014 1287 WTPS Iraq Oil Terminal Non Technical Summary English REV01
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Transcript of 014 1287 WTPS Iraq Oil Terminal Non Technical Summary English REV01
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KAZOILTERMINALPROJECT
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment
NonTechnicalSummary
Onbehalfof:WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
ProjectReference:
0141287
Revision:REV01
Date:December2014
Earth&MarineEnvironmentalConsultants
ChelseaBusinessCentre2ndFloor
AlCornicheStreetBasrah
RepublicofIraq
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NonTechnicalSummaryWaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment
KAZOilTerminalProject,Iraq
0141287Revision01 December2014
DocumentControlRecord
Revision Date Author(s) Authorisedby ReasonforChange
00 30/11/14 MJS/DCW SPR FirstinternalDraft
01 11/12/14 DCW SPR IssuefollowingClientcomments
COMMERCIALINCONFIDENCE
ThisdocumentandalltheinformationcontainedwithinitareproprietarytoEarthandMarineEnvironmentalConsultantsLtd(hereinaftercalledEAME)andaresuppliedinconfidence.Thisdocumentis
nottobereproducedinwholeorinpartnordisclosedtoanythirdpartywithoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofEAME.Norshallitbeusedotherwisethanforthepurposeforwhichithasbeensupplied.
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WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
IraqOilTerminalProject
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment,NonTechnicalSummary
0141287Revision01
December2014
Contents Page
AcronymsandAbbreviations i
1 Introduction 11.1 ProjectOverview 11.2 ProjectLocation 21.3 ProjectSchedule 41.4 ESIAProcessandMethodology 4
2 StakeholderConsultation 6
3 ProjectDescription 73.1 Introduction 73.2 ConsiderationofAlternatives 8
4 EnvironmentalImpactAssessment 104.1 Introduction 104.2 AirQuality 104.3 NoiseQuality 124.4 SoilQuality 134.5 SedimentQuality 154.6 SurfaceWaterQuality 164.7 GroundwaterQuality 174.8 EcologyandBiodiversity 174.9 CumulativeandTransboundaryImpacts 194.10 HazardAnalysisandRiskManagement 19
5 SocialImpactAssessment 225.1 SocialandPoliticalEnvironments 225.2 SocioeconomicSurveyFindings 23
6 EnvironmentalandSocialImpactSummary 266.1 ImpactAssessmentCriteria 266.2 ProjectImpactsMatrix 26
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NonTechnicalSummaryWaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment
KAZOilTerminalProject,Iraq
0141287Revision01 December2014
7 EnvironmentalandSocialManagementandMonitoringPlan 36
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WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
IraqOilTerminalProject
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment,NonTechnicalSummary
0141287Revision01
December2014Pagei
AcronymsandAbbreviations
CEMP ConstructionEnvironmentalManagementPlan
CO CarbonMonoxide
CSSF CommonSeawaterSupplyFacility
dB Decibel
DWB DeeperWaterBerth
DWT DeadweightTonnage
EAME Earth&MarineEnvironmentalConsultants
ESIA EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment
ESMMP EnvironmentalandSocialManagementandMonitoringPlan
GCPI GeneralCompanyPortsofIraq
GDP GrossDomesticProduct
HAZOP HazardandOperabilityStudy
HAZID HazardIdentification
KAZ KhorAlZubairOilTerminalProject
Km Kilometre
Km2 Squarekilometre
KZP KhorAlZubairPort
IUCN InternationalUnionforConservationofNature
IS IslamicState
m Metre
m3 Cubicmetres
MoF MinistryofFinance
NGO NonGovernmentalOrganisation
NOx Nitrogenoxides
NTS NonTechnicalSummary
OSERP OilSpillEmergencyResponsePlan
SKA SKAInternationalGroup
SOx SulphurOxide
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SRFO StraightRunFuelOil
SVOC SemiVolatileOrganicCompound
UQP UmmQasrPort
VOC VolatileOrganicCompound
VR VacuumResidue
WTPS WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
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1 Introduction
WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC(WTPS)havecommissionedanEnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment(ESIA)oftheproposedKhorAlZubair(KAZ)OilTerminalProjectinordertoassessthepotentialadverseandbeneficialimpactsandassociatedmitigationandmanagementmeasures.AnESIAisadetailedstudyoftheenvironmentalandsocialconditionsintheprojectareaandanassessmentofhowtheprojectmaychangetheseconditions. Ifthesechangesaredeemed tobenegativeand severe, the studyhasdefinedmeasures toreduceoreliminatetheseimpacts.
ThisdocumentistheNonTechnicalSummary(NTS)oftheESIA.
1.1 ProjectOverview
Asaresultofarmedconflicts,tradesanctionsandisolationfromtheinternationalcommunityfordecades,Iraqdoesnotpresentlyhavetheresourcestoproviderefinedpetroleumproductsatasufficientratetomeetdemand. Assuch,WTPS intendstoconstructanewpetroleumproducts Terminal on the Khor AlZubair River, close to the Khor AlZubair Port (KZP) inSouthernIraq.TheproposedTerminalwillprovideamodernimportfacilityandalsoafutureexportterminalforrefinedpetroleumproductsthatwillbeproducedinIraq.
TheTerminalwillprovideberthingfacilities,storage infrastructure,truck loading/unloadingfacilities and all associated utility and support systems for multiple berths capable ofdischargingvesselsupto47,000deadweighttonnage(DWT).TheconstructionoftheTerminalwill be phased: the first phase being a singleDeeperWaterBerth (DWB) and associatedpipelineconnectiontotheexistingSKATerminal.Subsequentadditionalphaseswillincludestoragetanksandassociatedutilities,withapotentialstoragecapacityofupto300,000m3.TheTerminalwillbeconstructed to theappropriate international industrystandardsusingreliable and proven technology and will be operated in accordance with standards andpracticesgenerallyprevailinginthepetroleummarineterminalandstorageindustry.
AnindicativelayoutoftheTerminalispresentedinFigure1.1.Itshouldbenotedthatthisisbasedoncurrentstateofknowledgeandgroundconditionsandmaybesubjecttochangeasmore detailed design studies take place. The overall concept is not expected to changesignificantlyanymaterialenvironmentalimpacthowever.
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Figure1.1:ConceptualDevelopmentLayout
1.2 ProjectLocation
TheproposeddevelopmentislocatedonthewesternbankoftheKhorAlZubair,adjacenttotheKZPandtheKZPFreezone.UmmQasrPort(UQP) is14kmsouthofthesite,BasraCityCentreis37kmtothenorthandthebordercrossingintoKuwaitatSafwanislocated19kmtothesouthwestofthesite(Figures1.2and1.3).
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Figure1.2:LocationoftheproposedTerminaldevelopment
GoogleEarthProImagingwiththepermissionofGoogleLicensedtoEarthandMarineEnvironmentalConsultantsLtd
Figure1.3:ProposedTerminaloutline
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1.3 ProjectSchedule
Thepreciseschedulehasnotbeenspecifiedatthisstageaspoliticaldisruption inBaghdadassociatedwiththeIslamicState(IS)insurgencyandchangeofgovernmenthasplacedsomeuncertaintyon theanticipateddateofapprovals tostart,however,constructionworks forPhase1areexpectedtocommenceinearly2015.
1.4 ESIAProcessandMethodology
ThemainobjectiveoftheESIAprocessistoidentifypotentiallysignificantnegativeimpactsonthephysical,humanandnaturalenvironmentthatcouldarisethroughtheentirelifeoftheproject.Wheresuchimpactsareidentified,theprocessidentifiesmeasurestoeliminateormitigate them andmanagementmeasures for any residual impacts. It also provides anopportunityforconsultationwithpotentiallyaffectedstakeholders.
