GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 2681

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. Twiga Foods Limited intends to establish an irrigation scheme project that involve the use of overhead sprinkle irrigation in 485 hectares for phase one. The source of water is mainly River Lumi, through a canal that passes by the farm. Phase two of the proposed project involves the construction of a reservoir of capacity 58,313m’, to store some water and also act as.a sump to feed the 85 hectares irrigation pivots directly, on plot L.R. No. 10287/10 (Original No. 10287/514) Mata Sub-location, Taita Taveta County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Potential Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Noise and ° vibration Dust emission ° Occupational . health and safety risk Solid waste ° generation Loss of vegetation Accumulation of * soil stock piles All construction equipment will be regularly inspected and maintained in good working condition. Provision of ear muffs for those working with noise producing equipment. Excavation, handling and transport of erodible materials shall be avoided under high wind conditions or when a visible dust plume is present and or covered by tarpaulin while on transit. Wet all active construction areas as and when necessary to lay dust. Vehicle speeds be limited to a maximum of 30knv/h. Establish a Health and Safety Plan (HASP). Appoint a trained health and safety team for the duration of the construction work. Provide workers with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Keep agrochemical (pesticide and herbicide among others) in their original package away from reach by children and mature people as well. Store chemicals as recommended in the MSDS. Contract registered waste handler to dispose of waste and have waste destruction certificate and waste transfer notes. Use of durable, long-lasting materials that will not need to be replaced often. Avoid cutting mature tree stand, and or relocate all mature Mabuyu (Baobab) trees. Re-vegetation of exposed areas around the site to mitigate against erosion of soil through surface water runoff and wind erosion. The excavated soils will be reused for other activities such as backfilling to level the land to allow the pivotal movement. Potential Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Soil erosion Soil compaction Pollution of rivers and wetlands Increased traffic Spread of HIV / AIDs among workers and community members Spread of infectious disease COVID-19 Water quality degradation Excavated materials will also be used to balance lands with uneven topography. Soil erosion control measures (retention ponds) should be undertaken to avoid erosion in sensitive areas and those prone to erosion. The levelling and disturbance of the soil should be limited to the designated cultivation site. Machineries need to be operated on the existing roads or tracks. Unnecessary vehicle movement should be avoided. Re-vegetation should be enhanced to reduce run off. Apply sediment control procedures to prevent sediment returning into the rivers including but not limited to the retention ponds, among others appropriate to the site. Plant vegetation cover, grass around the reservoir and all affected areas not under cultivation. The contractor should ensure there is regular watering of dusty roads and maintenance during this stage. Damaged roads as a result of heavy vehicles should be repaired adequately and without delay. Education and sensitization of workers and the local communities on the dangers and prevalence of the disease. Instituting HIV/AIDS awareness among the project workers. There should be provision of adequate prevention measures such as condoms. Awareness creation for both community members and all project workers on the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, how it spreads, how to protect themselves and the need to be tested if they have symptoms. All workers shall be subjected to rapid Covid- 19 screening which may include temperature check and/or other vital signs. Mandatory provision and use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shall be required for all project personnel including workers and visitors. Keep records of all persons (including phone contacts) involved in project implementation. Adherence to the MoH COVI-19 Standard operating procedures and protocols. Work with the local extension officer so that the staff can be trained on the safe use of agro chemicals to ensure that they apply the right amounts, and prevent pollution water sources. The right amounts of fertilizer application should be used to prevent potential for excess quantities getting washed into the surface waters and from infiltrating into the ground water resources. Waste management should be adequately streamlined to prevent the release of effluents into the environment. 11th March, 2022 Potential Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Water-logging, °* The use of fertilizer should be regulated and soil salinization should be as is recommended. ood The promotion of organic manure in place of sedimentation fertilizers should be intensified. leaching * Control of the amount of water abstracted from the river through appropriate design of the intake to include facilities for regulating canal discharge. * Installation of appropriate drainage channels 4o drain any excess water from the farms. ¢ Periodic monitoring pf soil salinity before project implementation and with every annual audit. ¢ Afforestation and vegetation growth should be encouraged especially along the river banks. » The intakes and canals should periodically be de-silted. * Cultivation limits.near river systems should be identified and adhered. Waterborne * The Ministry of Public Health should ensure diseases there is regular spraying of homes and houses within the project area to rid them of mosquitoes. * There should be adequate provision of mosquito nets at affordable costs. ¢ There should be regular flushing of stagnated, water to destroy breeding grounds for disease causing vectors inthe areas. Human :¢ The sensitization should involve all livestock- community members in the area and should be wildlife conflict holistic. * To minimize the conflicts between man- livestock and wildlife, the farms should be adequately fenced off with the use of the -appropriate materials Pests and crop Workers should be trained on pest and disease diseases control and management, especially integrated pest management. ¢ There should be an increased-pest and disease surveillance to monitor prevalence of existing pests and diseases. Increased ¢ AJl wastes should. be stored. away from reach generation = of by children and returned. to agro-dealers for wastes safe disposal. * The scheme management should conduct periodic training for respondents on safe disposal. Unsafe-products * Proper extension service should be -availed to- for human farmers. consumplion Observe the pre-harvest timeline required after spraying produce with.agrochemical. Loss of * Develap alternative livelihood activities. livelihood . sete Community sensitization. Soil erosion * Plant grass. and other native vegetation. along soil filled trenches. © Maintain soil conservation werks until the-site- stabilizes. Visual impacts ~* ‘Carry -out landscaping works and plant vegetation (trees).along the cleared land areas. Noise pollution by disassembly activities Portable barriers will be instalfed to shield community from elevated noise. Potential Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures ° Use of equipment designed with noise control elements will be adopted where necessary. Demolition * NEMA Licensed Firm will be engaged to debris and collect demolition debris/wastes. ted te related wastes Alll debris/wastes to be collected regularly to limit stock piling. Workers ¢ All workers will be sensitized before the accidents during exercise begins, on how to contro! accidents demolition related to the demolition exercise. * Adhere to HASP for the decommissioning. Water reservoir « Design to ensure word recommended rapture due to standards are adhered to. r oo straction Select competent and qualified contractors. techniques * Proper supervision of construction works. ¢ Provision of adequate overflow/outlet channels to limit accumulation of water beyond the maximum capacity of the water reservoir. 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, 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 Directar 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 for this project. MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/3214341 National Environment Management Authority.