GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 5570

PURSUANT to regulation 21 of the Environmental Management and Coordination (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, Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency is proposing to implement the Bomet–Mulot Water Supply Project to improve access to clean water in Bomet, Silibwet, Longisa and Mulot towns and their environs. The Project entails abstraction of water from Nyangores River inside Mau Forest to serve the entire project area and is comprised of a run-of-river intake on Nyangores River; a 5km raw water gravity main; a full 18,000m3/day conventional water treatment works; 117km of treated water transmission pipelines; pumping stations; and storage tanks located in Bomet Central, Bomet East, and Chepalungu sub-counties, Bomet County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Aspect Social Impact (SI)/Potential Impacy (PI) Management Objective (O), Strategy (S) and Controls (C) Water resources SI: Obstruction of river flow during construction of the weir and intake works; excavations on riverbed and riverbank for intake works; Release of hazardous substances into the river; abstraction of water for concrete works and other construction activities PI: Change in river flow downstream; Increased sediment load in the river; Deterioration of the river's water quality; Increased demand on water resources with potential to affect downstream users O: Protection of water resources (quantity and quality) and aquatic organisms. S: Conservative use of water; Prevention of water pollution by construction activities. C: Construction of a suitable temporary diversion channel at weir location; Construction during low flows; Institution of spill prevention and control measures; Conservative use of water in construction works; implement a construction waste management plan; Provide appropriate sanitary facilities at construction camp and sites, worker compounds and other construction facilities; Implement soil erosion control measures; Install and regularly empty sediment traps in surface drains around construction areas; Maintain as much riverine vegetation at the weir site as possible, and maintain vegetative buffer zones alongside river and drainage channels during construction; obtain appropriate consents for any abstractions from, and discharges to watercourses; Take precaution in the discharge of hydro-test water to avoid erosion and deposition of sediments into watercourses; implement an agreed seasonal compensation flow regime during construction activities. 3104 3104 Aspect Social Impact (SI)/Potential Impacy (PI) Management Objective (O), Strategy (S) and Controls (C) Air quality SI: Exhaust emissions from construction equipment; Dust from vehicle movements and excavations; Burning of wastes on site PI: Degradation of local air quality by Particulate Matter, and Oxides of Carbon, Nitrogen and Sulphur; Nuisance and adverse effects on human health; Adverse effects on growth and productivity of vegetation; Uncontrolled spread of fires O: Maintain air good quality by avoiding air pollution. S: Reduction of emissions from significant sources. C: Proper equipment and vehicle maintenance; use of low sulphur fuels; Regulation of construction vehicle speeds; sprinkling of dusty accesses and other dust prone areas to lay dust; provision of PPE e.g. dust masks to workers; Avoid open burning of waste; Recycle wastes as much as possible; Incinerate wastes where necessary in a properly designed incinerator; Landfill other wastes in designated sites; Minimize exposed areas through the schedule of construction activities to enable dust control; Maintain equipment and machinery to manufacturers’ specifications by regular servicing; Minimise the period for machinery idling; Rehabilitation of disturbed areas once completed; Use of tarpaulins to cover trucks carting away spoil using public roads. Geo- hazards SI: Blasting of rocks; Disturbance of loose ground by excavation and/or vegetation clearance PI: Landslides, mud slides, and/or rock fall with potential to cause loss of life and/or property O: Ensure that construction activities do not lead to mass wasting. S: Prevent mass wasting by construction practices and engineering controls. C: Stabilize loose ground before and after excavations; Reroute pipelines where necessary; Avoid rock blasting as much as possible; Careful discharge of hydro test water to prevent dislodging of loose rocks and debris on steep slopes. Noise levels SI: Noise emissions by construction equipment and activities PI: Nuisance to surrounding communities and wildlife O: Maintain low noise levels and reduce vibrations. S: Prevention of noise pollution and vibrations by equipment. C: Use of noise abatement equipment for machinery; Limit construction activities to daytime only; Switch off noisy equipment when not in use; Provide PPE such as earmuffs to workers at the site as necessary. Ecology and Biodiversity SI: Clearance of existing natural vegetation; Mobilization of sediments from soil disturbance; spillages of hazardous substances; Inappropriate disposal of wastes; Lack of knowledge on working in wildlife areas PI: Loss of important species of plants and animals; Potential death of aquatic organisms from O: Conserve/protect the existing biodiversity and ecological functions of the river and forest. S: Establish measures to protect water and forest resources potentially affected by construction works. C: Development of a Reinstatement Plan and a landscaping/revegetation