Theassessmentprocessconstitutesasystematicapproachtotheevaluationoftheproposedprojectinthecontextofthenatural,regulatoryandsocioeconomicenvironmentsinwhichthedevelopmentisproposed.
ThepotentialenvironmentalandsocialeffectsresultingfromtheTerminalprojecthavebeenassessedagainst:
Applicableregulations,standardsandguidelines;
Existingenvironmentalandsocioeconomicconditions;and
Issuesandconcernsraisedbyidentifiedstakeholders.
TheESIAandtheidentificationofassociatedrecommendationshasbeendevelopedbydeskbased research, fields studies (to establish baseline conditions), assessment of results,stakeholderconsultationandexpertopinion.
The baseline environmental and social conditions of the Terminalprojectwere identifiedinitially fromacomprehensivedesk study.Thisexercisehelped tonarrowdown themostcriticalenvironmentalandsocialissuesrequiringdetailedevaluation.Theseissuesweretheninvestigatedviaaseriesofstudiesincluding:
Acomprehensivedeskstudyincludingsocioeconomicbaselineinformation;
Baselinelandqualityassessmentincludingtheexcavationofboreholesandsoilsampling;
Baselineairqualitymeasurement;
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Baselinenoiseassessment;
SurfacewaterandsedimentqualitysamplingoftheKhorAlZubair;
Baselinegroundwaterassessment;
Baselineterrestrialecology;
BaselinemarineecologyofKhorAlZubair;
SurveysoffishermenontheKhorAlZubair;
MarineTrafficSurvey;and
TrafficsurveyatakeypointonHighway28.
Thesensitivityoftheenvironmentalandsocialreceptors,andthemagnitudeofthepotentialimpacts were then identified and used to determine impact significance. Potential andresidual impacts (i.e. those remaining after the application ofmitigationmeasures)werecharacterisedasbeingoflow,mediumorhighsignificanceorasbeneficial.Whereverpracticable,additionalmitigationmeasureswereidentifiedtoreducefurtherthoseadverseresidualimpactsthatwereconsideredtobeofmediumorhighsignificance.
Themitigationandenhancementmeasuresthathavebeenproposed intheESIAtoreduceadverse impacts (and enhance potential benefits) have been captured in a commitmentsregister. The commitments that relate to the operating phase of the Terminal will beincorporatedintotheEnvironmentalandSocialMonitoringandManagementPlan(ESMMP).
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2 StakeholderConsultation
Stakeholder consultation isof crucial importance tounderstandhow the Terminalwouldimpactonstakeholdersandtoobtaintheir inputonwhich impactsshouldbe includedandexcluded. WTPS recognises the importance of consultation and that it is also an earlyopportunityforstakeholderstobecomebetterinformedabouttheplannedTerminal.
Stakeholderconsultationcomprisedtwoparts:
thedevelopmentandissueofaScopingReport;and
thedirectconsultationwithpotentiallyaffectedcommunities.
TheScopingReport(0141287WTPSIraqOilTerminalEnvironmentalScopingReportREV03,EAME, August 2014) was prepared at the start of the ESIA process. It is a standalonedocumentthatdescribestheproject,setsouttheenvironmentalissuesthatwillbeassessedthroughtheESIA(andthosethathavebeenscreenedout),explainshowthesewillbeassessedandseeksfeedbackfromtheconsulteesontheseissuesandanyadditionalinformationthattheyhave. TheScopingReportwassent togovernmentdepartments,NonGovernmentalOrganisations (NGOs), local businesses, regional environmental organisations and publicrepresentatives inAugustandSeptember2014. Overonehundred copiesof theScopingReportwereissued,however,replieswereonlyreceivedfromthreeentities,noneofwhichprovidedanyadditionalinformationorsoughttoamendtheproposedapproach.
This low levelofresponsiveness isnotunusual for IraqwhichonlyhasashorthistoryandexperienceofESIAsbeingperformed andno formal requirements forpublicor statutoryconsultation. Also, there are no residential communities in the area and the nearestbusinessesthatcouldbeaffected(SKAandKZP)aredirectstakeholdersintheproject.
Theconsultationwith localpeople (especially fishermen) isdescribed in theSocial ImpactAssessmentsectionofthisNTS.
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3 ProjectDescription
3.1 Introduction
TheproposedTerminaldevelopment is locatedonthewesternbankoftheKhorAlZubair,adjacenttotheKZPandtheKZPFreezone.Theonshoreproportionofthesitecoversapieceoflandapproximately1,500mby500m,coveringatotalareaofapproximately0.95km2(95ha)withaperimeterofroughly4,944m.
It isunderstoodthatWTPShavesecureda25yearaccess/licenceagreementwithGeneralCompanyforPortsofIraq(GCPI)todevelopthesite.
TheTerminalwillultimatelybedesigned tohandleup to fivedifferentproducts:gasoline,gasoil,naphtha,StraightRunFuelOil(SRFO)andVacuumResidue(VR).Gasolineandgasoilwillbeimportedbymarinetankersandoffloadedintothetankfarmbeforebeingexportedvia road tanks. Simultaneous truck loading andmarine tankerunloadingwill increase theefficiencyoftheTerminal.Naphtha,SRFOandVRareexpectedtobebroughttotheTerminalviaroadtankersandloadedontomarinetankersforexport.
Theoffshoreelementsofthe(ultimate)projectinclude:
Jettyfacilityprovidingtwoberthsofvesselsrangingfrom27,000to47,000DWT;
Accesstrestletothejetty;and
Topsideelementstofacilitatetheimportandexportofproducts.
The jettyfacilitieswillbedesignedtoallowforunloadingand loadingofdifferentproductswithfromamaximumoftwovesselsatanyonetime.
When theTerminal is fullydeveloped, it isenvisaged that the sitecouldcomprisearoundtwenty buildings of six generic building types and in the region of thirty tanks totallingapproximately300,000m3ofstorage.
CurrentSiteConditions
Themajorityofthesite,approximately95%,isundevelopedandvacantwithsparsehalophyticvegetation[vegetationthatgrowsinverysalinesoilsorsediments],unsurfacedaccessroadsandevidenceof flytippedwaste.There isevidenceofdisturbanceofsomeof thesoilsbyheavyplantandsomeaccumulationsofearthmoundsfromearthworksactivities.Alsothereisanearthbankroadrunningalongthesiteparalleltotheshorelinewithtwosmallerearthbankroadsextendingtothewaterline.
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ThenorthernelevationofthesitecomprisesKAZJettyNo.1andareasofunsurfaced,derelictlandwithareasusedforthestorageofscrapmetal,muchofwhichappearstobemarinederived(shipwreckclearance).
It isunderstoodthatthemajorityofthesitehasneverbeendeveloped,however,thesitewalkoverbyEAME,variousmapsoftheregionandremotesensingdatahasindicatedsignsofhumanimpactsincludingflytipping/dumping,offroadvehicleactivitiesandtheremnantsignsofwar.
Photograph2.1:Projectsitelandarea
Photograph2.2:Projectsiteintertidalarea
3.2 ConsiderationofAlternatives
The environmental and social implications of alternative development sites or a nodevelopmentoptionwereconsidered.
ItisimportanttoappreciatethelocationspecificconstraintsrepresentedbytheIraqicoastline(i.e. only 58km in length) and the presence of only two navigable rivers suitable for thelocationofaTerminal.TheproposedsiteisidealforthisprojectasadjacenttoitistheSKATerminal (an existing small capacity storage facility jointly owned by WTPS that will beconnectedtothenewberth).TheSKATerminalwillnotbeabletoentirelyfulfilthelongtermrequirementsparticularlyasthereislittleroomforexpansion.Itdoes,however,allowforconsiderableoperationalbenefits,butmustnecessarilyhavetheberthslocatedclosetoit.
