GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 4466

PURSUANT to section 59 of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act, 1999, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report for the above-proposed project. The proponent, National Youth Service intends to construct an earth dam with a designed capacity of 265,001.89M³.The dam will consists of a core trench formed on a hard rock to avoid settlement, toe drain and sand filter to prevent piping , slope of 1:2.5 d/s and 1:3 u/s for slope stability, an off-take pipe of 100mm diameter anchored on 20/25 anchor blocks 20/25 anchor blocks, wearing course on the embankment crest of 300mm and a spillway to drain flood water which is lined with riprap stones. The other parameters of the dam include embankment fill 78,278.94m3, height 12.50m, spillway width 15m, spillway length 18m, associated facilities and amenities. The project will be located between Goliba and Kithimani Town, Yatta Sub-county, Machakos County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Environmental Impacts Mitigation Measures Loss of flora and fauna • Where possible, clearing of vegetation more so the indigenous trees need to be avoided during construction as much as possible. • Where clearing of trees is inevitable, the land should be landscaped and planted with as much indigenous vegetation as possible so as to restore the lost biodiversity. • The extent of clearing within the work stations should be clearly marked. • Instruct all construction workers to restrict clearing to the marked areas and not to work outside defined areas. • Avoid introduction of invasive alien species in the landscaping activities. Siltation and sedimentation of the dam • Construction of a check dam before the main dam. • Scraping the dam bed periodically. • Controlling erosion in the dam catchment area. • Planting grasses and other soil conservation measures in the river bank and riparian area. Reservoir induced seismicity causing earthquakes • Geophysical investigations to check for faults that could lead to leakages within the dam. • Grouting to seal any observed faults in the walls of the dam. • Earthquake resilient design for the reservoir. Occupational health and safety • There should be adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all workers and they should be worn all the time. • There should be adequate provision of the requisite sanitation facilities for human waste disposal. Environmental Impacts Mitigation Measures • Workers should receive requisite training especially on the operation of the • There should be adequate warning and directional signs. • Provide clean drinking water for the employees. • Develop a site safety action plan detailing safety equipment to be used, emergency procedures, restriction on site, frequency and personnel responsible for safety inspections and controls. • A sign board warning on HIV/AIDS, drugs and alcohol abuse be displayed at the construction camp sites. • The campsites and their facilities need to be constructed at sites carefully selected away from the sensitive areas. • Train workers on the use of firefighting equipment. • Provide First Aid kit within the construction site. • Recording of all injuries that occur on site in the incident register, corrective actions for their prevention are instigated as appropriate. • Contractor to ensure compliance with the Workmen’s Compensation Act, ordinance regulations and union agreements. • Guide all workers in Safety Health and Environment (SHE). Reduced water flow and silt deposition in rivers • Watershed management to reduce silt load in the dammed river or stream. • Make use of silt traps upstream of the dam • Removing sediments or de-siltation of river course. Outbreak of vector - borne diseases • Surveillance to record cases of disease outbreaks and their severity (indicator based as well as event based). • Preparation of procedure for communication of disease outbreaks. • Introduction of biological control agents to reduce vector populations. Noise pollution • Use of equipment that is fitted with noise reduction devices such as mufflers. • Construction workers operating equipment that generates noise should be equipped with noise protection equipment. • Avoid working at night. • Avoid unnecessary hooting and honking. • Provide a register for complaint registration to allow any affected persons file a report. • Adhere to Environmental Management and Co-ordination (noise and excessive vibrations) Regulations, 2009. Air and dust pollution • Keeping vehicle and machine movement to the minimum on dusty roads. • Watering dusty roads when significant movement is expected. • Use of water sprays when dusts are being generated or at times of strong wind. 12th April, 2024 THE KENYA GAZETTE Environmental Impacts Mitigation Measures • All materials stored or stockpiled on site should be adequately covered. • Maintain machineries at manufacturer’s specifications of minimizing emissions. • Where unavoidable, construction workers working in dusty areas should be provided and fitted with respirators or personal protective equipment. • Cover all trucks hauling soil, sand and other loose materials to avoid spillage and dust emissions that may interfere with smooth motoring. • Adhere to Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Air Quality) Regulations, 2014. Soil disturbance • Control earthworks and compact loose soils. • Landscaping shall be done on project completion. • Control and manage excavation soils. • Provide soil erosion control and conservation structures. Solid and liquid waste generation. • Placing waste baskets at strategic places on site. • Waste reduction and re – use. • A waste management plan should be adopted as part of the construction works. • Hazardous substances should be handled safely and at designated and safe area. • Identify areas where re-fueling and vehicle maintenance activities and storage of hazardous materials will be permitted. • Skips and bins should be strategically placed within the campsite and construction site. • Careful pumping of sewage from upstream manholes to downstream manholes. • Measures to ensure that waste materials from the Project are disposed at suitable sites should be taken. These will include engaging only reputable truckers and conducting appropriate spot checks to verify that disposal are done in accordance with the requirements of NEMA. The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at: (a) Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, NHIF Building, 12th Floor, Ragati Road, Upper Hill, P.O. Box 30126–00100, Nairobi. (b) Director-General, NEMA, Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. Box 67839–00200, Nairobi. (c) County Director of Environment, Machakos County. A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.nema.go.ke 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 regarding this project. Comments can also be emailed to dgnema@nema.go.ke MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/6162597 National Environment Management.