E- 304 VOL. 6 CLASS OFEIA CERTIFICATE: CLASS A ev uy s~ 3. SEA CERTIFICATE NO.: A 0948 CONNECTING ROAD PROJECT S:CANNED FILE COPY Fe Accesson No. Box No. F N I Wate O;1'7lq tog# AFIIon T-. , Vcc FnLE (Co/alpha/Poame or #)L/Cr GRTfESW Co/Hg Adm Proc LCb 4 OSS 0 HENAN INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION OCTOBER, 1999 I ZHUMADIAN-XINXIANG EXPRESSWAY CONNECTING ROAD ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN This Environmental Action Plan is proposed on the basis of the local geography, project features, climate, hydrogeology and eco-environment in the project area. 1. Design Stage The project design gives adequate consideration to minimization of possible environmental impacts and ecological damages, with the strategy of "making the best use of existing road" incorporated into the design. Only 2 out of the 5 connecting roads will be newly built, and the rest 3 will be upgraded and improved on the basis of existing roads. This will minimize l additional land use and surface configuration/vegetation damage. South Zhumadian connecting road is a new project, but the alignment considered iffthe design is the south ring road as proposed in the "General Municipal Planning of Zhumadian City" approved in 1996. Making use of this approved alignment will not only provide an access to the expressway, but also avoid further ecological damage by overlap construction. Queshan, Minggang and north Xinyang connecting roads are to be upgraded by making use of parts of the existing Queshan-Runan, Minggang-Zhengyang and Xinyang-Zhengyang roads. The subgrade width of these road segments to be utilized essentially meets the requirement of the connecting roads. What we need to do is to widen some of the subgrade, improve the surface and provide supporting facilities. The limited soil materials required upgrading works will can be borrowed from side ditches, thus reducing additional land use and farmland damage on both sides. South Xinyang connecting road is to be newly built. While efforts are made to ensure a smooth lineshape and not to lower the technical indexes, this road is aligned to escape village and minimize farmland occupation wherever possible, and full use is made of topography to control additional slope surface area, prevent additional soil erosion, avoid high cut and reduce soil work quantity. With low subgrade structures adopted, the connecting roads will not cause social segregation when they are completed and put into operation. To reduce air quality impacts by fugitive dust and asphalt smoke arising out of construction operations, central lime-soil material and asphalt concrete mixing is considered in the design, with central mixing plants located far from any village. Where is does be necessary to borrow soil materials beyond side ditches, the borrow areas * envisaged in the design are in abandoned land, wasteland and poor farmland or floodland, to minimize possible damage to fertile farmland. The design of slope protection, afforestation and other environment protection measures is proceeded together with that of the main works under the project, and environmental cost is separately included in the project cost estimate. This places a solid basis for implementing environment protection measures. The main works under the project are simultaneously designed with noise control, slope protection and afforestation among other environment protection measures, but the financial I requirements are separately considered, which places a solid basis for the implementation of I s such measures. Noise control measures and sensitive sites considered in the design stage include: (1) In the operation period, Ershilihe Primary School on north Xinyang connecting road will be susceptible to major traffic noise impacts. In this case, it is recommended that the gate of the school be changed to face east or west instead of the road at present, and then raise the fence on the side close to the road. There exists a two-story teaching building. On the basis of calculation, raising the fence by 2.5 m will put the entire teaching building in acoustic shadow. In this way, the fence will serve as a sound barrier and mitigate traffic noise impacts in the operation period. When the gate is reoriented, the fence will be raised from 2 m to 2.5 m and extended by about 300 m, requiring a total cost of 22,500 RMB. With these done, noise levels will be reduced by some 10 dB(A), which will keep normal teaching activities from traffic impacts except in the time of day peak traffic volumes. (2) Fence of the first row of houses facing the connecting roads will be raised to a height of 2 m. Mitigation of traffic noise impacts in this way will be required for: Chenzhuang, Liulou and Zhuanghu on south Zhumadian connecting road; Wudian on Minggang connecting road, Shierlimiao and Ershilihe on north Xinyang connecting road. As confirmed, there is need for 41 families in the said 6 villages for raise their fences from the present average height of 1.5 m to 2 m, covering a total length of 345 m and requiring a total of 26,000 RMB. This measure will achieve noise reduction of 8-10 dB(A). A daily precipitation of over 350 mm has ever been recorded in Zhumadian and Xinyang, so it is recommended that improvement of the flood protection standard of bridges and culverts be considered, as appropriate, in the design of the 2 new roads. 