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Screening categories and rationale for classification
The
Project has been classified A/0 requiring a full Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA). The EIA has been carried out by international consultants in
accordance with both Romanian and European Union (EU) legal requirements and
Bank policy.
Information reviewed
The EIA and associated public
consultation, prepared by RNCMNR and its Advisers, can be viewed at the Sponsor’s
website. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been carried out in
accordance with Romanian EIA law, which is harmonised with the EU EIA
Directive as well as with EBRD’s specific EIA requirements. The Executive
Summary of the EIA is available here.
Consideration of alternatives
The proposed route was selected
from five alternative routes after a combined evaluation of technical,
economic and environmental criteria
Key environmental issues and mitigation measures
The area is
located in the large open land of south Dobrogea region characterized by an
intensive agricultural use, mainly arable land and grassland. The natural
value of the area is very poor and the main ecosystem is agricultural crops
with few trees and shrubs along the local roads and between the different
fields. In the area the most important natural site is the Botanic Reserve of
Valul lui Traian.
The landscape along the motorway is uniform with the important site of the
fortification line Valul lui Traian. Along this historical element is a
protected area with the same name. The botanic reserve includes a number of
Red List flora and fauna species characteristic elements of the original
habitat of steppe zone. The Valul lui Traian protected area is a mixed reserve
of botanical and forestry areas. Grassland or woodland planting will be
distributed along the road as screening and landscape integration. Specific
Landscape Mitigation Measures, such as plantation of noise bunds, will be
established in order to mitigate the impacts on neighbouring properties.
The air quality along the proposed motorway line is good. The air emissions
from the increased road use are not likely to be significant. The properties
along the scheme identified as having potential noise impact will be
protected, e.g. by earth bounds. The large-scale construction activities,
including the use of a variety of engines, rock breaking and construction
traffic, may temporarily generate significant levels of noise. The contractors
will be obliged to take specific noise abatement measures.
The alignment of the bypass traverses only rural areas and passes in the west
part of Constanta town, near the Ovidu and Cumpana urban settlements and the
settlement of Lazu. The proposed alignment does not cross/by-pass directly any
major settlements and consequently the number of affected population is low.
The investigation on the socio-economic status along the motorway alignment
confirms that impacts on population is not a main critical issue, but are more
related to indirect impacts on population including noise, landscape,
historical and archaeological sites, air quality, land use and settlement
patterns.
As result of the environmental investigation, the agricultural ecosystem has
been identified as the main critical issue along with the urban area of Lazu
and the archaeological site of Vallum Traiani and the protected natural area
with the same name.
Mitigation measures to address all the potential impacts are set out in the
EIA. And will be developed further in the Environmental Management and
Monitoring Plan (below).
Environmental management and monitoring
An Environmental
Management Plan (EMP) is being developed to define the environmental measures
and procedures to prevent, minimise and mitigate adverse impacts and to ensure
compliance with applicable environmental standards during both the
construction and operation of the road. The EMP will define necessary
mitigation measures, environmental monitoring plan and institutional measures
to be taken during project construction and operation. The EMP will be
finalised when the detailed design of the project is completed. It may need to
be revised during the course of the project implementation. The environmental
monitoring of the key impacts identified in the EIA will ensure the efficiency
of the planned mitigation measures.
Disclosure of information and public consultation
A public
scoping discussions to identify relevant issues to be addressed in the EIA
study were held in Constanta on March 2005, where over 100 representatives,
including NGOs attended. The EIA was made publicly available for comment on
July 1, 2005 for a period of at least 120 days prior to Board consideration. A
further Public Meeting has taken place on July 19, 2005 in Constanta. The
issues raised at the meetings will be taken into account in the preparation of
the Final Detailed Design.
The Sponsor will organise on-going disclosure of information on the progress
of the project and its environmental impacts throughout the project
implementation on its website, in annual environmental reports and through
periodic press releases.
Supervision and reporting
The sponsor will report to EBRD
annually on the measured environmental impacts and on the implementation of
the EMP. The Bank will evaluate the project's compliance with the applicable
environmental and social requirements during the lifetime of the project by
reviewing these reports. EBRD environmental specialist may conduct monitoring
visits to the site when and if deemed appropriate. In addition, independent
environmental monitoring audits may be carried out.
There is an Environmental Impact Assesment available for this project.
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