GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 4349

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, Tai Lifestyle Limited, proposes to undertake off- site disposal of asbestos sheets from facilities disposing asbestos in Wangala Village in Taita Taveta County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Possible Impacts Mitigation Measures Loss of vegetation  Rehabilitation of the site by planting trees on the sites not in use hence restoring flora and fauna. Soil erosion, runoff and water logging  Implementing soil erosion measures on site to prevent contamination of nearby water sources with asbestos leachates and also applying leveling of the site soil to reduce runoff velocity.  In occurrence of any soil excavation activities, they should be planned and worked out one at a time and rehabilitated before other section excavations begin. Dust emission and exhaust emission  Dust suppressor through sprinkling of water on the site to reduce dust emission.  Ensure onsite speed limitation of the vehicles coming in and leaving.  Wearing of personal protective equipment to protect the personal from dust.  Vehicle found idling the area time should be reduced.  Sensitize the vehicle drivers to avoid unnecessary racing activities and switch off their engines whenever not in use. Noise pollution and vibrations  Advising drivers to switch off their engines in case they are idling around.  Ensure all the machineries on site are maintained in good conditions to reduce noise generation.  Insulation of the generators and heavy machineries on site to reduce the rate of noise pollution to the neighboring community.  Reduce hooting by the drivers especially when passing through the neighborhood. Hazardous waste safety and storage  Secure the site to prevent unauthorized persons and to restrict movement.  Wet the asbestos sheets before removal.  Do not slide asbestos sheets over each other.  Carefully lower removed asbestos sheets to the ground.  The workers removing the asbestos must have the appropriate Personal protective equipment. 7th May, 2021 THE KENYA GAZETTE Possible Impacts Mitigation Measures Management of the asbestos  Proper labeling of the site of asbestos disposal as hazardous.  Proper sealing of containers carrying asbestos to prevent any spillage of asbestos since they are hazardous waste.  Treating the asbestos with wetting agent prior transportation to the site of disposal to reduce the dust emission of the asbestos particles in the air.  Skilled personnel should be put to handle the hazardous waste.  The firm shall not permit any person to work in an environment in which he or she would be exposed to asbestos in excess of the prescribed occupational exposure limit. Occupational hazards or injuries to the general public  Reporting of any accidents through the prescription forms provided by the Occupational Health and Safety offices (DOSHS) are in place.  All workers should be provided with protective gears for handling the asbestos waste.  First aid kits should be provided on site and it should be fully equipped and managed by a professional personnel.  The workers on site should have insurance covers.  Adequate sanitary facilities that are cleaned at all times.  Mounting safety signage‘s around the project site to show danger and how no one will be accommodated in the site without proper protective equipment. Air pollution and dust emission  Providing adequate PPEs to the staff.  Air monitoring should be done continuously especially in the areas where asbestos is being handled on the site.  Managing the soil that has been contaminated by asbestos and putting it together in well labeled bags together with the asbestos and depositing them in the appropriate pits of disposal.  Adhere to the asbestos disposal guidelines provided by NEMA. Increased water demand  Turning off running taps that are not in use especially when wetting asbestos sheets and during dust control. Health and safety risk  Developing an asbestos removal plan for the asbestos to ensure the personnel handling the asbestos are not at risk and they are following up on the procedures given.  Providing adequate PPEs for the workers.  Setting up areas for personal decontamination. Underground water contamination  Constructing a 120mm lining with concrete on the in the pits used to dispose of the asbestos to prevent groundwater contamination.  Digging the pits for disposing the asbestos shall be deep but at least one meter above the water tables. Possible Impacts Mitigation Measures Emission  Proper maintenance of vehicles to reduce diesel and petroleum emission to the soil and environment. Solid waste  The excavated materials from the pits should be used back to fill the pits to prevent solid waste mishandling.  Only the required amount of materials on site should be used and the residue disposed of to control solid waste generation. Energy consumption  Ensuring all electric equipment is switched off while not being in use.  Well organized transportation schedule to reduce unnecessary movements hence conserve energy. Noise pollution  Sensitizing the drivers to switch off engines when not in use and reduce hooting activities to avoid gunning of the vehicle engines. Heat stress  Scheduling appropriate work rotations to reduce the heat stress while providing appropriate PPEs to the personnel‘s that have regulated air supply to prevent heat stress. Waste land due to project abandonment  Demolition and disposal of structures, landscape restoration , filling depressions, removing unused equipment, structures and facilities to give room for new activities.  Plant indigenous plants on the project site to restore it to or close to the original state. 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, 12th Floor, Ragati Road, Upper Hill, 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 Taita Taveta 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 project. MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/1815678 National Environment Management Authority.