The National Road Infrastructure Fund

Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project

Environmental Management Plan

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

THE NATIONAL ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION PROJECT

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

DRAFT

A. Background

  1. The Republic of Bulgaria has requested a Loan from the World Bank to finance the Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (the Project). The development objective of the proposed Project would be to assist Bulgaria to reduce road transport costs by improving the overall quality of its roads network during the first years of EU accession. The proposed project objectives will be achieved by: (i) improving the condition of selected Class I, II and III roads; (ii) enabling the National Road Infrastructure Fund (NRIF) prepare well-articulated multi-year maintenance and rehabilitation programs through the development and use of an improved data and road management systems; and (iii) improving NRIF’s capacity to manage effectively road maintenance, rehabilitation, and investment programs. Rehabilitation works under the Project would involve about 460 kilometers of Class I, II, and III roads, covering more than 20 different locations spread over the different regions of Bulgaria. The project is being prepared and will be implemented by the NRIF.
  2. In accordance with the World Bank’s safeguard policies and procedures, including OP/BP/GP 4.01 Environmental Assessment, the project has been classified as a Category B for environmental assessment purposes. Environmental due diligence for Category B projects requires the Borrower to prepare the present document, called “Environmental Management Plan” (EMP), and to implement it in order to prevent, minimize or mitigate site-specific environmental impacts.
  3. The present EMP has been prepared by the NRIF to ensure that maintenance and rehabilitation under the Project protect the populace and environment from key risks such as noise, soil erosion on steep slopes, protection of waterways, etc. The EMP also includes a check on potential impacts on Physical Cultural Resources (PCR). Archaeological chance-finds are covered by a chance-finds procedures clause in the works contract.

B. Environmental setting of the proposed road rehabilitation works

  1. The list of rehabilitation works for the estimated 460 km of roads was developed by the NRIF and includes 129 kilometers of Class I roads, 210 kilometers of Class II roads, and 121 kilometers of Class III roads. The proposed road sections are distributed throughout the country and were selected on the basis of economic and other social benefits as part of a long term investment plan aimed at clearing the backlog of road maintenance.

Summary of the likely impacts of the Project

5.  Most road rehabilitation and maintenance works have positive environmental impacts, particularly when the existing road alignment is preserved. The proposed rehabilitation works will include upgrade the road base, reconstruction of the road surface and improvement of drainage and culverts along the same alignment as the existing roads. Positive socio-economic impacts will include reduced vehicle operating costs, reduced travel time; improved access to local services, markets, health and education facilities; improved tourism income generation due to easier and faster access; short-term jobs creation during the construction period; and improved flood control through the drainage facilities to be installed or rehabilitated as part of road rehabilitation.

6.  There will also be adverse impacts of project relating to the hydrology, drainage, additional dust and noise emissions, and increased pollution loads (e.g., suspension solids in run-off water) in the project area mainly during the construction period. However, the design of the project offers an opportunity to introduce mitigation actions, especially with regard to drainage- and erosion-associated negative environmental impacts but also with regard to the way road maintenance and construction activities are undertaken in this project and in the future in the operations of NRIF. Identified environmental impacts will relate principally to civil works during the road rehabilitation activities, and could be managed through supervision of environmental aspects and use of adequate technical construction standards.

  1. Short-term (direct) negative impacts include those resulting from: (i) the production and application of bituminous products; (ii) the quarrying of stone and gravel; (iii) noise, dust, and the re-direction of traffic during the execution of works; (iv) removal of construction related waste materials; and (v) alteration of drainage and potential soil erosion. Long-term (indirect) negative impacts will be confined to those arising from increased traffic and travel speeds along the rehabilitated roads.

·  Production and Application of Bituminous Products. Asphalt plants are required to obtain environmental certification in order to operate. The permit includes the condition and operations at the plant site, proper storage and application of materials, and implementation of air pollution monitoring through constant emission testing. Contractors are obliged to provide copies of certificates of those plants that provide bituminous products. These certificates will be kept on file at the NRIF.

