Initial Environmental Examination August 2011 PHI: Road Improvement and Institutional Development Project Prepared by the Department of Public Works and Highways for the Asian Development Bank Table of Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 II. POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK 2 A. Environmental Clearance Requirements 2 1. Government Environmental Laws, Regulations and Guidelines 2 2. ADB Environmental Assessment Requirements 4 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 4 A. Overview 4 B. Type of Project 4 C. Location 5 D. Size or Magnitude of Operation 8 E. Traffic Volume 8 H. Proposed Schedule for Implementation 9 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 9 A. Physical Resources in Project Area 9 1. Topography 9 2. Climate 12 3. Soil Characteristics 14 4. Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrogeology 15 5. Water Resources 16 6. Water Quality 17 B. Ecological Resources in Project Area 23 1. Forests and Protected Areas 23 2. Flora and Fauna 23 3. Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Biology 26 4. Land Use 26 C. Socioeconomic Resources in Project Area 26 1. Population 26 2. Industries and Minerals 30 3. Agriculture 32 4. Road Safety 32 5. Tourism 32 V. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES33 A. Pre-construction 34 1. Design Measures 34 2. Bid and Contract Documents 35 3. Grievance Redress 35 B. Construction 35 1. Soils and Materials 35 2. Soil Erosion and Slope Stability Problems 35 3. Water 36 4. Air Quality 36 5. Noise and Vibration 37 6. Flora 37 7. Fauna 37 8. Fish, Fisheries, and Aquatic Biology 37 9. Construction Camps 37 10. Community Impacts 38 11. Health, Safety and Hygiene 38 12. Traffic Management 38 i 13. Proper Construction Practices 39 C. Operation 39 1. Air and Noise Quality 39 2. Road Safety 39 1. Project Benefits 39 VI. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 40 VII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 41 A. Implementation Arrangements 41 B. Environmental Mitigation 42 C. Environmental Monitoring 55 D. Capacity Building of ESSO and Other Implementing Agencies 58 VIII. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 59 A. Stakeholder Consultations 60 B. Information Disclosure 62 IX. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 62 ii List of Tables Table 1: Summary List of ECP Types and ECA Categories Table 2: EIS and IEE Requirements for Road and Bridge Projects Table 3: Locations of Subprojects Table 4: Details of Project Components Table 5: Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of Subprojects Table 6: Topographic Data of Project Roads Table 7: 30 Years Average Rainfall Data (1971-2000) Table 8: Soils Groups of Project Areas Table 9: Water Quality Standards of Philippines Table 10: National Ambient Air Quality Standards Table 11: TSP Concentration in Subprojects Table 12: National Ambient Noise Standards Table 10: Risk Categories of Subprojects Table 14: Status of Animal Species in Project Eco-Regions Table 15: Population in Project Areas Table 16: Population in Project Districts Table 17: Traffic Accidents in Philippines. Table 18: Responsibilities for EMP Implementation Table 19: Environmental Mitigation Measures Table 20: Environmental Monitoring Activities Table 21: Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Cost of the Project Table 22: Public Consultations and Focus Group Discussions List of Figures Figure 1: Location Map of the Subprojects Figure 2: Location Map of the Subprojects on a Regional Scale Figure 3: Digital Elevation Map of Subprojects Figure 4: Mean Annual Temperature Distribution Map Figure 5: Average Annual Rainfall Distribution in Project Areas Figure 6: Soil Map Figure 7: Watershed Map Figure 8: Seismic Hazard Map of Project Areas Figure 9: Typhoon Risk Map of Project Areas Figure 10: Geophysical Risk Map of Project Areas Figure 11: Protected Areas in Project Areas Figure 12: Eco-Regions of Project Areas Figure 13: Population Density of Project Areas iii Figure 14: Mineral Resources of Project Areas List of Annexes Annex A: TOR for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Management Training Annex B: Stakeholder Consultations – List of Participants Annex C: Photographs of Subproject Roads iv Acronyms AADT annual average daily traffic ADB Asian Development Bank CNC certificate of non coverage CSC construction supervision consultant DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources DDC detailed design consultant DPWH Department of Public Works and Highways ECA environmentally critical area ECC environmental compliance certificate ECP environmentally critical project EHSM environmental health and safety manager EIA environmental impact assessment EIS environmental impact statement EMB Environmental Management Bureau ESSO Environment and Social Sector Office FAO Food Agriculture Organization IEE initial environmental examination IROW infrastructure right of way LGU local government unit NAAQ national ambient air quality guidelines NECA non environmental critical area NECP non environmental critical project NRIMP National Road Improvement and Management Program PDR project description report PM10 particulate matter 10 microns PMO Project Management Office - ADB REA rapid environmental assessment ROW right of way SEMS social and environmental management systems TA technical assistance TDS total dissolved solids TOR terms of reference TSP total suspended particulates v WEIGHTS AND MEASURES dB – decibel (A-weighted) Km – kilometer M – meter mg/L – milligram per liter mg/Nm3 – milligram per normal cubic meter µg/Nm3 – microgram per normal cubic meter 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. 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. vi I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) has been prepared as part of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance Philippine Road Sector Improvement Project for ten (10) subprojects roads with a total length of about 359 km. The subprojects are located in 10 provinces of 9 regions in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The executing agency of this project is the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The objective of the project is to improve the Philippines’ national road network by carrying out periodic road maintenance/asset preservation of selected national roads and improving DPWH’s institutional capability. 2. The Project has been categorized by ADB as environment category B and this IEE was prepared consistent with the environmental assessment requirements of ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement of 2009 (ADB SPS). The IEE was carried out through screening and analysis of various environmental parameters, field investigations, stakeholder consultations, and review of other road project reports in the Philippines. The IEE covers the general environmental profile of all 10 subproject roads and includes an assessment of the potential environmental impacts during different project phases and formulation of corresponding mitigation measures. The IEE was prepared with the active cooperation of the Environment and Social Sector Office (ESSO) of DPWH, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Offices. 3. Major landuse along the subproject roads is either residential or agricultural. None of the subproject roads are located near or within ecologically sensitive areas. 4. The IEE has not identified any major environmental concerns due to implementation of subprojects given that all the proposed civil works are only asset preservation of existing pavement and are located within existing ROW with no road widening and realignments. Civil works will mainly involve asphalt overlays on 356 km of subproject roads. Short sections of the subproject roads will also require concrete pavement reblocking totalling 3 km. Given the nature and scale of proposed works, it is anticipated that there will only be localised short-term impacts during construction activities. These impacts will be primarily due to dust, gaseous emissions and noise from site works and operation of construction equipment, waste generation from construction camps, traffic flow disruption, disposal of reclaimed asphalt and concrete pavement, operation of borrow sites and quarries, and potential occupational and community health and safety risks. 5. A grievance redress mechanism will be established by DPWH prior to commencement of site works to ensure that complaints of affected persons and other stakeholders regarding the project’s environmental performance are promptly addressed. 6. The IEE includes an environmental management plan (EMP) which details the mitigation measures, environmental monitoring activities, institutional responsibilities, and environmental management capacity building. DPWH will ensure that relevant EMP provisions are included in bid and contract documents for detailed design, project supervision and civil works. During construction, the construction supervision consultant (CSC) will assist ESSO in closely monitoring the contractor’s environmental performance and over-all EMP implementation. Semisannual environmental monitoring reports will be submitted by DPWH to ADB and such reports will be posted on ADB’s website for public disclosure. 7. The major positive impact of the project will be economic and better accessibility.