GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 1080

PURSUANT to regulation 21 of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, 2003, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report for the above proposed project. The proponent, Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency, proposes to develop two separate waste water treatment plants and an approximate 51km conveyance system for the waste water linking the towns to the treatment sites, administration and laboratory buildings, ancillary works to cover Makutano and Kapenguria towns in West Pokot County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Possible Impacts Mitigation Measures Loss of land and • Prepare a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) property which shall identify all the Project Affected Persons (PAPs), develop a grievance redress mechanism and ensure adequate compensation for PAPs. • Land compensation should be carried out before the implementation of the project. • The vulnerable groups identified by the RAP shall be accorded a special care by the proponent. • RAP Implementation Supervision. • The Contractor and its project contractors should inform their workers on the importance of respecting the locals' properties by not intruding or damage their homes, fences or killing their livestock. • Any workers or site employees that will be found guilty of intruding peoples privately owned properties should be called in for disciplinary hearing and/or dealt with as per their employer's code of employment conduct. • Site workers should be advised to respect the community and local's private properties, values and norms. • No worker should be allowed to wander in people's private yards or fences. • Site workers are not allowed to kill or in any way disturb local livestock. • No worker should be allowed to, without permission cut down or damage trees belonging either to the neighbouring homestead or in the community. Loss of fauna and • Retention of trees and shrubs, where flora possible on the potential sites for screening of the visual impact. • Where the proposed route requires the removal of any vegetation, care will be taken to minimize the destruction or damage of trees. • Re-planting of destroyed trees in cleared areas where works are complete. 5th February, 2021 THE KENYA GAZETTE 475 Possible Impacts Mitigation Measures • Workers should refrain from killing species (big or small) that may be found on and around the site. • Workers should refrain from disturbing, killing or stealing locals' animals and/or small soil animals species found on site. • Environmental awareness on the importance of biodiversity preservation should be provided to the site contractors and workers. • With regards to the vegetation on or within proximity of site, the following mitigation measures should be implemented. • Even if certain vegetation is found within actual site footprint, this does not mean that it should be removed. Therefore, care should be taken when preparing the site without destroying the vegetation. • Vegetation found on the sites, but not on the site infrastructure footprint should not be removed or disturbed in any way, but should be left to preserve biodiversity on the site. • Environmental awareness on the importance of biodiversity preservation should be provided to the workers. Soil erosion • The construction work should be carried out during the short rains to minimize the exposure of loose soil to surface runoff. • Phasing of site clearance should be considered so as to minimize the area of exposed soil at any given time. • Back fill and compact excavated areas as soon as the laying of trunks is done. Air quality/pollution • The contractor should prepare a waste management plan. • The contractor should engage a licensed waste handler to properly handle, collect and dispose waste generated from the construction site. • A waste minimisation approach should be adopted as part of the construction works. • Skips and bins should be strategically placed within the campsite and construction site, they should also be adequately designed and covered to prevent access by vermin and minimize odour. They should also be emptied regularly. Noise and vibrations • Construction of the proposed access road should be closely monitored and dust should be suppressed by sprinkling water. • Manage excavated soil by covering those that are not of immediate use. • Carefully control access road works such that minimal dust is generated and whenever earthworks are being undertaken, then dust suppression should be implemented continuously. • Restrict excavations to the project foot- print to minimize surfaces exposed to wind erosion. • Ensure contractor's staff working at high dust generating sites are provided with appropriate PPEs to include dust masks Possible Impacts Mitigation Measures and / or suitable aspirators. • The contractor should inform the management of sensitive institutions on the days that excess dust is likely to be generated so they can be prepared. The same applies to works along the urban centres. Construction wastes • Implement a standard set of feasible dust and pollution control measures at the site such as. • Covering all trucks hauling soil, sand and other loose materials and/or require these trucks to maintain at least two feet of freeboard. • Watering all dust-active construction areas to suppress dust emissions. • Paving or applying water when necessary or applying non-toxic soil stabilizers on all unpaved access roads and parking areas. • Reduce exhaust emissions by implementing the following. • Advice drivers at the site to minimize vehicle idling time. • Properly tune all equipment and maintain them in good working conditions. • Properly plan the transportation of materials and ensure that vehicle fills are increased so as to reduce the number of trips done and the numbers of vehicles on the roads. • Handle chemicals and other potential pollutants carefully and appropriately. • Have a fully equipped first aid kit at the site at all times and ensure that trained first aid personnel are available to handle any incidents due to pollution at site. • Provide all construction workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks, goggles, scarfs, boots and overalls among other protective clothing as spelt out under section 101 (1) of OSHA 2007. • Reuse or recycle some materiali which may be considered as waste or give them to people who may consider them useful for others uses. Increased traffic flow • Provide for adequate space at the entrance/exit along the access road to give drivers enough room to manoeuvre into and out of the project site. • Provide for adequate parking spaces at the site. • Provide mad signage to alert road users of the presence of the facility and check for in-coming or out-going vehicles. • Properly plan transportation of materials to ensure that vehicle fills are increased in order to reduce the number of trips done or the number of vehicles on the road. Impacts on public and • Proper supervision, high workmanship occupational safety performance, and provision of adequate and health safety measures will suppress the likelihood of such impacts on public and occupational safety. Contamination of • The treatment pond should be made as water resources impermeable as practically possible in Possible Impacts Mitigation Measures order to prevent possible contamination of ground water or shallow wells in the area. The sewer line will be regularly inspected and maintained in order to safeguard against sewer line blockages and bursts. • Monitoring of the quality of effluent will be on a daily basis. Effluent quality analysis reports will be submitted to NEMA on a quarterly basis. Proper operation of the entire sewerage treatment system will be ensured and monitored for deviations to guarantee that effluent from the treatment pond meets the required standards. The water quality of the receiving streams will be monitored to check on changes on its quality. • To prevent flooding into the ponds, a properly made embankment should be constructed around the ponds to prevent storm water mixing with sewer, since this may fill up the treatment ponds casing overflow. Odour • Ensure proper sizing and alignment of the lagoons. • Ensure scum is properly stabilized. • Plant a strip of fast-growing tree species around the ponds. • Desludging of the ponds should be carried out every 3-5 years. Flood hazard • Designed surface water drainage structures around the waste stabilization pond site to prevent storm water inflow into the ponds. Impacts on rivers • Desludging the ponds every three years. • Frequent monitoring of the water being discharged into the rivers. The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at: (a) Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, NHIF Building, Community, P.O. Box 30126-00100, Nairobi. (b) Director-General, NEMA, Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. Box 67839-00200, Nairobi. (c) County Director of Environment, West Pokot County. The National Environment Management Authority invites members of the public to submit oral or written comments within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice to the Director-General, NEMA, to assist the Authority in the decision making process regarding this plan. MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/1729321 National Environment Management Authority.