2. Construction Stage Environment protection measures to be implemented in the construction stage, including the responsibilities for implementation and supervision, are summarized in Table -1. 3. Operation Stage The environment protection measures to be initiated in the operation stage, including responsibilities for implementation and supervision, are as summarized in Table -2. In addition to the measures as listed in Table -2, the following actions will be taken in the operation period: (1) For the purpose of traffic safety, the range of 15 m beyond the slopes on both sides of subgrade will be identified as the scope of relocation, to avoid traffic noise impacts on residents in the immediate proximity. (2) To ensure traffic safety, necessary measures will be -taken to separate fast traffic lane, slow traffic lane and sidewalk. Pedestrian crosses and signal lamps will be provided at grade crossing with other roads and loaning. 2 Table -1 Summary of Environment Protection Measures for Construction Period Environmcntal Environment Protection Measure Implementation Supervision Issue Responsibility Responsibility Soil Works 1. To locate borrow areas in waste land or abandoned land wherever possible, and to carry out decentral borrow Contractor highway management area operations for the 3 roads in Zhumadian and central borrow area operations for the other roads in Xinyang agency, environment in light of the local water table and precipitation, with soil materials for a part of south Zhumadian connecting protection agency and road borrowed from the Lianjiang River beach; agricultural agency 2. To locate decentral borrow areas in Zhumadian in downiand wherever possible, and to strictly control the depth of excavation, with 25 cm thick topsoil put aside prior to any borrow area operations, and then returned to borrow pits upon completion of borrow area operations; 3. To properly handle longitudinal allocation of soil works under the connecting roads in Xinyang, increase the excavation depth of central borrow areas, as appropriate, and make regular edges whenever possible, with borrow pits turned into aquacultural water surface; 4. To consider the use of industrial solid wastes for minimizing surface configuration and vegetation damage by borrow area operations required to meet the large quantity of soil materials for the 2 new roads, e.g. use of flyash from Zhumadian Chemical Plant and Zhumadian Chemical Plant for south Zhumadian connecting road. Temporary Land 1. To make use of waste land or low-quality land and minimize the use of farmland wherever possible; Contractor Highway Use 2. To provide adequate compensation for temporary land use for a service time plus restoration period of time; management, land 3. To clear up and recover any land for temporary use immediately upon completion of construction activities. management and environment protection agency Bridge/Culvert I. To provide temporary drainage channels prior to the construction of any bridge and culvert that will cross Contractor Highway management Construction surface water course and conservancy facilities, especially during construction south Zhumadian connecting agency, conservancy road, so as to prevent any surface runoff blockage due to bridge and culvert construction; agency 2. Not to throw any waste resulting from bridge/culvert construction into water courses, so as to avoid adverse impacts on the flood discharge capacity of rivers, ditches and channels; 3. To incorporate avoidance of dike damage and flood discharge capacity deterioration into the design and construction of bridges across rivers; 4. To avoid narrowing rivers and channels in the process of bridge/culvert design. 