Furthermore,fromearlybathymetricstudiesofthearea,itseemsthatthechannelmaintainsanaturalscouredminimumdepthofaround12m in this location,whichmeans it formsanaturaldeeperwaterlocationforaloadingberth,withminimaldredgingrequirement(andits
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associated environmental disturbance). It is also close (with direct access to) the portdistributorroadswhichconnecttothemainhighwaytoBasraandthevariousdevelopmentzonesoftheSouthernRegion.
The opposite bank of the Khor AlZubair is largely undeveloped and has no establishedtransportinfrastructure,sotheconstructionprojectandlogisticswouldbeconsiderablylargerthanadevelopmentonthewestsideofthechannel(aswellastherelatedimpacts).
Theonlyalternativechannelwhichcouldreceiverelatively largeships is theShattAlArabWaterway,however,thereisasandbarontheentrancetothechannelthatdriesoncertaintides(limitingaccessibilitytimes)andthechannelhasbeenneglectedformanyyearsintermsofmaintenancedredgingsoisonlyaround810mindepthwhichisinsufficientforthevesselsrequired.
TheKhorAlZubairis,therefore,theonlylogicaloptionforsuchaberthandtheonlyzonethatisreachablefromthenavigablechannelandaccessibletotransportinfrastructureisthewestbankwheretheproposedTerminalistobedeveloped.
Iftheprojectdoesnotgoahead,therewillevidentlybenoenvironmentalandsocioeconomicimpacts from constructionoroperationof such a facility,however, thepotentialpositivebenefitswouldalsobelost,including:
Lossofdedicatedimportandexportfacilitiesforrefinedpetroleumproducts;
ThecontinueduseofinefficientandpoorlymaintainedinfrastructureatKZPwhichpreventits reversion to its original design use of dry cargo (forwhich there is also a pressingrequirement);and
LossofthesocialbenefitsoftheemploymentopportunitiesandeconomicstimulusthattheTerminalwouldgenerate.
Apart from the storage of large fragments of shipwreck scrap, the site is unused andunoccupiedandalternatepotentiallybeneficialusesarenotpresentlyproposed.Themostlikelyalternativeuseofthesitewouldprobablybeforsimilarport/logisticsrelatedfacilitieswithsimilarattributesandimpactsasthoseproposedforthecurrentproject.
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4 EnvironmentalImpactAssessment
4.1 Introduction
BaselineenvironmentalconditionswereidentifiedduringtheScopingExerciseforarangeofparametersincluding:
AirQuality;
NoiseQuality;
SoilQuality;
SedimentQuality;
SurfaceWaterQuality;
GroundwaterQuality;and
EcologyandBiodiversity.
EachofthesearediscussedinmoredetailinthefullESIAandsummarisedbelowintermsofbaselineconditions,impactassessment,mitigationandresidualimpacts.
4.2 AirQuality
AirQualityBaseline
Exposuretohighlevelsofatmosphericpollutantsordustcansometimescauseadverseeffectson human health so it is important to understand the levels of such pollutants in theenvironment. The ESIA focussedonVolatileOrganicCompounds (VOCs), sulphurdioxide(SOx),oxidesofnitrogen(NOx),carbonmonoxide(CO)andbreathabledust inparticularastheprojectcouldreleasequantitiesofsomeorallofthesepollutantstoatmosphere.
Theexistinglevelsweremeasuredatfivelocationsaroundtheprojectsiteusingacombinationof passive diffusion tubes left out for 30 days (for SOx, NOx and VOCs), instantaneousmeasurements of particulates using a dustmeter and direct capture (laboratory analysismeasurements)forCOusingapumpedsamplecapturesystem.
Baseline ambient air quality monitoring at the site was found to be below publishedenvironmentalbenchmarks.
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Forparticulatematter,theambientairqualityofthesiteislikelytobeaffectednegativelybyoccasionalsandstorms,whicharefrequentevents inthisregion. Thesesandstormsmovelargevolumesof finedust into theatmosphereandcan last fromseveralhours toseveraldays. Themeasured high levels of total particulate and breathable (below 10microns)particulate matter observed during the survey period are very probably due to thesewindblowndustsandsands,ratherthanfromindustrialsources.Therefore,thiswillremainthemain influenceonthe localairqualityregardlessofanyconstructionworksassociatedwiththeTerminalprojectorotherbuiltdevelopment.
Figure4.1:Airandnoisesamplingandmonitoringpositions
GoogleEarthProImagingwiththepermissionofGoogleLicensedtoEarthandMarineEnvironmentalConsultantsLtd
AirQualityImpactsandMitigation
Duringconstruction,dieselpoweredvehicles,constructionplantandpowergeneratorswouldemitatmosphericpollutants,includingnitrogenoxides.Theseemissionswouldbeproducedforalimitedtimeandfrommobilesourcesoverawideareaso,giventhegoodbaselineairqualityintheProjectarea,itisnotanticipatedthattheywillaffecthumanhealth(thenearesthabitationbeingover5kmaway).
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Constructionvehiclesandearthmovingactivitieshave thepotential togeneratedust,buttypically these only travel a few hundred metres at most from the source activity. It isconsideredthatwithanappropriateConstructionEnvironmentalManagementPlan(CEMP)thepotentialfordustduringconstructiontocauseanynuisancewillbeminimal.TheCEMPshouldrequireweathermonitoringanddampingdownofdustsduringperiodsofhighactivity.Theduststhatcanbegeneratedasaresultofconstructionactivitiesarelocalisedandshortlivedandareinsignificantcomparedtonaturaldustfromdustandsandstormswhichoccurfrequently.
WhentheTerminalisoperational,thedustgenerationpotentialwouldbeinsignificantasthesitevehicleswouldbetravellingoverhardstandingareasandhardsurfacedsiteroads.
VOCsassociatedwithtankventingduringloadingandtransferoperationswouldbeminimisedbyusing industrystandardpumpingandtransferfacilitiesandtank inventorymanagementprogrammes.Atpresent,petroleumproductsareloadedandunloadeddirectlyintotankersatKZPwithnosuchcontrols.TheproposedTerminalwillutilisebulktankstorage,thereby,reducingshipdischargetimesandassociatedemissions.
Overall,theresidualimpactsonairqualityarenotconsideredlikelytoresultinanydetrimentaleffectsonhumanhealthandecosystems.Thesignificanceisconsideredtobelow.
4.3 NoiseQuality
NoiseBaseline
During the monitoring period, the general noise levels were considered low with nodiscernibleobtrusivetonalornoiseimpactsbeingobserved.Nosignificantdifferenceswerenotedbetweenthemonitoringlocations.ThelocationsaredepictedinFigure4.1.
Using1993IraqiNoiseStandards,noneofthemaximumvaluesorcalculatedaverageswerefoundtobeabovethe70dBstandardfor industrialandcommercialpropertiesandoverallthe site can be considered to be a quiet, low noise environment at present. Themostnoticeablenoiseonthesite isthewindandoccasionalbirdsongfromwadingbirdsontheforeshore.
Exposuretonoiseatextremelyhighlevelsforalongperiodoftimecanharmthehearingofhumansandanimals.Atlowerlevels,noisecanalsobeanuisance.
NoiseImpactAssessmentandMitigation
Itisinevitablewithanymajordevelopmentthattherewillbesomenoise,particularlyduringthesiteclearanceandconstructionphasewhenheavyplantandmachinerywouldbeused.Typically, however, noise disruption due to construction is localised, temporary and only
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people livingorworkingwithinafewhundredmetresofthesiteboundaryare likelytobeimpacted. It ispossible,however, thatworkerson the adjacent Freezone andKZPwouldreceivenoiseimpactsbecauseoftheirclosenesstotheworks.Themainnoisewouldbefromtheenginesofheavyplantandequipmentduringearthworksactivitiesandthepilingrigs.Thenoiselevelswould,however,betransientandwillbemaskedtosomeextentbylocalactivitieswithin theportsuchascrane loadingandshipenginerunningduringberthingoperations.Therearenosignificantactivities(thatwouldinvolvepersonnelbeingpresentforprolongedperiodsoftime)intheportandFreezoneareasclosesttotheTerminal.Therefore,giventhenaturalattenuationofnoisebybuildings,theexposuretimeofpersonnelinareaslikelytobeaffectedwouldbeverysmall.