·  Quarrying and Crushing of Gravel. According to the Bulgarian Law a license is required for the extraction of any natural resources such as stone and gravel. Also, crushing operators should have an environmental permit covering the operation of their equipment. All contractors under the project will be required to use only fully licensed and permitted operators as sources for raw materials. Such certificates are periodically renewed, and contractors should ensure that they have on file copies of valid documentation and provide them to the NRIF. No major impact during the transport of the materials is envisaged since all quarries identified should have proper access roads. However, crushers and vibrating screens will generate significant dust during crushing and screening operations.

·  Construction related waste materials. Technical specifications currently in use in Bulgaria require the collection and containment of all waste materials with bituminous content in specific landfills. There is no licensing requirement for the transport of waste materials but all contractors would be required to conform to environmental regulations and practice relating to proper disposal. The identification of the disposal site to be used and the appropriate quantities for each site are to be included as part of the documentation of each rehabilitated road.

·  Short-term impact from noise, dust, vibration, and traffic congestion during the execution of road work is inevitable. Noise levels will increase significantly due to movement of construction machinery and vehicles. This impact will be minimized under the project by (i) specifying in all project contracts the responsibility of contractor to undertake appropriate work site mitigation actions as a part of their management of work sites, and (ii) the supervision of compliance of contractors by the Supervision Engineer. Mitigation measures may include the following actions: use of sprinklers to wash down roads and suppress dust emissions during soil transport; cover vehicles to prevent spills and transport borrow materials during daytime only; plant dust screening vegetation along roadsides and at locations sensitive to air pollution like schools, hospitals, etc; reduce noise by using noise absorbing/protecting building materials, planting noise absorbing trees, provide workers with ear plugs and helmets and generally prevented from prolonged exposure to high noise levels, etc.

·  Alteration of Drainage and soil erosion. In general the road network of Bulgaria was designed with good drainage systems, but the mountainous terrain offers special considerations that may have changed over time. The lack of maintenance is the principal reason for negative impact from drainage. There are also some concerns related to the placement and design of drains and culverts. Any needs for corrective drainage action on the existing alignments will be addressed in the design by the Design Consultants. Soil erosion may result from tree cutting, clearing of roadside vegetation, and unmanaged run-off from equipment.

·  Increased Traffic and Traffic Speed. Long-term environmental impacts include increases in traffic and increases in its speed. Although road maintenance and rehabilitation are pre-requisites for such developments, increase in traffic can also be due to the overall growth of the economy. While lower transport costs can be attributed to increased speeds, in some cases, higher speeds can lead to a higher rate of road accidents. This could be mitigated by adopting good design including adequate signs and traffic calming measures.

·  Direct Social impacts. Certain negative social impacts are inherent with any development project. Negative impacts from new road construction or widening may arise from the need for resettlement, land acquisition, and illegal squatters; however, this is not a significant impact for projects that work within existing alignments. During the construction phase employment or income generating opportunities may be temporarily limited but should be restored with the completion of the construction.

·  Cultural Property Resources. Rehabilitation may uncover archaeologically or culturally significant findings. Consideration of such concerns is provided in the works contracts that will include requirements that the contractor is obliged to look for chance finds and immediately stop the construction work at the contested location and alert the Engineer and the responsible authorities in case of chance finds. While no major impacts on PCR may be expected, attention is paid to the possibility of built PCR being affected by dust and vibration during construction.