3 Table -1 Summary of Environment Protection Measures for Construction Period -continued Environmental Environment Protection Measure Implementation Supervision Issue . Responsibility Responsibility Fugitive Dust due to 1. To adopt central lime-soil mixing to all connecting roads, and place central mixing plants on the leeward of Contractor Highway management Construction seasonable prevailing wind directions, at a distance of more than 200 m from any residential site; agency, environment 2. To water earth roads used for building material transportation purposes, so as to reduce fugitive dust; protection agency 3. To cover bulk material hauling trucks; 4. To provide central lime-soil material mixing plant operators with necessary work protection apparatus suci as gauze masks and gaggles. Asphalt Smoke I. To locate central asphalt concrete batching plants on the leeward of seasonable prevailing wind directions, at Contractor Highway management a distance of more than 200 m from any village; agency, environment 2. To seal asphalt concrete delivering equipment and provide dust removing devices wherever possible; protection agency 3. To provide central asphalt concrete batching plant operators with necessary work protection measures, arrange shift work, and reduce the time of exposure to asphalt smoke; Noise due to I. To improve equipment and hauling truck maintenance, thus reducing equipment noise source intensity; Contractor Highway management Construction . To provide piler, generator and bulldozer operators with earplugs for the purpose of health protection; agency, environment 3. To suspend any construction activity from 22:00 to 6:00 the next day. protection agency Camp I. To carry out simple treatment of sanitary sewage before it is discharged, rather than directly lead it to water Contractor Highway management courses; agency, environment 2. To place house refuse at designated areas, with seepage controls initiated as necessary; protection agency 3. To remove house refuse out of camps, on a regular basis, for central disposal. . Underground 1. To suspend construction without any delay; Contractor Highway management Cultural Relics 2. To report to archeological authority; agency, environment Unearthed during 3. To provide cooperation in respect of cultural relics unearthing, clearing and protection; protection agency Construction 4. To resume construction upon completion of cultural relics unearthing and protection and at the approval of archeological authority. 4 Table -2 Summary of Environment Protection Measures for Operation Period Environmental Environment Protection Measure Implementation Supervision Issue Responsibility Responsibility Traffic Noise I.To arrange vehicle noise monitoring activities on a regular basis, and not to Traffic police, Public security allow any vehicle without a noise certificate onto the road; connecting road authority, highway 2.To adopt low-noise horn, overtake by turning on the turn light, and forbid the maintenance agency management agency, use of horn for overtaking; environmnent 3.Not to press the horn at night; protection agency 4.To improve road maintenance and keep road surface in good condition. Exhaust Gas I.To arrange exhaust gas monitoring activities on a regular basis, and not to Ditto Ditto allow any vehicle without an exhaust certificate onto the road; 2.To do well in maintaining green belts on both sides of the connecting roads; 3.Not to build any new residential site, hospital and school among other special sensitive site in the range of 200 m. Soil Erosion l.To provide adequate slope protection works, with grass planted to prevent Connecting road Conservancy agency, subgrade instability and soil erosion due to rainwater scouring; maintenance agency environment 2.To protect the slope foot of subgrade with grouted flags as there are many rice protection agency fields on both sides of the roads in Xinyang. 5 1 4. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM These connecting roads belong to Zhumadian City and Queshan County governed by Zhumadian Prefecture, Pingqiao District and Luoshan County governed by Xinyang City. Each of the local highway management agencies will provide a full-time person to be responsible for environmnental management under the connecting roads in the construction and operation periods. The following is an organization chart of environmental management under the connecting roads. Figure -1 Organization Chart of Environmental Management Environment Protection Department, Henan Provincial Highway Management Authority I Full-time Environmental Manager at Zhumadian I Full-time Environmental Manager at Xinyang City Prefecture Highway Management Headquarters Highway Management Headquarters I Full-time I Full-time I Full-time I Full-time Environmental Environmental Environmental Environmental Manager at Manager at Manager at Manager at Zhumadian City Queshan County Pingqiao District Luoshan County Highway Highway Highway Highway Management Management Management Management Agency Agency Agency Agency Environmental Environmental Environmental Management under North i ~~~~Management Management M e and South Xinyang Connecting Roads in ; ~~~~under South under Queshan yC Zhunader n S u indergQuhang Construction & Operation Periods Zhumadian & Minggang Connecting Connecting Road in Roads in Construction & Construction & Operation Operation Periods Periods The above listed full-time environmental managers receive technical training together with those responsible for the expressway. The place and subject of training will be determined in the EIA of the expressway. 5. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM Environmental monitoring in both construction and operation periods of the connecting roads will be committed to Zhumadian and Xinyang Environmental Monitoring Stations respectively. The organization chart of environmental monitoring is as shown in Figure -2. 6 Figure 6-2 Organization Chart of Environmental Monitoring Zhumadian Environmental Monitoring Station Xinyang Environmental Monitoring Station Environmental Environmental Environmental Environmental Monitoring under Monitoring under Monitoring under Monitoring under South Zhumadian Queshan & Minggang North Xinyang South Xinyang Connecting Road Connecting Road in Connecting Road in Connecting Road in in Construction and Construction & Construction & Construction & Operation Period Operation Period Operation Period Operation Period rEnvirornmental Monitoring under Zhumadian-Xinyang ! | ~~~~~~~~Expressway in Construction and Operation Period l The staff of Zhumadian and Xinyang Environmental Monitoring Stations have all been strictly trained and qualified for measurement certificate. In this case, no professional training will be arranged for the environmental monitoring personnel responsible for the connecting roads. Arrangements for environmental monitoring in the construction and operation periods are as summarized in Tables -3 and -4. Table -3 Environmental Monitoring Program for Construction Period Environmenta Monitoring Site Monitoring Monitoring Time and Implementatio Supervision I Element Item Frequency n Responsibility ___________________ Responsibility Ambient Air 2 sites for each road, at TSP, asphalt 4 times a year in Zhumadian/ Zhumadian/ central asphalt concrete smoke, Bap construction period, Xinyang Xinyang batching plant and residential I in each season, at Environmental Highway site nearby, altogether 10 sites least 5 days each Monitoring Management time Station Headquarters 3 sites for each road, at TSP, dust Ad hoc monitoring central lime-soil material for I day each time, mixing plant, work site and once in day and once residential site nearby, in night time, at least altogether 15 sites 6 days a year Ambient 4 sites for each road, at major Ambient 4 times a year, I in Noise noise source in the field, noise Leq each season, I day boundary of work site, and each time, once in residential site nearby, day and once in night laltogether 20 sites time 7 Table -4 Environmental Monitoring Program for Operation Period Environmental Monitoring Site Monitoring Monitoring Time Implementation Supervision Element Item and Frequency Responsibility Responsibility Air Liulou on south Zhumadian CO, NO,, 4 times a year, 1 Zhumadian/ Zhumadian/ connecting road, Louzhuang TSP in each season, at Xinyang Xinyang on Queshan connecting road, least 5 consecutive Environmental Highway Zhouzhuang on Minggang days each time Monitoring Management connecting road, Ershilihe Station Headquarters Primary School on north Xinyang connecting road, Gaojialaowan on south Xinyang connecting road, specific locations are the same as those arranged for present environmental monitoring for the purpose of this EIA. Ambient Noise ditto Ambient 4 times a year, I noise, Leq in each season, I in day and day each time, night time once in day and once in night time Environmental monitoring will be arranged as above scheduled in both construction and operation periods. Monitoring results from the connecting roads will be handled and submitted in the following channel: Zhumadian/Xinyang Environmental Monitoring Station-+local highway management headquarters for interpretation and summarization-*Environmental Management Department under Henan Provincial Highway Management Authority->World Bank. 6. TRAINING PROGRAM Technical training for the full-time environmental managers, altogether 6, for Zhumadian Prefecture and Xinyang City highway management headquarters, including their Zhumadian City, Queshan County, Pingqian District and Luoshan County highway management agencies, will be performed together with that for the full-time environmental managers to be provided for the main works. Such training will be carried out, as arranged by Henan Provincial Department of Transportation, in Zhengzhou for a period of 1 month in the first half of 2000. 8