Themainnoisegeneratingactivitieslikelytobeassociatedwiththeproposeddevelopment,(onceoperational)would includegenerators,compressors,pumps,mechanicalequipmentandmaintenanceactivities.Giventhedistancebetweentheproposedoperationalareasandnoisesensitivereceptors,itisconsideredthatnoisefromthedaytodaysiteoperations(andassociatedmechanical plant and equipment) is unlikely to be noticeable at those noisesensitivereceptorlocations(suchasthenearestresidenceswhichareover5kmaway).ItislikelythatoperationalnoisefromtheTerminalwillbeaudibleintheFreezoneandportareabutthedurationandlevelofexposuretooperativesinthoselocationswouldbenegligible.
Also,thewindconditionsarefairlyconsistentandpredictableinIraqwiththemainwindbeingtheShamalwhichblowsfromthewestandnorthwestonmostdays.Thiswould,onmostoccasions,carryanynoisegeneratedon thesiteoutonto theopenwaterof theKhorAlZubair,awayfromneighbouringlandusesanddistantresidentialproperties.
Itisreasonabletoconclude,therefore,thatnoiseimpactwouldbeoflowsignificance.
4.4 SoilQuality
SoilBaseline
EAMEcollected20surfacesoilsamplesfromacrossthesiteandalsodrilledsevenboreholestoallowthecollectionofsampleswithdepth(threefromeachborehole).Thesamplesweresenttoanindependentlaboratoryforchemicalanalysisforarangeofcommoncontaminants.SamplelocationsareshowninFigure4.2.
Noneofthesoilsamplesobtainedshowedconcentrationsabovetheirrespectivescreeningcriteriaforrisktohumanhealth(wherepublishedcriteriaexist).Noneofthesampleswerepositively identified in the radiation screening as having detectable radioactivity.Furthermore,therewasnoevidenceofhydrocarboncontaminationonthesite.
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Figure 4.2:BoreholeandSurfacesoilsamplinglocations
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Cemented asbestos sheetingwasobservedwithin the areaof scrapmetal storageon thenorthernpartofthesite.Onesoilsample,here,wasfoundtocontain looseasbestosfibreswhichisadangertohumanhealthandmustberemoved.
Thebaselineassessmentshows that thesite iseffectivelyuncontaminatedwithanyof thespeciestargetedforanalysisand,inthatregard,therearenoobviouscontaminationlegacyissuesthatneedtobeaddressedaspartofthesitedevelopmentworks.
SoilQualityImpactsandMitigation
Soil isan importantenvironmental resource that can sometimesbeadverselyaffectedbyconstructionactivitiesandiscloselyassociatedwiththefunctioningofotherresourcessuchaslandscape,ecology,agriculturalandproductivity.Offroaduseofvehicles,heavyplantandequipmentcancompactsoil,alteritsdrainagecharacteristicsandreducesoilaerationlevels,
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whichcoulddecreasetheabilityofvegetationtogrowback.Howeverinthecontextofthissite,allsoilareaswillbedevelopedandimportantagriculturalorecologicalcommunitiesdonotexistonthesiteorclosetoit.
Withtheexceptionofthelooseasbestosfibres,nosignificantsoilcontaminationwasfoundintheprojectareasodisturbanceandspreadofcontaminationisunlikely.However,spillsoffuel and other hazardous materials from construction plant or stored materials couldcontaminate the soils and sediments of the Khor AlZubair unless care is taken duringconstruction.
The construction works would be performed under a CEMP that would set out specificenvironmentalprotectionandpollutionpreventionmeasuresandanyresponsemeasurestobeusedifanycontaminationisdiscoveredorspillsoccur.
The operational developmentwould implement a pollution prevention plan andOil SpillEmergencyResponsePlan(OSERP)todealwiththestorageoffuelandhazardousmaterialsandtheresponsetoanyspillevents.Therewouldalsobeawastemanagementplantodealwiththedisposalofroutinewastesandcontaminatedsoilfromanyincident.Thiswouldsetoutmeasurestopreventpollutionfromthedisposalofanysuchwastes.
Theresidualimpactsoftheprojectonsoilare,therefore,expectedtobeoflowsignificanceexceptfortheremovalofflytippedwaste(asbestossheeting),scrapmetalandforeshoredebris,whichwould,actually,bebeneficialcomparedtothebaselineconditions.
4.5 SedimentQuality
SedimentBaseline
SedimentsampleswerecollectedfromtheKhorAlZubairandtheonlypotentialsourceofcontamination identified relates to elevated concentrations of lead identified at threelocations.Allotherparameterswererecordedatconcentrationsbelowtherelevantscreeningcriteriaatwhichtheyareconsideredtobeenvironmentallynotsignificant.Consideringtheresultsoverallandpreviousstudies,thecontaminationlevelofthesedimentsisconsideredtobelowandsoistheirassociatedpollutionpotential.
SedimentImpactAssessmentandMitigation
The Terminal is unlikely to have any impact on sediment quality and specific mitigationmeasuresarenotrecommendedtoberequired.
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4.6 SurfaceWaterQuality
SurfaceWaterBaseline
AlltensamplescollectedfromtheKhorAlZubairwerefoundtohaveincreasedconcentrationsofsulphateandchlorideabove the relevantguidelinevalues.However, this iseffectivelyamarineenvironmentsosuchhighlevelsarenaturalandtobeexpected.
Intermsofpotentialcontamination,elevatedconcentrationsofmercurywerenotedinallofthe samples. These concentrations could be the result of natural accumulations in theenvironment (ofgeologicalorigin).However, theymayalsobe related tohumanactivitiessourcesgiventheproximityofaport,heavy industryandmajorcity,with limitedpollutioncontrolmeasuresinplace.
Overall,whilstsomeelevatedconcentrationsofcertainsubstanceshavebeenobserved,theKhorAlZubair isnotregardedassignificantlycontaminatedandthe levelsofcontaminantsobserved are not considered to be a problem or to require remediation.Apart from thepotential for thehigh sulphateandchloride levels in the soilsandgroundwater (and riverwater)tobeaggressivetowardsconstructionmaterialslikeconcrete,thechemicalconditionsofthegroundwaterandriverwaterarenotlikelytocauseproblems.
SurfaceWaterQualityImpactsandMitigation
The constructionof thedevelopment could lead topollution if surface runoff ladenwithsediment isallowedtodrainuncontrollablytotheKhorAlZubair,or ifspillagesoccurfromconstructionplantorequipmentduringuseorrefuelling.Theentireconstructionoperationswould, however, operate under a CEMP with environmental protection and pollutionpreventionmeasures inplacetodealwiththeseeventualitiesorrespondwithappropriatecleanupactionsifsystemsfail.
Thegreaterenvironmentalriskwouldbeduringtheoperationallifeofthefacilityiftherewereamajorreleaseofpetroleumproductsfromthestoragetanks,transfersystemsofshipsusingtheberth. TomitigateagainstthisthereshouldbeadetailedOSERP,whichshouldincludemeasurestoreduce the impactsontheKhorAlZubairbyusingcleanupandcontainmentequipmentandteams(seeSection4.10).
Undernormaloperatingconditionstherewouldbenoreleasesofpollutingmaterialsfromthefacilitytosurfacewaterandthustheimpactwouldbenegligible(neutral).
