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Screened A/1. The new bulk terminal would move the current bulk handling
within the existing port area one kilometre further away from the city of
Ploce and introduce cleaner handling and storage technology. However, the
proposed project involves significant construction (including dredging and
fill operations) and is located next to the Neretva River Delta, which has
been included in the RAMSAR list of Wetlands of International Importance, and
in the Important Bird Areas Program implemented by the Bird Life
International. For these reasons, the project has been required to undergo an
Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) and public consultation.
The EIA has been carried out by independent consultants commissioned by Port
of Ploce Authority in accordance with the EBRD and the World Bank
requirements. The EIA has reviewed in depth potential impacts and has proposed
mitigation measures. The investigations showed that the major environmental
issues related to Project implementation are: (a) impact on the adjacent
RAMSAR site of Neretva Valley; and (b) impact on the aquatic life through
dredging operations. They also identified that the current Port activity
generates several nuisances, which will be resolved by implementation of the
Project, such as; (a) disposal of run-off water from both the CT and the CBT
including separation of oil and grease, (b) mitigation of dust problem related
to handling of bulk material; (c) handling of both hazardous waste and normal
ship waste; (d) treatment of ballast and bilge water from receiving ships, and
(e) treatment of sanitary wastewater generated inside the Port area in a two
stage treatment plant including a biological step.
The RAMSAR site of Neretva Valley is located just about 150 meters from the
planned location of the new bulk cargo terminal. The impact of the Project on
the RAMSAR site is expected to be very limited, but the proximity to the site
has resulted in substantial changes in the design of the Project. These
changes include that the size of received vessels will be limited to 80,000
DWT instead of originally planned 150,000 DWT and that the berth for the new
terminal has been moved from the channel between the Port and the RAMSAR site
to the early entrance of the channel in order to reduce the area needing
dredging and thereby avoiding any physical intrusion into the RAMSAR site.
Special attention to protect this ecologically valuable area has been given in
the Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan.
The dredging operations are not expected to have any significant adverse
impact on the aquatic life, which has been assessed to be very limited in the
area for dredging. The dredging masses will be disposed of on land in the port
area and on an additional area which will be reclaimed from the sea. The
disposal area is planned to be constructed as a confined and sealed area
before the disposal of dredging masses. Water draining from the dredging
masses will be discharged to the sea via a settling pond and a geo-membrane in
order to prevent discharge of different types of pollutants, as well as
turbidity caused by suspended solids. In order to prevent negative impacts on
fish migration and spawning, the dredging operations will be limited to
periods outside of spawning seasons and fish migration.
The Project will address several environmental issues associated with the
current port activities. These measures include: (a) treatment of polluted
storm water in regard to suspended solids, oil, grease, etc.; (b) reduction of
dust from handling of bulk material through installation of a sprinkling
system and use of polymers to bind the finest dust particles, and the use of
covered conveyor belts for the transport of bulk material to the storage area;
(c) installation of reception facilities for hazardous waste, wastewater from
arriving vessels, and bilge and ballast water; and (d) biological treatment of
sanitary wastewater generated inside the Port. An Environmental Management and
Monitoring Plan has been developed for mitigating impacts arising form the
project during the construction and operation of the new terminal to ensure
the implementation of the project will adhere to the designed environmental,
health and safety standards.
Several consultations have taken place during the project preparation with
both concerned NGOs and the relevant authorities. Stakeholders representing
different governmental organizations, NGOs and the public were involved in
discussion of the scope for the EIA before the work was started as well as
during its preparation. Public meetings were hold in June and October 2005,
and comments received were incorporated in the Draft Final Report. The Draft
Final EIA was made available to public both in English and Croatian in the
beginning of March, 2006. On March 16, 2006, a public meeting was organized to
discuss the results and conclusions of the EIA. No new issues were raised. The
meetings were all announced in both local and regional press, and people and
NGOs, which were known having a special interest in the Project, were
personally contacted and informed about the meetings. Concerns raised during
these consultations are covered in the EIA.
The EBRD will disclose the Final EIA package, including the EIA, Executive
Summary, Public Consultation and Disclosure Plan and the Environmental
Management and Monitoring Plan in Croatian and English languages for a 120-day
public comment period locally and in EBRD offices in Zagreb and in London in
the near future.
The project is co-financed with World Bank (“WB”). The WB has already
disclosed the Environmental Assessment reports of both the new Bulk Cargo
Terminal and the new Container Terminal in English in their InfoShop. An
Overarching Executive Summary is under preparation to combine all the
environmental issues related to the two projects in one condensed document. .
There is an Environmental Impact Assesment available for this project.
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