ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT SOLID WASTE TREATMENT CENTER “JBEIL-HBALINE” UNION OF MUNICIPALITIES OF JBEIL CAZA OF JBEIL Prepared by EARTH LINK AND ADVANCED RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT (ELARD) Submitted to: Catholic Near East Welfare Association PONTIFICAL MISSION March 2004 Environmental Impact Assessment ELARD TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS .....................................................................................................I LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. V LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... VII LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS...........................................................................................VIII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS...........................................................................................IX NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY.....................................................................................XI INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................XI THE PROJECT ....................................................................................................................XI THE ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ......................................................................................XII IMPACT ASSESSMENT .....................................................................................................XIII ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ..........................................................................XV Mitigation Plan...........................................................................................................XV Monitoring Plan.........................................................................................................XVI Statement of Compliance..........................................................................................XVII Capacity Building and Awareness.......................................................................... XVIII PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ...............................................................................................XVIII CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... XIX 1. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................1-1 1.1. THE GENERAL CONTEXT .....................................................................................1-1 1.2. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE ..........................................................................1-1 1.3. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN LEBANON .........................................................1-6 1.4. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN JBEIL CAZA:.....................................................1-6 1.5. THE PROJECT .......................................................................................................1-7 1.6. IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT .............................................................................1-8 1.7. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ...............................................................................1-8 1.8. THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ......................................................1-8 2. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORKS .............2-1 2.1. ADMINISTRATIVE AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS ........................................2-1 2.1.1 The Ministry of Environment..........................................................................2-1 2.1.2 The Council for Development and Reconstruction.........................................2-2 2.1.3 The MoIM and the Municipalities ..................................................................2-2 2.1.4 Other Institutions with Responsibilities for SWM ..........................................2-3 2.2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK............................................................................................2-3 2.3. SOLID WASTE COLLECTION, TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL POLICIES AND PLANS.2-4 2.3.1 SWM in GBA ...................................................................................................2-4 2.3.2 SWM outside GBA ..........................................................................................2-5 3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...........................................................................3-1 3.1. PROJECT BACKGROUND .......................................................................................3-1 3.2. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ......................................................................................3-1 3.3. PROJECT LOCATION .............................................................................................3-2 Hbaline Solid Waste Treatment Plant I Environmental Impact Assessment ELARD 3.4. OPERATING CONCEPT ..........................................................................................3-4 3.5. CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS..........................................3-5 3.6. OPERATION REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................3-6 3.7. OPERATION PROCESS ...........................................................................................3-6 3.8. PROJECT COSTS ...................................................................................................3-8 3.8.1 Initial Investment Cost....................................................................................3-8 3.8.2 Annual Operational Costs..............................................................................3-9 3.9. LIFE SPAN OF THE FACILITY ................................................................................3-9 3.10. OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES ......................................................................3-10 3.11. PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY.................................................................................3-11 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT...............................................4-1 4.1. GENERAL SETTING...............................................................................................4-1 4.2. METEOROLOGICAL SETTING................................................................................4-2 4.2.1 Precipitation ...................................................................................................4-3 4.2.2 Temperatures..................................................................................................4-4 4.2.3 Winds ..............................................................................................................4-5 4.3. SITE SETTING.......................................................................................................4-6 4.4. TECTONIC SETTINGS AND SEISMICITY .................................................................4-9 4.5. GEOLOGICAL SETTING.......................................................................................4-10 4.5.1 Stratigraphy..................................................................................................4-11 4.5.2 Structure .......................................................................................................4-12 4.5.3 Hydrogeological Setting...............................................................................4-12 4.5.4 Geological Site Setting:................................................................................4-15 4.5.5 Hydrological Site Setting..............................................................................4-16 4.6. ECOLOGICAL CONTEXT IN HBALINE: (BIODIVERSITY).......................................4-17 4.7. BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ..............................................................................4-21 4.8. STATUS OF PRESENT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE..............4-22 4.9. SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS ................................................................................4-23 5. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ..........................................5-1 5.1. POTENTIAL POSITIVE IMPACTS ............................................................................5-1 5.1.1 Benefits of the Project.....................................................................................5-1 5.1.2 Benefits of Compost........................................................................................5-2 5.2. POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS ..........................................................................5-3 5.2.1 Factors Identified Leading to Negative Impacts............................................5-4 5.2.2 Production of Odors .......................................................................................5-5 5.2.3 Biologic and Soil Contamination....................................................................5-6 5.2.4 Contamination of Ground and/or Surface Water from Leachate...................5-7 5.2.5 Health and Safety Impacts..............................................................................5-7 5.2.6 Impact on Biodiversity....................................................................................5-8 5.2.7 Other Potential Negative Impacts..................................................................5-9 5.3. NEGATIVE IMPACTS SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS...................................................5-9 5.3.1 Construction Phase.......................................................................................5-10 5.3.2 Operation Phase ...........................................................................................5-10