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4.7 GroundwaterQuality
GroundwaterBaseline
Groundwatersampleswereobtainedfromsevenboreholes.The locationsarepresented inFigure4.2.
Anumberofcontaminantswerefoundtobegreaterthanrelevantguidelinevaluesincludingsulphate,chloride,nitrate,manganese,mercuryandnickel.
Thesulphate,chlorideandmanganeseconcentrationswerenotunexpectedduetothehighlysalineenvironmentofthesiteandsuchlevelsareconsiderednatural.Themercurylevelsmaybe due to its natural occurrence in the environment, however, there could also be acontributionfromnearbyindustrialemissions.Thesamecouldapplytonickel.
Low levelsofhydrocarbonsweredetected inthreeboreholes.However,asnohydrocarboncontaminationwas noted in the soil samples (or observed onsite) this suggests that thehydrocarbonsmaybetheremnantsofhistoriccontaminationonthesite.Thelevelsarenotconsideredtobeaproblem.
TherewasoneVOCandthreeSemiVolatileOrganicCompounds(SVOC)thatweredetectedinthegroundwatersamplesbutthesewereatlevelswhicharenotconsideredtobeaproblem.However,itisindicativeoflowlevelsofcontamination.
Overallitcanbeconcludedthatthereisnotsignificantcontaminationofthegroundwateronthesite.
GroundwaterQualityImpactAssessmentandMitigation
Thesameriskscenariosapplytogroundwaterastosurfacewaters.Potentialimpactsduringtheconstructionphase(primarilyfromfuellingofconstructionplantandequipment),wouldbemitigatedviathecontrolsappliedthroughtheCEMP.Therewouldbenooperationalphasedischargestothegroundwaterundernormaloperatingconditions.Underamajoraccidentscenariogroundwatercouldbeimpactedbuttheriskisconsiderablylessthanthattosurfacewaterasthesitewillbehardsurfacedandprovidedwithbulkstoragecontainmentsystems.Nonetheless,theOSERPwouldstillrespondtosuchasituation.
4.8 EcologyandBiodiversity
EcologyandBiodiversityBaseline
The habitats identifiedwithin the site boundaries have all been significantly affected byhumanactivities.Thelimitedvegetationprovideslimitedsupportforspeciesoffaunaonland
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and the intertidal area is also sparsely vegetated and disturbed by debris that hasaccumulatedonthebeachorbeendepositedthereaspartofthewreckclearanceactivities.Wherevegetationispresent,itisprimarilydominatedbyasmallrangeofspecies.Asaresultofthesignificantdisturbancethroughoutthearea,thehabitatssupportonlylimitedfloristiccover, with those species identified during the September survey comprising commonhalophytic species.Only fourplant specieswere identifiedduring thebaseline survey.Allspeciesrecordedareconsideredcommonthroughouttheregionandacrosssuchhypersalinecoastalenvironments.Thespeciesidentifiedarequicktocolonisedisturbedhabitats.
Thesurveyrecordedthepresenceoftwomammalspecieswithintheproposeddevelopmentarea.However,thespeciesferaldogandcamel,arenot listedontheIUCNRedListduetopopulationsprimarilyresultingfromescaped,domesticatedanimals.
Atotalofthreebirdspecieswererecordedduringthebaselinesurvey.Thesespeciesareallconsidered tobecommonresident,commonbreedingresidentand/orcommonmigratoryspecies in Iraq. Similarly, all species are listed as Birds of Least Concern on the Bird LifeInternationalDatabase.
Themarine environment itself if highly dynamic and could support awide range of fish,mammalandplanktonspecies.However,theexistingshipping,dredgingandhighturbiditylevelshavelimitedthiscomparedtothemoreopenwatersoftheArabianGulfandlessturbidcoastalzonesofsomeoftheGulfstates.Nonetheless,thisisthemostecologicallyinterestingandsensitiveaspectof theprojectareanaturalenvironment. ThemostabundantspeciesidentifiedwerelargecoloniesofmudskippersthatarepresenteverywherealongthebanksoftheKhorAlZubair.
Theoverall conclusion is that the sitehas a negligible to low conservation value andecologicalsensitivityofthesite intermsofspecies,habitatandregional importanceisalsolow.
EcologyandBiodiversityImpactandMitigation
ThemainimpactsassociatedwiththeTerminalwouldbephysicaldisturbanceofthelandandintertidal areas and a proportion of the tidal sediments (from piling). Whilst thiswoulddirectlyimpactanyspeciesintheaffectedarea,thespeciespresent(sabkhavegetationandmudskippers)areabundantintheareaandtheimmediatelossofanyofthosespecieswouldbeinsignificantintermsoftotalpopulation.Furthermore,themudskippersaremobileandwillmove in the early stagesofdisturbance and recolonise after constructionworks arecomplete.
Theimpactoftheproposeddevelopmentontheecologyoftheareaisthusconsideredtobenegligible.
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4.9 CumulativeandTransboundaryImpacts
Thereareanumberofotherproposeddevelopmentsintheareathatcouldhaveimpactsontheenvironmentthatwouldbecumulativewithotherprojects.TheprincipalamongsttheseistheCommonSeawaterSupplyFacility(CSSF)that isduetobedevelopedonanadjacentsite. Thismayhavesimilar impactstotheTerminalprojectbut issimilarly ina lowqualityenvironment, remote from residential areas and on a site of low ecological value.Consequently,thecombinedimpactsaresimilarlylikelytobeoflowsignificance.
Atthetimeofwritingofthisreport,theothermajorprojectnearby(BIOGH)wasnotbelievedtobegoingahead.
4.10 HazardAnalysisandRiskManagement
TheproposedTerminalhasbeenspecifiedtobedesignedtointernationalindustrystandardsandwoulduserelevantmanagementandtechnologicalcontrolstoensurethatundernormaloperatingconditionsthefacilitywouldnothaveasignificantimpactupontheenvironment.Thereisalways,however,thepotentialforamajorincidentoraccidentthatcouldgiverisetomajorimpacts.ThesearesummarisedinTable4.1.
Thedesign control,management systems and equipment standardsbeing applied shouldensurethatthefacilityandallaspectsofitunderWTPScontrolareadequatelysafeguardedagainsttheincidentscenariosdescribed.
Table4.1:EnvironmentalRiskScenariosandMitigation
IncidentScenario AffectedEnvironment MitigationMeasures
FireExplosion Air,waterandsoilQuality
Humanhealthimpacts SocioEconomicImpacts
The facility would be a modernmaterials handling and berthingTerminal designed and built tointernational standards, The designwould go through an Engineeringdesign, Procurement andConstruction process and will besubjected to HAZOP and HAZIDreviews and Construction QualityAssurance programmes. Thisprovides theopportunity to identifyand design out many potentialincident scenarios and where theycannot be designed out, protection
LargescaleHydrocarbonReleasetoLand
Air,landandwaterquality
Socioeconomicstatus
LargescaleHydrocarbonReleasetowater
Air,landandwaterquality
Socioeconomicstatus Humanhealth Builtenvironment
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Table4.1:EnvironmentalRiskScenariosandMitigation
IncidentScenario AffectedEnvironment MitigationMeasures
Habitats,speciesandecologicalproductivity
measureswouldbeemployedwhichinclude:
TotalSiteSecurity(controlledaccess)
FireDetectionandAlarmSystem FirefightingCapability PreventiveMaintenance
Programme
ModernEquipment TrainedandExperienced
Operatives
CertifiedManagementSystems MonitoringandAudit
Programmes
EmergencyResponsePlan
DumpingofWasteonLand
Waterandsoilquality Humanhealthimpact Habitatimpact
DumpingofWasteinWater
Waterqualityimpact Habitatimpact
PlantandEquipmentFailure
Airqualityimpact Speciesimpact Ecologicalproductivity
impact
FacilityDebrisfromLargescaleDamage
Waterandsoilquality Socioeconomicimpact Builtenvironmentimpact
Onanyindustrialfacilitysuchasthiswhereoilsandpetroleumproductsarebeinghandledinbulk and transferred to and from ships via pipelines between storage vessels, there is apossibility of leakage or loss from these systems either in terms of liquid spills or afire/explosionrelatedincident.Furthermore,ifenvironmentalmanagementandoperationalproceduresarenotfollowedcorrectly,therecouldbeunauthoriseddischargesanddisposalsthatcould impact theenvironment. Themitigationofsuchevents isbasedupona3partapproach:
1. Designoutpotentialproblemswherepossiblebefore constructing andoperating thefacility;
2. Operate high qualitywellmaintained equipment under formal auditedmanagementprogrammesandstandardoperatingproceduresusingtrainedcompetentpersonnel;and