plan; Ensure minimal stripping of vegetation at work areas; Establishment of sediment traps and silt fences; Institution of containment measures for hazardous substances; Institution of a waste management plan; Training on appropriate response to wildlife encounters. Aspect Social Impact (SI)/Potential Impacy (PI) Management Objective (O), Strategy (S) and Controls (C) pollution; Smothering and death of vegetation; Environmental degradation from pollution; Death or injury to wild animals Aesthetics and visual integrity SI: Use of land as pipeline ROW, Construction Camp, materials storage yards; Permanent occupation of land by facilities e.g. WTP, access roads; Presence of construction activities, large equipment and pipe sections PI: Loss of natural vegetation; Visual disturbance effects on humans O: Prevent/minimize occurrence of adverse visual and landscape impacts resulting from construction works. S: Modification of construction activities and methods to reduce potential adverse impacts. C: Reinstatement of disturbed sites; Avoid removal of mature trees that form important visual focal points; Replacement of removed trees where possible; Proper housekeeping at active construction sites to reduce visual nuisance. Soil resources SI: Earthworks involving site clearance and excavation; Spillage of hazardous substances on the ground; Compaction of soil by vehicles and machinery; Release of hydro-test water PI: Loss of topsoil from soil erosion or offsite disposal of spoil; Contamination of soil resources; Soil erosion from change in drainage characteristics; Scour, soil erosion and deposition of silt in the river O: Protection of soil resources at construction sites. S: Prevention of pollution and depletion of soil resources. C: Avoid offsite disposal of spoil; Salvage, stockpile and ensure re-use of native topsoil during re- vegetation activities in disturbed areas; Implementation of a site- specific reinstatement plan; Institution of spill prevention and control measures; Oils, fuels, paints and any hazardous materials to be stored in accordance with their respective MSDS’s; Use of designated routes and avoid deviation from established roads; Controlled release of hydrotest water; Reuse of hydrotest water; Inspect pipelines for potential weaknesses before hydrotesting; Restoration to ensure that trench backfill material is compacted to a similar value to the surrounding soils; Limit clearance of vegetation to the plinth of proposed structures and trench line; Stabilize and maintain access roads created to access project sites to minimize erosion and dust from vehicular traffic; Stabilize construction sites and camp(s) entrances/exits to reduce the amount of sediment tracked off-site by construction vehicles. Energy resources SI: Use of fossil fuels by vehicles and machinery PI: High demand for fossil fuels; Higher emissions of CO2 O: Lower the energy demand by construction equipment and activities. S: Adopt fuel-economy practises for vehicles and equipment. C: Minimize idling of machinery; Avoid overloading of trucks and machinery; Regular service of vehicles, plant and machinery; Use environmentally friendly fuels such 7th August, 2020 THE KENYA GAZETTE Aspect Social Impact (SI)/Potential Impacy (PI) Management Objective (O), Strategy (S) and Controls (C) as low sulphur diesel; Specify and procure the most energy efficient plant options fit for purpose and avoid use of plant with unnecessary and excess capacity. Wastes SI: Construction activities which generate wastes; Residence in construction camp which generates wastes; Poor management of wastes generated PI: Creation of health and safety hazards for workforce and surrounding community; Environmental pollution; Degradation of the aesthetic value of the area O: Prevention of environmental pollution from wastes generated. S: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and appropriately dispose generated wastes. C: landfill spoils as much as possible within project sites; Segregate wastes generated into inert fill materials, recyclable/reusable materials and hazardous wastes for appropriate disposal Compost organic wastes; Provide adequate sanitary facilities at construction camp and sites; Reuse of hydrotest water; Adopt best practises in concrete waste management; Isolate woody vegetation cleared and facilitate collection by neighboring residents. Cultural heritage and archaeology SI: Excavation of trenches for pipelines and site clearance for treatment works and tank sites PI: Damage/destructio n of marked or undiscovered archaeological monuments or cultural property or graves O: Protect archaeological and cultural assets. S: Develop procedures for identification and protection of cultural and archaeological assets. C: Implement a “Chance Finds” Procedure in consultation with land owners and the National Museums of Kenya; Relocation of graves in a culturally appropriate manner; Induction of construction crew on the significance of archaeological and cultural heritage resources and how to identify such sites and features; Where significant features are found, modification of activities or project designs to avoid damage to the feature. Occupation- al health and safety SI: People; Unsafe sites/conditions; Unsafe practices/acts; Unsafe tools/equipment/ma chinery/materials PI: Injury or fatality to construction workforce; Damage or destruction of property O: Zero Accidents or Incidents at workplaces. S: Mainstream safety issues in operations; Provide a safe working environment for workers; provide PPE