ii) accessibility to safe drinking water and sanitation services enhanced, (iii) circular agriculture linked sustainable livestock waste management, and eco-farming demonstrated, (iv) green procurement practices and environmental protection public awareness-raising piloted, and (v) institutional, technical and management capacity improved. The PCG is the executing agency. Ten subprojects are proposed (Table ES-1; and see Table II-1 for further details). Table ES-1: Summary of Subprojects under the Hunan Miluo River Disaster Risk Management and Comprehensive Environment Improvement Project Subproject Facilities to be built Subproject 1: • 47.75 km of riverbank reinforcement and ecological embankment (including Flood prevention floodways and channels) in 12 townships along Miluo River and risk • 4.19 km of river dredging to remove polluted sediments and solid waste management in • Construction of one drainage pumping station (90 kW capacity) Miluo River • Rehabilitation of two drainage pumping stations • Restoration of 1.6 km sandbanks • Riparian buffers (riverbank greenbelt and storm drain ditches) from the edge of the riverbank Subproject 2: • Biodiversity protection and monitoring center Huangjin River o Biodiversity protection and monitoring center (floor area: 806.6 m2) and National Wetland associated facilities Park restoration o Solid waste collection and transportation station (20 m2) and protection o Protection equipment (patrol boats and cars, interphones and field tools, and forest fire protection) • Public awareness-raising and wetland park protection propaganda • Wetland monitoring and management • Habitat restoration and protection o Habitat restoration for bird conservation (242.1 ha), with plantation of about 120,106 native trees o Wetland restoration in Qingmei Bay (0.8 ha), with plantation of about 2,376 native wetland plants Subproject 3: • Rehabilitation of emergency management center in the Emergency Management Integrated smart Bureau disaster risk • Institutional coordination for disaster risk management in Pingjiang management ii Subproject Facilities to be built system Subproject 4: • Drinking water supply plant (supply capacity 25,000 m3/d) in Northern Pingjiang Integrated water (Nanjiang Town) supply in urban • Drinking water distribution and rural o Water distribution station (10,000 m3 capacity) in Dazhou Township Pingjiang o 61.27 km water supply and distribution pipelines (DN200-DN700) • 1,063.68 km of water supply pipelines (DN50-DN500) to rural households in 107 villages of 14 town/ships Subproject 5: • Separating rainwater from sewers in 12 areas in urban Pingjiang – reconstruction Separating and/or expansion of 23.36 km rainwater pipes and 23.16 km domestic wastewater rainwater from pipes sewers in urban • Separating rainwater from sewers in 22 towns in rural Pingjiang – reconstruction and rural and/or expansion of 6.31 km rainwater pipes and 45.74 km domestic wastewater Pingjiang pipes Subproject 6: • Rural centralized domestic wastewater collection and treatment facilities (capacity Rural domestic between 100-350 t/d) in