3. Providealarms,monitoringandemergencyresponseteamsandequipmenttorespondrapidlyandcomprehensivelytoanyincident.
Consequently,whilstsuch impactsarestillpossible,theyarehighly improbableandrobustinterventionmeasuresshouldlimittheconsequencesofsuchincidentsiftheyoccur.
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Theworstcasescenarioisamajoroilreleasetothewaterthatisnotadequatelymitigatedbythe implementationofanOSERP.However,oneadvantageofa long linearchannel isthatboomscanbedeployedupstreamanddownstreamofthespilltocontainitandpreventtidalspreadoftheslick,andbothshorescanbeaccessedbypersonnelandequipmenttocleanup.The ecosystem here is highly dynamic (tides and mixing), has a high environmentaltemperature(watertempsof35oC+andairtempsof50oC+),biologicallyactivebacteriaandhasstrongpersistentwinds.Sointheunfortunatelybutunlikelyeventofsuchaspill,theseconditionswouldpromotebreakdown anddegradationof theoilproducts and assist therecovery of the natural environment. Finally,with the exception ofwading birds in theintertidal area (which are in very low numbers around the project site), the receivingenvironmentisoflowecologicalqualityandlesssensitivetoimpactthanahighlyproductiveecologicallydiversearea.
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5 SocialImpactAssessment
5.1 SocialandPoliticalEnvironments
Demographics
AccordingtotheMinistryofPlannings2013data,thepopulationoftheBasrahGovernoratewas2,672,425.Accordingdatafrom2010,theethnoreligiousidentityoftheGovernorateisclassifiedas99.8%ArabShiaMuslim.
EconomyandLivelihoods
Theaveragemonthlyhousehold incomeforBasrahGovernorate isID898,400which is justabovetheIraqinationalmonthlyaverageofID858,800.
Thesurveydata indicatesagriculturalactivity isofonly limited importance intheAlZubairDistrict.Thereisaheavyrelianceonstateemployment,witharoundahalfoftheworkforcebeingemployedaspublicservants.
Employment
Iraqseconomy isveryvulnerabletooilpricefluctuationsbecauseofaweakprivatesectorandarelianceonthestatetoprovideemployment.Theneedtocreateemploymentsince2003 has led Iraq to double its public sector.However, ultimately IraqsGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)isstill95%derivedfromoilrevenues.
Unemploymentstatisticsfor2013recordthenationalunemploymentrateinIraqas14.7%.Thus theunemployment in theBasrahGovernorate (basedon2009 figures)appear tobeslightlyabovethenationalaverage,however,theactualrateislikelymuchhigher,consideringunderemploymentanddiscouragedjobseekers.Themainreasonsforunemploymentcitedwithinhouseholdsinthesurveywerenoopportunitiesforworkandillness/oldage.
Inaddition,femaleemploymentisgenerallylowthroughoutthegovernorateespeciallywithinAlZubairandFao.FemaleparticipationinthelabourforceislowinIraq,generally,comparedtomostofIraqsneighbours.Employmentratesamongstwomeninthelabourforcearealsorelativelylow.
InfrastructureandServices
Thesupplyofwaterandenergyandtheprovisionofeducationandhealthcarefacilitiesarekeyelementsofsocialinfrastructureandservices.
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TheelectricityinfrastructurewasseverelydamagedduringtheGulfWar,sufferedfromlackofinvestmentandlackofavailableequipmentundersanctions,andsufferedagainfollowingtheUSledoccupationin2003.Whilethesupplyofelectricityisincreasing,itisunabletokeeppacewithrisingdemand.Problemsintheelectricitysectorarewidespread.Powergenerationishamperedbyissuessuchasagingpowerplantsandshortagesinfuelandwater.TomeettheelectricitydemandsofBasra,threepowerstationships,producing450MWofelectricity,havebeeninstalledontheShattAlArabWaterwayandKhorAlZubair.
WatersalinityduetothehighsaltcontentoflocalwatersourcesisamajorissueaffectingthepublicnetworkintheBasrahGovernorate.Itisestimatedthatonly1%percentofhouseholdsinthegovernorateusethepublicnetwork.Householdsrelyonbottledortankerdeliveredwater. Rehabilitationofthewatertreatmentanddistributionsystemsisurgentlyneeded.
TheGovernmentofIraqhasidentifiededucationasoneofitsmainpriorities.Between1990and2007therewasanationaldropinnetprimaryschoolenrolmentratesfrom91%to85%.Thequalityofeducationishamperedbypoorlearningenvironmentscausedbypoorqualityinfrastructureandovercrowding.Nationally,oneinfiveIraqisagedover15yearsisilliterateandintheAlZubairDistrict15.1%ofpeopleagedover10areilliterate.
Thehealth system in Iraq isoverburdenedand suffers froma shortageof infrastructure,equipmentandprofessionalstaff.
TheclosestmajorroadtothesiteisHighway26,whichisanasphalteddualcarriagewaywithno central reservation. Thehighway hasbeenundergoing subject to improvements since2012,and,sectionsofthedualcarriagewayareclosed.Assuch,theseclosuresandthelackofcentralreservationsmeanthatinmanyplaces,trafficfrombothwaysuseonesideofthedualcarriageway.
5.2 SocioeconomicSurveyFindings
Theproposedprojectareaisunoccupiedandeffectivelyunused.ThelandisownedbytheMinistryof Finance (MoF) (i.e. stateowned)andunder the controlofGCPI. Thenearestresidentialpremisesareover5kmfromtheprojectsiteandthelandinbetweentheprojectsiteandnearestresidentialpropertiesisalsounusedandunoccupied.Consequently,therearenoresidentialcommunities likelytodirectly interactwiththeprojectactivitiesandsitedevelopment. At present, the site provides no employment opportunities and is not apurchaserof goods and services so there isnonet contribution to the local economyoremploymentstatus.
Themainactivitythattakesplaceinthevicinityoftheprojectsiteandwhichcouldpotentiallybeaffectedbyitissmallscalefishing.
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AllfishermenhaveofficiallettersissuedfromcentralGovernmentwhichentitlethemtofishinsideany Iraqiterritorialwaters (exceptmilitaryexclusionzones)andtheriverpoliceandGCPIcannotpreventthefishermenusingtheriver.Smallcatchesaresold locally,eitheronthewatertoKuwaitifishermen(whocannotenterIraqiwaters),oratsmallroadsidestallsinUmmQasrandZubair.IftheylandalargecatchtheycallafishingagentinBasrawhosellstheminthemarketsinBasra.
Theproposedprojectsitewasnotaconcerntotheinterviewedfishermenastheysaythatthearea isseldomusedandtheycanworkoutsideofthatareafromtheirsmallboatsorfromlandfurthersouth.Theyaremoreconcernedaboutplanneddevelopmentworksinthesmalladhocporttheyuseforaccessingtheirvesselsandthewaterway.Concernshavebeenraisedbythelocalfishermenaboutplansforanewberththerewhichtheyfearwillpreventthemaccessingthisareainthefuture.Theyhavesaidthattheywillinsistoncompensationorwilldemonstrateandprotestiftheproposeddevelopmentaffectstheiraccess.ThissiteisclosetoUmmQasrnorthandiswelloutsidetheprojectarea.
