GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 9517

Pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, 2003, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report for the above proposed project. The proponent, National Irrigation Board, is proposing to develop Lowaat Dam in Lokori Location, Lokori Division, Turkana East Sub- County of Turkana County located approximately 180km upstream of Lake Turkana. The coordinates of the project site are at Datum WGS 1984 Northing: 0832582 and Easting: 0205209. The maximum altitude of the site is approximately 940m above sea level. The dam components include: dam height-50m, dam type-rock fill, dam crest elevation-375m, dam crest length-474m, full pool reservoir area- 3600ha, gross storage- 234mm3, useful live sorage-337.4mm3, annual mean river flow-19.54m3/s, average power head- 50m, firm power- 20mw, installed power capacity-20mw The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Increase in local population • Local people will be given priority in employment. Loss of cultural and historical assets • No cultural and historical site is present at the site and therefore no loss is expected. Soil erosion • Designate buffer zones between settlement and water front. • Reforestation will be adopted to rehabilitate exposed areas after construction. Limit heavy machinery to designated. Distortion of flow patterns and sediment loads of river • Use of recommended devices to be taken care of during design of the dam. Recommended operating regimes will be adopted. Distortion in landscape • Minimum access roads will be constructed and borrow pits will be rehabilitated using excess earth and applying reforestation. Air pollution (dust) • Dust will be minimized by regularly watering of construction area. • Strict adherence to Air Quality Regulations, 2014. Destruction of vegetation • Unnecessary vegetation clearing will be prohibited. • Reforestation the disturbed. • Controlled usage of agro-chemicals to limit nutrient loading to the reservoir thus limiting proliferation of weeds. Spread of disease vectors in impoundment • Disrupt disease vectors through controlled operations of reservoirs. Fish mortality • Clear vegetation prior to dam filling. • Allow natural fish restocking. Change in river discharge • Observe Water Right regulatory requirements for downstream users and environment. Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Deterioration in water quality due to fertilizer use • control usage of agro-chemicals to standard. Occupational health and safety • Adherence to the occupational health and safety rules and regulations stipulated in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007. The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at: (a) Director-General, NEMA, Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. Box 67839–00200, Nairobi. (b) Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, NHIF Building, Community, P.O. Box 30521, Nairobi. (c) County Director of Environment, Turkana County. The National Environment Management Authority invites members of the public to submit oral or written comments within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice to the Director-General, NEMA, to assist the Authority in the decision making process of the plan. GEOFFREY WAHUNGU, Director-General, MR/5155694 National Environment Management Authority.