Environmental Impact Assessment Final Report January 2013 KAZ: CAREC Corridor 2 (Mangystau Oblast Section) Tranche 2 Prepared by Ministry of Transport and Communications for the Asian Development Bank. Environmental Impact Assessment MFF CAREC Corridor 2 (Mangystau Oblast Sections), Tranche 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................ 5 A. Introduction ........................................................................................ 5 B. Project Description ............................................................................. 5 C. Existing Conditions ............................................................................. 5 D. Alternatives ........................................................................................ 7 E. Consultations ..................................................................................... 7 F. Impact Identification & Mitigation ........................................................ 7 G. Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................ 10 I. Introduction ................................................................................................ 11 A. Background ...................................................................................... 11 B. Objective .......................................................................................... 11 C. Proponent ........................................................................................ 11 D. Programmatic Context of the Proposed Actions ............................... 11 E. Location and Nature of the Project ................................................... 12 F. Scope of the EIA .............................................................................. 12 G. Methodology .................................................................................... 13 H. Structure and Contents of the EIA .................................................... 14 II. Legal and Administrative Framework ...................................................... 15 A. Kazakhstan Regulations ................................................................... 15 B. Environmental Category of the Project ............................................. 16 C. Asian Development Bank Safeguard Policies 2009 .......................... 17 III. Description of Project and Alternatives ................................................... 20 A. Need and Justification for the Project, and Expected Benefits .......... 20 B. Identification of the Project and Project Components ....................... 22 C. Scope of Civil Works, and Materials Required .................................. 24 D. Anticipated Schedule of Implementation and Life Span .................... 26 E. Project Layout and Work Components ............................................. 26 F. Analysis of Alternatives .................................................................... 27 IV. Description of the Environment ................................................................ 30 A. Physical Environment ....................................................................... 30 B. Biological Resources ........................................................................ 36 C. Socio-economic Conditions .............................................................. 41 V. Potential Impacts and Mitigation .............................................................. 48 A. Preliminary Environmental Screening Results .................................. 48 B. Issues being addressed during the Pre-Construction Phase ............ 48 C. Anticipated Impacts & Mitigation during the Construction Phase ...... 54 D. Addressing Potential Impacts during the Operational Phase ............ 66 E. Assessment of Potential Cumulative Impacts ................................... 69 VI. Environmental Management Plan (EMP) .................................................. 71 A. Objectives and Summary of the EMP ............................................... 71 B. EMP Responsibilities ....................................................................... 71 C. Environmental Management and Environmental Monitoring Plans ... 72 D. Environmental Costs ........................................................................ 99 VII. Public Consultation and Information Disclosure .................................. 102 A. Public Meetings .............................................................................. 102 B. Issues Discussed and Suggestions Forwarded .............................. 102 C. Use of Consultation Results and Information Disclosure ................ 103 D. Grievance Redress Mechanism ..................................................... 104 VIII. Conclusions and Recommendations ..................................................... 106 2 Environmental Impact Assessment MFF CAREC Corridor 2 (Mangystau Oblast Sections), Tranche 2 A. Summary Conclusions ................................................................... 106 B. Overall Conclusions ....................................................................... 107 Appendix A: Stakeholders met during the Mission .......................................... 108 Appendix B: Legislation and Regulations on the Environmental Assessment Review in Kazakhstan ......................................................................................... 109 Appendix C: Meteorological and Hydrological Data ......................................... 111 Appendix D: Due Diligence of the Associated Facility (Kyzylsai Regional Nature Park) ..................................................................................................................... 118 Appendix E: Statistical Socio-Economic and Public Health Data of Mangystau Oblast ................................................................................................................... 136 Appendix F: Scope of Works for Ecological Study of the Kyzylsai Regional Nature Park. ......................................................................................................... 140 Appendix G: Minutes of the Public Consultations ............................................ 142 Appendix H: Survey Photos along Road Alignment Tranche 2 ....................... 148 Appendix I: Baseline Monitoring of Physico-Chemical Parameters ............... 153 Appendix J - Project Road Strip Maps ............................................................... 166 Appendix K - Permits and Approvals for Water Supply ................................... 168 3 Environmental Impact Assessment MFF CAREC Corridor 2 (Mangystau Oblast Sections), Tranche 2 Currency Equivalents (as of 21 November 2012) Currency unit – Tenge (KZT) KZT1.00 = $0.0066 $1.00 = KZT150.32 Acronyms and Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank Akimat Town Mayor Office AMP Asphalt Mixing Plant CAREC Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program CEAP Construction Environmental Action Plan Ch km Chainage kilometer CL Center Line (of carriageway) CFH MOA‟s Committee for Forestry and Hunting CR MOTC‟s Roads Committee dBA decibel DOE Department of Environment (Oblast level) EA Executing Agency EARF Environmental Assessment and Review Framework EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan ES Executive Summary FS Feasibility Study GoK Government of Kazakhstan IFI International Financing Institution IEE Initial Environmental Examination KAZNIIPIDORTRANS (DORTRANS) Design Consultant km Kilometer LARP Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan MFF Multi-tranche Financing Facility MOEP Ministry of Environmental Protection MOH Ministry of Health MOTC Ministry of Transport and Communication NGO Non-Governmental Organization Oblast Province OM Operational Manual (of ADB) PC Public Consultation PEIA Preliminary EIA (of DORTRANS, 2010) PMU Project Managing Unit PPTA Project Preparatory Technical Assistance (Concept Paper) Rayon District RE Engineer RoW Right of Way SES Sanitary and Epidemiological Services of MOH STD Sexually transmitted diseases (such as HIV/AIDS) ToR Terms of Reference WB World Bank 4 Environmental Impact Assessment MFF CAREC Corridor 2 (Mangystau Oblast Sections), Tranche 2 Executive Summary A. Introduction 1. The Republic of Kazakhstan (RoK), acting through the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) proposes to undertake the upgrading of the Aktau – Beineu Road. The works are divided into two „Tranches‟ both funded through the Asian Development Banks (ADB) Multitranche Financing Facility for the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) (Mangystau Oblast Sections) Investment Program. This Report focuses on Tranche 2 of the Aktau – Beineu Road, some 168 kilometres of road between Aktau and Shetpe. 2. This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the second updated version of the of the EIA prepared by the project preparatory technical assistance consultant on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MOTC) and its implementing agency, the Committee of Roads (MCOR) of Mangystau Oblast. B. Project Description 3. The Project will comprise upgrading of a 168 km section (Tranche 2) of the national highway A-380 between Aktau and Shetpe. Located within a steppe-desert environment, the project will not involve realignment and will be confined within the right-of-way (with the exception of the construction of bypasses around both the towns of Zhetibay and Shetpe en route). The Project consists of two sub-sections (Figure ES-1): Sub-Section 1