Demographics,EmploymentandLivelihoods
The proposed Terminal would generate employment in an areas that has high levels ofunemployment and poverty. The constructionwould offer temporary employment,whileoperation of the Terminal would require a much smaller workforce of skilled technicalpersonnelandsecuritystaff.
ItislikelythatsomeoftheworkersfortheTerminalwouldbesourcedfromlocalcommunitieswhichwouldhelp tostrengthen the localeconomyand improve thestandardof living forhouseholdswithmembersemployedattheTerminal.
LandOwnershipandUse
WTPShaveleasedthelandfortheTerminalfromGCPIfor25yearsandwillleaselandfromMoFneededfortheconstructionperiod.
InfrastructureandServices
ThekeysensitivityandpotentialimpactoftheTerminaloninfrastructureandservicesislikelytobeontheexistingroadsinthevicinityoftheTerminalwhichmayaffectroadconditionandtrafficflow.However,Highway26isintheprocessofrefurbishmentandlikelytobeingoodconditionduringtheconstruction.ThevolumeofpetroltankersvisitingthefacilitywilltoalargeextentsimplybethesamevehiclesthataccesstheKZPfacilitiesatpresent.
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CommunityHealthandSafety
The following should all be implemented to ensure that projectrelated activities do notsignificantlyaffectcommunityhealthandsafety:
Toreducetheriskoftrafficaccidents,theconstructioncontractorshouldberequiredtouseonlytheagreedaccessroutesandtocomplywiththerelevantspeedlimits;
The construction areas should be clearly demarcated and safety fencing should beerected;and
TheTerminalshouldbebuiltandoperatedtointernationalindustrysafetystandards.
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6 EnvironmentalandSocialImpactSummary
6.1 ImpactAssessmentCriteria
This section of NTS provides a tabulated overview of the key aspects of the baselineenvironmentalconditionsandthemitigatedenvironmentalimpactsoftheprojectproposals.Importantly,thissection identifiestherelativemagnitudeandsignificanceofthepredictedimpacts and an overall concluding statement of the impact assessment of the proposeddevelopment.Itisimportanttonotethatimpactscanbepositiveaswellasnegative.
Thecriteriaandsymbolsusedinthisassessmentareasfollows:
Major Positive +++or Major Negative effectwherethedevelopmentwouldcauseasignificantimprovement(ordeterioration)totheexistingenvironment;
Moderate Positive ++ or Moderate Negative effect where thedevelopmentwouldcauseanoticeableimprovement(ordeterioration)totheexistingenvironment;
Minor Positive + or Minor Negative effectwherethedevelopmentwouldcauseabarelyperceptibleimprovement(ordeterioration)totheexistingenvironment;and
Insignificantonodiscernibleimprovementordeteriorationtotheexistingenvironment.
The impact assessment also includes consideration of whether or not the impacts arepermanent, temporary, direct or indirect. Furthermore,where there are other potentialsourcesofsimilar impactsthatcouldaffectthe localenvironmentthencumulative impactshavebeenconsideredalso. Consequently,thischapteroftheNTSprovidesanoverviewoftheoverallpotentialeffectofthedevelopmentproposalsontheenvironment.
6.2 ProjectImpactsMatrix
Table6.1presentseachof theaspectsof thedevelopmentwherepotential impactswerepredictedduringtheScopingExerciseandsubsequentlyassessedduringthisESIA.Thetableprovidesanoverviewofthefollowingaspectsofeachtechnicalareaassessed:
Baselineenvironmentalconditions;
Predictedenvironmentalimpactsforboththeconstructionphaseandoperationalphase;
Identification of the relativemagnitude of the impact for both the construction andoperationalphases;and
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Identificationofwhetherthepredictedimpactispositiveornegativeorwhetherthereisnopredictedimpact.
Thepredictionsareallbaseduponacomparisonoftheconditionsthatwouldprevail ifthedevelopmentdoesnotproceed (i.e. theongoingstatusof thebaselineconditions)againstthosethatwillprevailifthedevelopmentdoesproceedasdescribed.
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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix
EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue
BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)
RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact
ConstructionPhase
OperationalPhase
SocioeconomicIssues
There is presently no employment associatedwith thesiteoractivityon the siteand thereareno residentialcommunitiesorculturalsensitivitiesassociatedwiththelandorsurroundingareas.
Thereareoccasionalvisitorstothesite,forexample,localfishermenusethelandtoaccesstheKhorAlZubairanddeployfishingnets.
Adjacent to the site is the Freezone (logistics and SKATerminal)andKZP.
TheTerminalwouldprovidejobsduringtheconstructionandoperationalbothdirectlyandintermsofbenefitstolocalbusinesses.
The traffic impact is unlikely to be significant as thevolumeof requiredproductswillbedrivenbydemandandtherearenoalternative locations forthe importofsuch products so even if this development did notproceed, therewouldprobablybe a similar amountofmarineandroadtrafficinthelocalareaandatthesamejunctions.
Thefishermenthatpresentlyaccesstheshorefromthesitewillnolongerbeabletodosoonceitisdeveloped,but there are numerous other locations where thispractice can continueunaffected. The local fishermenwereinterviewedaspartofthestakeholderengagementexercise anddidnot see the development as affectingtheiractivities.
+ +++
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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix
EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue
BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)
RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact
ConstructionPhase
OperationalPhase
Overall the impacts on the socioeconomic conditionswouldbepositiveintermsofjobcreationandsupporttothegeneraleconomyofsouthernIraq.
ArchaeologyandCulturalHeritage
Thesitedoesnotcontainanyarchaeologicalorreligiousrelictsand isnotculturally significantand therearenodwellingsorresidentialcommunitiesincloseproximitytothesite.
Thesurfaceofthesitehasbeenheavilydisturbedinthepast by earth moving plant (and possibly dredgingsdisposal).
Asthereiseffectivelynobaselinetobeaffectedforthisparametertheimpactwouldbeneutral.
o
o
AirQuality Airquality in the area is generallygoodwithnonotedbenchmarkvaluesexceeded.Themainissuewithrespecttoairqualityistheincreaseinbreathabledustcausedbydustandsandstorms,butthisaffectsthewholeregionandisnotasitespecificphenomenon.
Impactsof the constructiononbothnuisancedustandlocalairqualityhavebeenassessedwithregardstothelocation of locally sensitive receptors. Whilst theconstructionactivities(especiallyearthmoving)havethepotentialtocause localnuisance,thiscanbecontrolledandminimisedbyeffectiveenvironmentalmanagementonthesite.TheworkswouldbecarriedoutinaccordancewithaCEMP.Theimpactsduringtheconstructionphase
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o
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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix
EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue
BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)
RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact
ConstructionPhase
OperationalPhase
are thus predicted to be moderate to minor at allreceptors if not adequately controlled but insignificantwiththeimplementationofaCEMPandtheassociated.
Impactsduringtheoperationalphasearepredictedtobeinsignificant.
Noise Thesitepresentlydoesnotcontainanyactivitiessointhatregardtherearenonoisesourcesresultingfromhumanactivitiesonthesite.Furthermore,therearenonoisesensitivereceptorsincloseproximitytothesite.
Noise levels from the constructionof thedevelopmentcould arise, although there are no sensitive receptorscloseby.Nonethelesstherewillbenoisesourcesonthesitethatdonotexistpresently.Impactsarepredictedtobeoflocalsignificance,howeverwiththeimplementationofmitigationmeasuresandaCEMP,noiseandvibrationimpacts,whichwillbe forshortdurationsonlyandwillnotbe continuous. They couldbenoticeablehoweverandareconsideredtorepresentaminornegativeimpact.