Environmental Impact Mitigation Plan

  1. The present Environmental Management Plan (EMP) includes measures to address all potential impacts listed above and it will be implemented during project implementation. More specifically, construction works contracts will include in the Technical Specifications contractual clauses (Annex 1) on environmental protection, and the Mitigation Plan (Annex 2) as well as the Monitoring Plan (Annex 3) will be attached to these Technical Specifications. The Employer (NRIF) and the Supervision Engineer will monitor the implementation of the EMP. Overall potential environmental and safety impacts are readily avoidable and can be easily mitigated by adopting good engineering practices. Best practice in construction environmental management will be achieved through implementation of the present EMP. The Design Consultants will ensure that all such issues are adequately addressed at the design stage, and the Employer will ensure that the contract document include the relevant clauses. The Contractor that will perform the civil works will also follow the requirements of the current Bulgarian Territorial Structure Act and the related regulations. The Consulting Firm that will assist the NRIF in overall project management will also assist NRIF in the supervision of environmental and social aspects. The Supervision Engineer will supervise the construction works. Compliance with the Bulgarian regulations and the terms of the present EMP will be monitored and verified in the monthly reports submitted to the NRIF by the Supervision Engineer, based on consultations with contractors and site visits. Also, the Supervision Engineer will also look into any new critical issues that may come up during the civil works and suggest actions for various agencies.

9.  The EMP describes necessary steps to mitigate negative impacts including measures during pre-construction and construction to: a) mitigate risks of erosion and sedimentation around watercourses; b) restrict water and soil contamination on work sites and around work camps (including littering and waste disposal); c) restrict generation of dust during construction; d) reduce risk of fire, cutting of trees for firewood, and trapping by construction workers; e) implement road safety awareness programs for construction workers; and, f) minimize risk of accidents and ensure occupational safety of workers on construction sites. Implementation of standard impact prevention or mitigation measures through adopting normal engineering practices will ensure that: (i) adequate temporary and permanent drainage is constructed; (ii) the faces of embankments become stabilized and planted to prevent erosion; (iii) borrow pits are stabilized or finished to become wide drainage ditches; (iv) tree planting and landscaping enhance the roads. In terms of supplementary measures it should be noted that detailed design will require that crossing points of wildlife and cattle if applicable will be signed as deemed appropriate to reduce accident risk, while facilities such as shops, parking garages will also have necessary signals to slow traffic and mitigate risks. Also, in case of finding any rare/endangered animal species during the construction activities, the present EMP prompts the contractor to inform the wildlife authorities. Annex 2 summarizes environmental impact mitigation and prevention measures during the project road rehabilitation works.

Environmental Monitoring and Supervision

10.  A monitoring tool has been designed to cover all aspects of construction, including borrow pits and site management to mitigate erosion and siltation, as well as control of pollution and wastes at work sites and camps. There will be day-to-day supervision of earthmoving and construction works to ensure there is sound environmental practice employed during the contract period. Regular project reports shall simultaneously be shared with relevant Bulgarian authorities (e.g., MEWM, MPTT and REC).

11.  All such environmental and social measures will be monitored and enforced, together with health and safety measures (accident prevention, etc.) applied by the contractor for his workforce. It is a part of the EMP that the Supervision Engineer conduct a quarterly project audit of the EMP to: a) ensure it is up to date and relevant to the situation on the ground; b) to ensure that non-compliance and corrective actions are appropriately documented; c) to review training inputs; d) to review emergency procedures and implementation status; and, e) to evaluate corrective responses of the contractor.

12.  Environmental monitoring and supervision will be integrated into the project management and reporting system. Relevant Government authorities will be involved in auditing project performance and will receive copies of monitoring reports. There are no significant environmental risks or projected negative social impacts which will not be accounted for through implementation of the EMP. Annex 3 summarizes the proposed monitoring activities under the project and specifies the parameters to be monitored, location of the monitoring sites, frequency and duration of monitoring. Overall, two types of monitoring reporting is suggested: (i) monitoring on work progress, and (ii) environmental compliance monitoring.

EMP Implementation Arrangement

13.  The NRIF will implement the project, and will maintain files including copies of all contracts and environmental permits. The NRIF has an already established environmental unit. The NRIF will designate a liaison officer for environmental protection and mitigation for the project and compliance with EMP requirements.