Draft Environmental Impact Assessment June 2013 KAZ: Astana Light Rail Transit Project Prepared by Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) Limited Liability Partnership (ALRT) for the Asian Development Bank. Astana LRT Project - Kazakhstan Environmental Impact Assessment List of Abbreviations and Kazakh Terminologies +/- Indicates an approximation ADB Asian Development Bank Akim Town Mayor ALRT Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) Limited Liability Partnership APMS Air Pollution Monitoring Station amsl above mean sea level AMP Asphalt mixing plant AP Affected Person BRT Bus Rapid Transit BOE Barrel of oil equivalent CCS Control Center Supervisor CCTV Closed circuit television CEAP Construction Environmental Action Plan CFH MOA’s Committee of Forestry and Hunting CHPP Central Heat and Power Plant CL center line CO carbon monoxide or Control Operators depending on context COPA Conditions of Particular Application CR Critically Endangered CWR MOA's Committee on Water Resources dBA Decibel (most common measure of sound) DOE Department of Environment (Oblast level) Executing Agency or Environmental Assessment or Environmental EA Assistant depending on context. EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD-FS EBRD-supported Feasibility Study EC Environmental Code EE Ecological/Environmental Expertise EEC Ecological/Environmental Expertise Committee EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EM Environmental Management EMI Electromagnetic Interference EMF Electromagnetic Fields EMP Environmental Management Plan EMS Environmental Management System ES Executive Summary ESO Environment/Safety Officer ESR Environmental and Safety Report FIDIC Federation Internationale Des Ingenieurs Conseils (the French acronym for International Federation of Consulting Engineers) FS Feasibility Study GoK Government of Kazakhstan GCOC General Conditions of Contract Ha hectare HC hydrocarbons HHP Heat & Power Plant ICB International Competitive Bidding IEB Initial Environmental Baseline IEBS Initial Environmental Baseline Survey IEE Initial Environmental Examination IFI International Financing Institution ISO International Standards Organization June 2013 Acronyms & Table of Contents - Page 1 Astana LRT Project - Kazakhstan Environmental Impact Assessment IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature JBIC Japan Bank for International Cooperation KARM Kazakhstan Resident Mission (of ADB) in Astana KazNIIEK Kazakhstan Research Institute of Ecology and Climate Kj Kilo-joule (unit of energy measurement) Km Kilometer Ktg Kazakhstan Tenge (unit of currency) Leq Energy-averaged sound level commonly used to describe traffic noise. L10% Sound level exceeded 10 percent of the measurement period. L90% Sound level exceeded 90 percent of the measurement period. Ldn Day-night average sound level Lmax Maximum sound level in a given period LARP Land Acquisition and Resettlement Report LCB Local Competitive Bidding LEE Law on Environmental Expertise (1997, as amended) LEP Law on Environmental Protection (1997, as amended) LLP Limited Liability Partnership LPA Law on Protection of the Atmosphere (2002, as amended) M Meter MAC Maximum Allowable Concentration MACda Daily Average Maximum Allowable Concentration MAC One Time Maximum Allowable Concentration mG Milligauss, a unit of measurement for electromagnetic fields. Mg/m3 Milligram per cubic meter MOA Ministry of Agriculture MoEP Ministry of Environmental Protection MOH Ministry of Health MoTC Ministry of Transport and Communication MR Management Representative for Environmental Issues m/s Meters per second Mm/s Millimeters per second Msl mean sea level NGO Non-Governmental Organization NH3 Ammonia NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide O3 Ozone Oblast Province or State OCC Operations Control Center OM Operational Manual (of ADB) OED Oblast Environmental Department Acronym for the Kazakhstan National Environmental Assessment OVOS RoK EIA (Оценка воздействия на окружающую среду - OVOS) PAI Potential Area of Impact PC Public Consultation PEIA Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment PPV Peak particle velocity (a vibration measure in mm/s) Rayon District - similar to a county or province RoK Republic of Kazakhstan RoW Right-of-Way RRP Rapid Response Personnel SA Station Attendant SanPiN Sanitary Regulations and Standards (MOH) SES Sanitary and Epidemiological Services (MOH) SO2 Sulfur Dioxide SPS Safeguard Policy Statement, Asian Development Bank (2009) June 2013 Acronyms & Table of Contents - Page 2 Astana LRT Project - Kazakhstan Environmental Impact Assessment TEPO. Territorial Environmental Protection Office ToR Terms of Reference TSA Targeted Social Assistance TSE International Code for Astana International Airport TSS Transport Sector Strategy TSP Total suspended particulate VU Vulnerable (a status category related to fauna) June 2013 Acronyms & Table of Contents - Page 3 Astana LRT Project - Kazakhstan Environmental Impact Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ ES-1 A. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... A-1 Organization of Part A ........................................................................................... A-1 1.0 Purpose and Context of the EIA Report ........................................................ A-1 1.1 Context ................................................................................................ A-1 1.2 Purpose ............................................................................................... A-1 1.3 Proponent ............................................................................................ A-2 1.4 Nature, Size and Location of the Project .............................................. A-2 1.4.1 Nature of the Project ................................................................. A-2 1.4.2 Location .................................................................................... A-2 1.4.3 Size .......................................................................................... A-2 2.0 Stage of Project Preparation ......................................................................... A-3 3.0 Extent of EIA Study ....................................................................................... A-5 4.0 Organization & Contents of the EIA .............................................................. A-5 B. PROJECT NEED, ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED & REQUIRED APPROVALS ................................................................................. B-1 Organization of Part B ........................................................................................... B-1 1.0 Type of Project.............................................................................................. B-1 2.0 Need for the Project ...................................................................................... B-1 3.0 Location .............................................................................................. B-2 4.0 Alternatives Considered ............................................................................... B-2 4.1 The "No-Project" Alternative ................................................................. B-3 4.2 Alternative Project Characteristics ........................................................ B-4 4.2.1 Alternative Transit Modes ......................................................... B-4 4.2.1 At-grade versus Elevated and Underground Alternatives .......... B-5 4.2.3 Alternative Alignments .............................................................. B-5 4.2.4 Alternative Systems & Equipment ............................................. B-6 5.0 Required Approvals .................................................................................... B-12 5.1 Required ADB Environmental Approval .............................................. B-12 5.2 Required RoK EIA Approvals & Permits ............................................. B-14 5.2.1 Legal Framework .................................................................... B-14 5.2.2 Administrative Framework ...................................................... B-15 5.2.3 RoK EIA Requirements & Review Processes ......................... B-17 5.2.4 Permit Processes ................................................................... B-18 5.3 Astana LRT-Specific Requirements .................................................... B-19 5.3.1 Feasibility Study Approval....................................................... B-19 5.3.2 Astana Agency Approvals ....................................................... B-19 5.3.3 Approvals Required by Contract Provisions ............................ B-19 C. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ...................................................................... C-1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... C-1 1.0 Network Overview by Stage .......................................................................... C-1 2.0 Design and Construction Proposals .............................................................. C-5 2.1. Phase 1 ................................................................................................ C-5 2.1.1 Design and Construction of On-Grade Segment ....................... C-5 2.1.2 Design and Construction of Elevated Segments ....................... C-6 2.2. Phase 2 ...............................................................................................