The noise impacts from road traffic during theconstructionarenotconsideredtobesignificant,withtheestimated levelsofnoise from constructionhaulage atthe nearest noise receptor being well below the
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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix
EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue
BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)
RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact
ConstructionPhase
OperationalPhase
respective noise criteria at the nearest residentialproperties. The impacts from road traffic during theoperationalphaseareconsideredtobeinsignificantgiventhat there is very little difference between the vehicletrafficaccessingKZPandthataccessingthenewfacilitiesinstead.Theroadtrafficnoisethatprevailsatpresentwillcontinuetobetheroadtrafficnoisethatdominatesinthefutureattheclosestresidentialreceptor.
Once operational, the predicted noise emissionsgenerated within the proposed development frommechanicalservices,plantandday todayoperations ispredicted to be insignificant to the nearest residentialreceptors.
EcologyandNatureConservation
Thedevelopmentsitedoesnotsupportawidevarietyofecologicalspeciesandisnotsoimportantfromanatureconservation perspective. The majority of the site isoccupied by disturbed ground and patches of sabkhavegetation. The Intertidal area houses mudskipper
Therewillbea lossofhabitatsuchas it isontheareaswhere new infrastructure will be developed, but thespecies affected (sabkha vegetation and mudskippers)areabundantandwillrapidlyrecolonizeinadjacentareassotheoverallimpactwillbeneutral.
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o
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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix
EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue
BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)
RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact
ConstructionPhase
OperationalPhase
colonies (which are ubiquitous along the banks of theKhorAlZubair).
Themostinterestingfeatureofthesiteisitspotentialasasiteforwadingbirds,althoughonlyahandfulofbirdshavebeenobservedonthesiteduringanyofthesurveyvisits.
Thewatersofthemarineenvironmentarehighlyturbidarelikelytohavelowbiologicalproductivityandspeciesdiversity.
Overall the project site is considered to be of lowecologicalvalue.
WaterQualityandHydrology
The water quality in both the surface water andgroundwater is relatively unimpacted by humanactivities(otherthancoliformsinthesurfacewater).
ThegroundwaterishighlysalineduetothemarinenatureoftheenvironmentandlandformingprocessesthereandtheKhorAlZubairisatidalestuary.
ThesiteconstructionactivitieswouldbemanagedunderaCEMPandpollutionofwatersisnotanticipated.
Furthermore, water required for the operationalactivitieswillbebroughtinbytankerandnotabstractedlocally.Undernormaloperatingconditions,allpollutingmaterials will be within managed and monitored
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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix
EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue
BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)
RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact
ConstructionPhase
OperationalPhase
Althoughtheareahasbeenasiteofarmedconflict,therewas no development and infrastructure here to bedamagedandreleasepollutantssothesetpresentlydoesnotposeapollutionthreattosurfaceandgroundwaterresources.
containment systems sopollution from siteactivities isnotanticipated.
Soils,GeologyandContamination
Thesiteinvestigationhasnotidentifiedanysignificantcontaminationonthesiteineitherthesoilsorsediments(althoughtherearesomeelevatedmetalspeciespresent).Thisisnotunexpectedastherehavebeennopollutingactivitiesonthesitetodate(otherthanlocalisedstorageofvesselscrapwhichmayhaveledtosomelocalisedsurfacecontamination).
Thegeologyoftheareaisrelativelyconsistentcomprisingsands,siltsandclays.
Basedonthesiteinvestigationfindings,specificremedialmeasureswillnotberequiredonthesiteandthedevelopmentoverallwillhaveaminorpositiveimpactbyremovingthefewcontaminantsandwastematerialsthatarepresenttoanappropriatelyauthorisedfacility.
Followingredevelopment,thesitewillbeunderpredominantlyhardstandingwithcontrolleddrainagesuchthatanyspillagesorreleasesshouldbecontainedandpollutionofthesoilsavoided.
o
+
WasteManagement
The site does not presently generate anywastes fromactivitiesperse,but thereare largequantitiesofscrapmetal on the site from shipwrecks and debris on theforeshorethathasbeendepositedbytides.Thereisalso
Theprojectwouldgeneratewastes. ThesiteworkswillbecoveredbyaCEMPwhich,amongstotherthings,will
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NonTechnicalSummaryWaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment
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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix
EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue
BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)
RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact
ConstructionPhase
OperationalPhase
evidenceofasbestoscementsheet (isolatedfragments)amongstthescrapmetalwaste.
seektoidentifyallwastesgeneratedbytheconstructionactivitiesandsetoutmanagementmeasuresforthese.
To ensure adequate standards of waste managementduringtheoperations,afacilityWasteManagementPlanwouldbedevelopedandimplementedwhichwillsetoutthe appropriate measures to be employed for themanagement and disposal of wastes and pollutionprevention.
Althoughsignificantimpactsarenotexpectedfromwastegenerating andmanagement activities on the site, thefactthatthesitedoesnotpresentlygenerateanywastebutwouldinthefutureisaminornegativeimpact.
KEY:NegativeImpact,+PositiveImpact/+MinorImpact/++ModerateImpact/+++MajorImpactoInsignificantImpact
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NonTechnicalSummaryWaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment
KAZOilTerminalProject,Iraq
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The Terminaldevelopmentproposalshavebeen assessed in relation to theirpotential toimpact upon the environmental conditions that currently prevail on the site and in thesurroundingarea.Thisassessmenthasunderstoodtheenvironmentalsensitivityoftheareaaroundtheproposalsite.
Theenvironmentalimpactsoftheconstructionoftheprojectaretypicallyminorandnegativeand are largely a functionof the inevitabledisruption causedby amajor redevelopmentprojectandespeciallytheinitialearthworksphaseswhichareunavoidablyintrusive.Thelonglasting/permanentimpactsassociatedwiththedevelopmentare,onthewhole,eitherneutral(environmentallyinsignificant)or,morefrequentlypositive.
ThemostnotableimpactisthemajorpositiveimpactrelatedtojobcreationandcontributiontotheIraqieconomy.Inoveralltermsthen,theprincipalconclusionoftheESIAisthatdespitesome localised, temporarynegative impacts, theoveralleffectof thedevelopmentwillbepositiveontermsofsocioeconomicbenefits.
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NonTechnicalSummaryWaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC
EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment
KAZOilTerminalProject,Iraq
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7 EnvironmentalandSocialManagementandMonitoringPlan
AnotherkeyoutputoftheESIAprocess isthedevelopmentofanEnvironmentalandSocialManagement andMonitoringPlan (ESMMP),which setsout various commitmentsby thedeveloperandhiscontractor. This ispresentedasastandalonedocumentbutwill includesuchcommitmentsas:
DevelopmentandenforcementofaCEMPduringanyoftheconstructionactivitiesoftheproject;
Appointmentofa localstakeholder liaisonofficertoactasapointofcontactbetweenthedevelopmentteamandthelocalcommunity(especiallyfishermen);
Development and implementation of an Environmental Management Plan foroperationalactivities thatsetsoutenvironmentalprotectionandpollutionpreventionactivitiesthatwillbeengaged;
Provisionofadequatecontainmentsystems,monitoringandsurveillancesystemsanddevelopment,implementationandmaintenance(includingdrills)ofanOSERP;
Developmentand implementationofaWasteManagementPlan toensure adequatemanagementanddisposalofallwastesgeneratedbythesiteactivities;and
Preparation of a Demolition Environmental Management Plan, setting out how thefacilitieswilleventuallybedepolluted,decontaminatedanddecommissionedtoensurethatnoresidualenvironmentalrisksremain.