CONSTRUCTION OF BATUMI (ANGISA) - AKHALTSIKHE NATIONAL HIGHWAY KHULO- GODERDZI (80-110 KM) SECTION (LOT 1) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Prepared by the Foundation “World Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Experience for Georgia” Development and Infrastructure By order of Transproject Ltd. 1 CONTENTS 1. Introduction 7 1.1. General Information about the Project 7 1.2. General Context and Terms of Reference 10 2. Project Description 11 2.1. Road Bed Rehabilitation/ Reconstruction Project 12 2.1.1. Used Standards and Project Parameters 12 2.1.2. Evaluation of Road Existing Cover 13 2.1.3. The Solution to the Road Cover Reconstruction Project 13 2.1.4. Road Cover Reconstruction Related Works 14 2.2. Artificial Buildings 16 2.2.1. Existing bridges and necessary measures for improvement 16 2.2.2. Project Accesses for Bridges 19 2.3. Geodangerous Areas 23 2.4. Construction Materials Required for Reconstructions/Rehabilitation 23 2.4.1. Identified Sources of Beds, Road Surface Granular Layers and Intake Materials 23 2.4.2. Cement 26 2.4.3. Bitumen 26 2.5. Topsoil Removal 26 2.6. Ground Works and Waste Generation 26 2.7. Equipment Used during Construction 29 2.8. Complex of Auxiliary Facilities 29 3. Legal Framework 30 3.1. Georgian Environmental Legislation. 30 4. Description of Project Natural Environment 34 4.1. Climate, Air Quality, Background Noise and Radiation 34 4.1.1. Climate 34 4.1.2. Air Quality and Noise 37 4.2. Physical and Geographical Description of Environment 42 4.2.1. Geomorphology and Terrain 42 4.2.2. Dangerous Geodynamic Processes 42 4.2.3. Techtonics and seismicity 59 4.2.4. Hydrogeology 60 4.2.5. Hydrologic Researches 61 2 4.2.5.1. Description of Design Territory 61 4.2.5.2. Maximum Outflow of Water and Mudflows 63 4.3. Soil, Landscape and Vegetative Cover 73 4.3.1. Soil Cover 73 4.3.2. Landscape 76 4.3.3. Flora 77 4.4. Fauna 96 4.4.1. In the Ecosystem Project area 96 4.5. Protected Areas 101 5. Social Impact Analysis 103 5.1. Socio-Economic Environment 103 5.2. Socio-Cultural Environment 105 5.3. Land purchase and resettlement 108 6. Analyzing Alternatives 112 6.1. Introduction 112 6.2. Alternative to motorway #1 122 6.3. Alternative to motorway #2 124 6.4. Alternative to motorway #3 125 6.5. Alternative to motorway #4 126 6.6. Alternative to motorway #4a 128 6.7. Conclusion 129 6.8. Feasible options for technical-economic assessment 131 6.9. Environmental Assessment for feasible options 133 6.10. Social Evaluation of Feasible Options 140 7. Expected Impact on Environment 155 7.1. Short Review of Expected Environmental Impact 155 7.2. Specific Type of Environmental Impact 162 7.2.1. Impact related to Emissions in Ambient Air 162 7.2.2. Noise Related to Motorway Construction and Exploitation 163 7.3. Potential impact Related to Construction 163 7.3.1. Pollution and Waste 163 7.3.1.1. Waste Related to Construction 163 7.3.1.2. Hazardous Geological Processes, Soil Erosion, Soil Pollution 167 7.3.1.3. Superficial and Ground Water Pollution 167 7.3.1.4. Risk of Secondary Biological Pollution and Spread of Hazardous Illnesses 167 7.3.1.5. Losses of Humus Layer of the Soil as a Result of Soil Layer 3 Excavation. 167 7.3.2. Affect on Flora 167 7.3.3. Impact on Fauna 168 7.3.4. Protected Areas 169 7.3.5. Landscape 169 7.3.6. Water use 169 7.3.7. Impact on archaeological sites 170 7.3.8. Transportation Impacts 170 7.3.9. Congestion 170 7.3.10. Environmental impacts associated with the construction camps 170 7.3.11. Impact related to Asphalt-concrete plant and gravel macerators 171 8. Mitigation and Environmental Management Plan 171 8.1. Mitigation Measures 171 8.1.1. Mitigation measures related to construction 171 8.1.1.1. Prevention of hazardous geological processes 171 8.1.1.2. Pollution prevention and waste management 171 8.1.1.3. Construction waste management 173 8.1.1.4. Noise, dust and emissions 189 8.1.1.5. Soil protection and erosion control measures 190 8.1.1.6. The final restoration of work sites 192 8.1.1.7. Landscape restore and flora protection 192 8.2. Information on mechanisms set in Georgian legislation concerning regulation of the compensatory actions for taking from the wild the plants included in the Red List of Georgia 194 8.2.1. Red List of Georgia 194 8.2.2. Law of Georgia on Georgia’s Red List and Red Book 194 8.2.3. Other legal acts regulating conservation and restoration activities 196 8.2.4. Order of the Government of Georgia №1535 on “Carrying out Measures to Compensate the Act of Taking Plants of the Red List of Georgia from the Natural Environment” from September 5, 2014 200 8.3. Protection of Biological Resources 201 8.3.1. Introduction 201 8.3.2. Protection of Plants 202 