GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 15948

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 proponents, George Mbugua and Monicah Mbugua, propose to construct a modern funeral home that will comprise of a cold room, body preparation and embalming area, 2 No. of bedsitters, an Incinerator and associated facilities and amenities. The project will be located at Kabati Location, Kieni East Sub-County along along the Nyeri–Nanyuki Road on plot number L.R. Narumoru/Block 2/Muriru/4005, Narumoru in Nyeri County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Potential Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Environmental degradation • Demarcate the project area to be affected by the construction works to prevent the effects of construction from spilling over into other areas. • Rehabilitate all areas inadvertently affected by the proposed project construction. • Re-establish vegetation in some or parts of the disturbed areas through implementation of a well-designed landscaping program. Usage of construction materials • Evaluate the project to ensure that the design optimizes the use of materials and materials to be sourced locally. • Construction material must be tested and approved by the relevant department at the Public works office. Noise and vibrations • Provide workers in noisy environments with earmuffs. • Place noisy equipment in enclosures and away from sensitive environments. • Keep all machinery in good condition to reduce noise generation. • Maintain reasonable working durations whenever possible to reduce the number of complaints concerning noise. • Operate shorter shift period for workers who come in direct contact with high concentrations of noise. Degradation of air quality • Suppress dust by water spraying before sweeping and on dusty grounds. • Dispose waste regularly and appropriately to avoid wastes decomposing at collection areas. • Embalm all bodies before storage in order to prevent them from rotting. • Store only enough bodies to the capacity of the mortuary to prevent congestion. • Put in place rules to prevent bodies overstaying in the mortuary in order to give room for new bodies. Follow relevant legal procedures to remove and appropriately dispose all unclaimed. • Check the refrigeration system daily to detect and repair any malfunctioning which could lead to rotting of bodies. 23rd December, 2022 THE KENYA GAZETTE Potential Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures • Spray the mortuary with appropriate smell deodorizers in order to counteract foul smell. Storm water • Install gutters to harvest rainwater from the roof of the building and water tanks to store the harvested water. • Construct a drainage system to direct storm water into roadside drains. Traffic and safety implications • Provide adequate signage of the site. • Designate a parking space for off-loading and loading of materials. Solid wastes including excavated soil • Use excavated soil in filling of site and potholes on access roads. • Install dustbins for temporary holding of solid wastes. • Separate solid wastes at the source into recyclable and non-recyclable. • Regularly collect and dispose wastes to avoid accumulation. • Cover solid waste collection areas to prevent habitation by scavenging animals. Fire and accident occurrence • Declare places with flammable materials as “NO SMOKING ZONES” and display clear notices of the same. • Install fire extinguishers and other fire suppression equipment appropriately through a licensed fire officer. • Mark ‘FIRE EXITS’ from the buildings and establish ‘FIRE ASSEMBLY POINTS’ at specific points outside the building. • Regularly inspect the fire-fighting equipment and make it available on the site. • Provide enough parking space for emergency vehicles. • Train workers on fire drills and first aid. Sewerage and waste water and sanitary conveniences • Regularly check all drainage pipes to fix leakages, remove blockages and prevent back-flooding. • Treat wastewater and sewerage before they are disposed. • Monitor wastewater every month to ensure that such waste is disposed in accordance with controlled discharge standards. Water usage • Provide every water supply pipe with a tap to act as a stop valve. • Use water wisely. • Conduct regular maintenance of pipes and taps to fix leakages. • Use larger water storage tanks to cope with potential shortages. • Maximize on other sources of water for some uses such as harvested rainwater. • Install a water meter for monitoring water use at the site. Excessive energy consumption • Install energy efficient lighting such as fluorescent tubes and energy saving bulbs • Switch off lighting during the day and all other electrical equipment when they are not in use. Potential Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures • Provide a meter for monitoring energy consumption. Infectious waste • Put in place distinctive protocols for the classification and segregation of infectious diseases materials. • Treat waste that is deemed potentially infectious prior to disposal by several different technologies that either disinfect or sterilize them. Impacts on occupational and public health and safety • Provide workers with appropriate protective gear. Ensure machines and equipment to be used at the site are periodically checked by qualified personnel as outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, (OSHA), 2007. • Put in place appropriate warning signs, directions and procedures as outlined in the report. • Ensure the building has ventilation openings above doors and windows to each room to prevent any chances of suffocation during the full operation of the building. Bad odour • The proponent should apply chemical neutralizer that permanently remove all organic odours on contact. 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, Nyeri 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/4242469 National Environment Management.