GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 5616

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, Nancy Wanjiru Njogu is proposing to construct a funeral home comprising of a main building (reception area, directors office, cold rooms, post-mortem room, viewing room, chapel and bed sitters for office workers, stalls and entry porch), working areas, passages within the building to provide access to the rooms and 1934 1934 associated facilities and amenities. The proposed project will be located on plot L.R. Kiine/Sagana/ 6129, Makutano, Mwea West Sub- location, Mwea Constituency, Kirinyaga County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Environmental Impacts Mitigation Measures Environmental degradation • Demarcate the project area to be affected by the construction works to prevent the effects of construction from spilling over into other areas. • Re-establish vegetation in some or parts of the disturbed areas through implementation of a well- designed landscaping program. Degradation of air quality • Suppress dust by water spraying before sweeping and on dusty grounds. • Dispose waste regularly and appropriately to avoid wastes decomposing at collection areas. • Embalm all bodies before storage in order to prevent them from rotting. • Store only enough bodies to the capacity of the mortuary to prevent congestion. • Put in place rules to prevent bodies overstaying in the mortuary in order to give room for new bodies. • Check the refrigeration system daily to detect and repair any malfunctioning which could lead to rotting of bodies. • Spray the mortuary with appropriate smell deodorizers in order to counteract foul smell. Storm water • Install gutters to harvest rainwater from the roof of the building and water tanks to store the harvested water. • Construct a drainage system to direct storm into roadside drains. Additional road traffic and safety implications • Provide adequate signage of the site. • Designate a parking space for off-loading and loading of materials. Solid wastes including excavated soil • Use excavated soil in filling of site and pot holes on access roads. • Install dust bins for temporary holding of solid wastes. • Separate solid wastes at the source into recyclable and non-recyclable. • Regularly collect and dispose waste to avoid accumulation. • Cover solid waste collection areas to prevent habitation by scavenging animals. Sewerage and waste water and sanitary conveniences • Regularly check all drainage pipes to fix leakages, remove blockages and prevent back-flooding. • Treat wastewater and sewerage before they are disposed. • Monitor wastewater every month to ensure that such waste is disposed in accordance with controlled discharge standards. Water usage • Provide every water supply pipe with a tap to act as a stop valve. • Use water wisely. • Conduct regular maintenance of pipes and taps to fix leakages. • Use larger water storage tanks to cope Environmental Impacts Mitigation Measures with potential shortages. • Maximize on other sources of water for some uses such as harvested rainwater. • Install a water meter for monitoring water use at the site. Excessive energy consumption • Install energy efficient lighting such as fluoresce tubes and energy saving bulbs. • Switch off lighting during the day and all other electrical equipment when they are not in use. • Provide a meter for monitoring energy consumption. Infectious waste • Put in place distinctive protocols for the classification and segregation of infectious diseases materials. • Treat waste that is deemed potentially infectious prior to disposal by several different technologies that either disinfect or sterilize them. Impacts on occupational and public health and safety • Provide workers with appropriate protective gear. Ensure machines and equipment to be used at the site are periodically checked by qualified personnel as outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA), 2007. • Put in place appropriate warning signs, directions and procedures as outlined in the report. • Ensure the building has ventilation openings above doors and windows to each room to prevent any chances of suffocation during the full operation of the building. Bad Odour • The proponent should apply chemical neutralizers that permanently remove all organic odours on contact. 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, Kirinyaga 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 project. Comments can also be emailed to dgnema@nema.go.ke MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/5166189 National Environment Management.