GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 12572

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 Water Harvesting and Storage Authority proposes to construct a zoned earth fill embankment dam of 30m height and 182m crest length. The dam will incorporate a horizontal drainage blanket and inclined chimney drain. The spillway has capacity of 159m3/s which represents the propable maximum flood flow. The river diversion capacity is 24.64m3/s based on 5 years ARI with conduits to locate flows, treatment works and reticulation system with a capacity 3975m3/day. The daily release capacity of the reservior is 2650 m3/s. The project will be located across Nzeeu River, Part of Kabonge Village, North East of Kitui Town, Kitui County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Impacts Mitigation Measures Loss of aquatic organisms • Ensure recommended water quality standards in the tail water are adhered to as per the provisions of NEMA Water Quality Regulation. • Ensure no observable aquatic organism is destroyed during construction. • Key stakeholders to enhance public awareness and participation in conservation activities. • Enforcement of Wildlife Act, 2013 and EMCW (wetlands, Riverbanks, Lake Shores, and Sea Shore Management) Regulations, 2009. Loss of vegetation • Introduce vegetation strips to unproductive land to compensate for what will be cleared. • Identify endangered species of trees to be planted in other places where they will not be affected. • Consider re-vegetation around the upstream points and along the rivers. • Plant more trees in the dam reserve areas to increase vegetation. • Encourage local people in catchment areas to plant more vegetation. • Reinstate the site after construction and rehabilitation activities. Water pollution • The contractor to prepare an Integrated Waste Management plan during construction and operation period of the schemes. 15th September, 2023 THE KENYA GAZETTE Impacts Mitigation Measures • Ensure all repairs and maintenance works are done at the contractors’ yard to avoid spillages. • Compact loose material/soils and • Ensure recommended water quality standards in the tail water are adhered to as per the provisions of NEMA Water Quality Regulations. • Prevention of non-point source of pollution to the water for irrigation. • Regular water sampling of boreholes and water downstream to detect water pollution that will be handled immediately. Excessive noise and vibrations • Workers using drilling equipment to be provided with specialized anti- vibrating gloves. • Switching off vehicles and machines when not in use. • Machines and equipment to be fitted with silencer in the site for construction should be hoarded off. • An improvised rock breaking system should be adopted by use of Ammonium Nitrate. • Avoiding unnecessary hooting. • Workers to be provided with Personal Protection Equipment. • Machines to be serviced to reduce generation of noise and vibrations. • Warnings to be issued to the locals in case of any unusual noise, the noisy activities should be restricted to daytime. • Ensure that noise and vibration standards are observed. Dust emission • The access roads to be watered during the construction period. • Plant more vegetation for carbon sequestration limit the speed on dusty roads. • Workers to use masks when working in dusty conditions. Water borne diseases • Public awareness and campaigns on hygiene behaviour change. • Promotion of household water treatment methods. • Provision of safe water for domestic use to the local people. • Provision of alternative water sources to those who use water from wells being affected by the project. • Building of hospitals in the project area and equipping them to treat the illnesses when they occur. Changes in hydraulics of the river • Provision of water harvesting and storage facilities during wet seasons to supplement abstracted water. • Plant more water-loving trees in the project area to increase flows in the river. • Diverting the river to ensure continued flow downstream during construction. Exhaust fumes • Construction vehicles to have catalytic devices to ensure complete burning of waste gases. Impacts Mitigation Measures • Use of clean petroleum that is low in sulphur, lead or other pollutants. • Proper servicing of vehicles and Construction machines according to manufacturer’s specifications. • Plant more vegetation for carbon sequestration. Soil erosion • Planting of trees in the project catchment areas to minimize soil erosion. • Where there is intense soil erosion, gabions should be built as a measure to reduce soil erosion. • There should be intensive re-vegetation on bare grounds after construction. • Compaction of loose soils after excavations and reuse of materials for refill. • The canal design to adopt sub critical flow velocity to avoid erosion. Siltation, eutrophication and sedimentation • Re-using of excavated materials as fill or for other works. • Compacting of loose soil and planting of grass to hold the soil. Occurrence of invasive species • Use of seeds coated with pesticides. • Practice crop rotation, Inter cropping and Strip cropping. • Before planting any new plant or crops in the area, it should be approved by relevant institutions. • Equipment required for the construction works should be clean and free from any alien plants and mud which may contain seeds of alien species. • Raw materials to be used for construction such as sand and rocks should be sourced in areas where there are no alien/ invasive species. Occupational health and safety (OHS • Ensure safety of the construction workers by putting first aid area and injury reporting mechanism. • The contractor to have his workable health and safety rules to apply always at work places. • Securing of sites to prevent any accident at sites. • Ensure safety of residents by providing safety signs at strategic places around the access roads. • Ensure compliance to Occupational Safety and Health Act Cap. 514 and its Subsidiary Legislations. • Provide adequate crossings where canals will pass. • Provide personal protective equipment to workers. • There should be adequate provision of the requisite sanitation facilities for human waste disposal. • The workers should receive the requisite training especially on the operation of the machinery and equipment. • Preparation of a working dam safety plan. • Develop a site safety action plan detailing safety equipment to be used, emergency procedures, 4104 4104 Impacts Mitigation Measures restriction on site, frequency and personnel responsible for safety inspections. Waste water and effluents • The grey water runoff from the working areas should be contained and properly treated before being released to the river. • Where possible wastewater need to be treated to meet the effluent standards before releasing it the receiving water. • Water containing pollutants such as cement, concrete, lime, chemicals and fuels should be discharged into a conservancy tank for removal from the site. • Potential pollutants should be stored, kept and used in such a manner that any escape can be contained to avoid degrading the water table. • Any pollution incidents on site should be resolved speedily. • The construction should have sanitation facilities that will not pollute water. Increase in waste • Promote the reuse, recycling and reduction of wastes generated. • Provision of adequate litter collection facilities. • Approval of waste disposal sites by NEMA in accordance with the Waste Management Regulations. • The chemical and hazardous wastes should not be burnt or dumped in open pit. • Debris should be utilized in filling up of quarries within the project area. The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at: (a) Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Foresty, NHIF Building, 12th Floor, Ragati Road, Upper Hill, Upper Hill, P.O. Box 30126–00200, Nairobi (b) Director General, NEMA, Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. Box 67839–00200, Nairobi. (c) County Director of Environment, Kitui County. A copy of the EIA report can be downloaded at www.nema.go.ke The National Environmental 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 for this project. Comments can also be e-mailed to dgnema@nema.go.ke MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/4542638 National Environment Management Authority.