8.3.2.1. Protection of Fauna 203 8.4. Animals included in the Red List of Georgia 204 8.4.1. Protection of Cultural Heritage 206 4 8.4.2. Healthcare and Security 207 8.4.3. Complex of supportive construction facilities 208 8.4.4. Summary 212 8.4.5. Mitigation of long-term and exploitation impacts 212 8.5. Monitoring and enforcement 214 8.6. The cost of implementation 215 8.7. Environmental Management Plan (matrix) 215 8.8. Environmental Monitoring Plan (matrix) 229 9. Public Consultations 236 9.1. Georgian Legislation and Requirements 236 9.2. Comments on the Notes from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection 237 9.3. Consultative Meeting Minutes 243 Annex 1 Waste Management Plan for Camps and Support Facilities 252 Annex 2 Water resources protection measures in camping 284 Annex 3 Emission of hazardous substances related with construction operations in atmospheric air 294 Annex 4 Response plan in case of emergency situations 300 5 Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EP Environmental Permit EMP Environmental Management Plan HWL High Water Level IFI International Financial Institutions JBIC Japan Bank for International Cooperation JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency CC Credit Contract TLV Threshold Limit Value MEP Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources NSFSVPP National Service of Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection ODA Official Development Aid PAP Project Affected Population RAP Resettlement Action Plan RD Roads Department RDMRDI Roads Department of Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia RoW Right-of-way RPF Resettlement Policy Framework TERN Trans-European Road Network TT Tender Terms USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics WB The World Bank Units of measurement ha Hectare km Kilometer km2 Square kilometer l/sec Liter per second m Meter m2 Square meter m3/sec Cubic meter per second m3 Cubic meter mm Millimeter sec Second 6 1. Introduction 1.1. General Information about the Project The transport sector development is of great importance to the economic growth and poverty reduction in Georgia. Poor transport infrastructure increases the business production costs, hinders attraction of foreign investments, growth of transit volume, and economic activity of the country’s population. Georgia, with its favorable geographic location is situated at the crossroads of the East-West (the Black and Caspian Seas) and the North-South (between Russia and Turkey) transit lines. The development of the country’s national economy, in particular its trade with neighboring countries requires development of transport network. The Batumi (Angisa) – Akhaltsikhe national highway (S-1), with a total length of 159 km, runs through the Autonomous Republic of Adjara and Samtskhe-Javakheti region. It connects the Senaki - Poti - Sarpi (Turkish border) (S-2), Khashuri - Akhaltsikhe - Vale (Turkish border) (S- 8) and Akhaltsikhe - Ninotsminda (Armenian Border) (S-11) international highways with various regions of the country and neighboring states. According to the Roads Department of Georgia the average daily traffic intensity of the Batumi - Akhaltsikhe road by 2008 was as follows: Table 1.1 Section Year Motorcars Vans Buses and Trailers Total trucks Shuakhevi-Khulo 55-80 2008 306 140 32 1 478 Khulo-Zarzma 80-128 2008 105 35 38 4 182 Zarzma-Adigeni 128-140 2008 246 10 5 7 267 The projected section of 80 km - 110 km of the road is in poor condition and requires rehabilitation and reconstruction of some areas. In particular, the road cover on the projected section of the road is mainly gravel, in some sections of the road the cover is asphalt-concrete, which is worn out, distressed, shoulders are damaged. Because of absence of drainage system the roadway is gullied, the transverse profile of slopes is breached. The surface cover has different types of defects and damages. Culverts require cleaning and restoration, most of them shall be replaced with new pipes. The bridges need restoration, in order to adjust curvatures it is necessary to offset locally the roadbed in some areas; 2 bridges shall be rehabilitated and in place of 2 bridges shall be built a new bridge and a specific pipe. The completion of the works will improve the capacity of the road and better connect Batumi and Akhaltsikhe with Beshumi, which in turn will make this ski resort under construction in this village more attractive and comfortable for tourists. Meanwhile, a better road will improve promote the social and economic conditions of the Upper Adjara and Samtskhe- Javakheti population. The traffic intensity forecast after the project implementation is given in Table 1.2.