and safety facilities for workers; Increase safety awareness among workers; Set H&S performance targets. C: Implement a health and safety management plan; Designate a health and safety officer to oversee health and safety matters at construction sites; Health and safety training of workforce; Comply with the OSHA, 2007 and all other relevant regulations governing health and safety at workplaces; Restrict access to construction sites; Provide appropriate signage and warnings in work areas; Provide appropriate PPE to site workers; Provide for First Aid facilities; Train workers on emergency response such as first aid skills; Aspect Social Impact (SI)/Potential Impacy (PI) Management Objective (O), Strategy (S) and Controls (C) Provide and clearly display emergency contacts on site; Provide adequate sanitary facilities (latrines and wash water). Community health and safety SI: Unsafe sites; Unsafe practices/acts by construction workforce; inappropriate worker interactions with surrounding communities PI: Injury or fatality to members of the surrounding community; damage to community/public assets; spread of diseases O: Zero Accidents or Incidents involving the community; Protection of community health, safety and security. S: Establish mechanisms in operations that safeguard community interests. C: Implement a community safety management plan; establish a grievance redress mechanism for community concerns; continually engage the community on health and safety to improve their awareness; Inform local communities of major activities in advance; Ensure all dangerous construction sites are fenced off; Lay pipes and backfill as soon as possible to reduce the time of hazards exposure to the public from open trenches; Enforce and monitor road safety standards; Ensure that potentially disturbing construction noise is not produced outside of working hours; Provide safety training, traffic management and place a high priority on public safety; Restrict workers camp and construction areas only to formal employees; Enforce a strict code of conduct for workers to regulate behaviour in the local communities; Provide awareness training to the workforce regarding the transmission of STDs, and traffic safety awareness. Livelihoods and settlements SI: Temporary and permanent uptake of land by project components PI: loss of community livelihoods; Potential physical displacement of some members of the community in the project area O: Prevent/minimise livelihoods disruption and resettlement. S: Redesign project components as necessary; Promptly compensate affected persons. C: Preparation of a Resettlement Action Plan or Livelihoods Restoration Plan; Prompt compensation of the community for damages; Rerouting/realignment of pipelines to avoid displacement wherever possible. Labour and working conditions SI: Unethical exploitation of the local community and workforce; discrimination in employment of locals; poor working conditions PI: Community conflicts including strikes and demonstrations; Loss of community goodwill; Delays or stalling of project implementation; Escalation of project costs O: Provision of meaningful opportunities for locals S: Adopt best practices in employment of casuals; Compliance with local labour laws C: Sustained community engagement and resolution of grievances; Employment of locals through the local administration and through a transparent process; Abide by local labour/employment standards; Management of labour issues by a qualified human resource staff. 3106 3106 Aspect Social Impact (SI)/Potential Impacy (PI) Management Objective (O), Strategy (S) and Controls (C) Water resources SI: Obstruction of river flow during construction of the weir and intake works; Excavations on riverbed and riverbank for intake works; Release of hazardous substances into the river; abstraction of water for concrete works and other construction activities PI: Change in river flow downstream; Increased sediment load in the river; Deterioration of the river's water quality; Increased demand on water resources with potential to affect downstream users O: Protection of water resources (quantity and quality) and aquatic organisms. S: Conservative use of water; Prevention of water pollution by construction activities. C: Construction of a suitable temporary diversion channel at weir location; Construction during low flows; Institution of spill prevention and control measures; Conservative use of water in construction works; implement a construction waste management plan; Provide appropriate sanitary facilities at construction camp and sites, worker compounds and other construction facilities; Implement soil erosion control measures; Install and regularly empty sediment traps in surface drains around construction areas; Maintain as much riverine vegetation at the weir site as possible, and maintain vegetative buffer zones alongside river and drainage channels during construction; obtain appropriate consents for any abstractions from, and discharges to watercourses; Take precaution in the discharge of hydro-test water to avoid erosion and deposition of sediments into watercourses; implement an agreed seasonal compensation flow regime during construction activities. 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, Bomet County. A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.nema.go.ke 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. Comments can also be emailed to dgnema@nema.go.ke MAMO B. MAMO, Ag. Director-General, MR/0783709 National Environment Management Authority.