GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 16128

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, Plenser Waste Management Limited proposes to install Pyroflame 200PF manual load medical/general waste incinerator with a design capacity of 200Kg/hr. The incinerator will handle mixed type of waste A, B, C, D, E and 0, 1, 2 and 3 hospitals/biohazard wastes with waste density range of 123-350kg/m3. The project will incorporate office building comprising of ground floor (reception, meeting room, office, foyer, hall, sanitary facilities and changing rooms), mezzanine floor (offices lobby, boardroom, kitchen, sanitary facilities), roof level terrace (outdoor sitting area and 2No. 3200 litre tank), the incineration godown will comprise of ground floor layout (receiving office, sorting area, 2No. workshops 3No temporary storage bay, fuel room, incineration area), the auxiliary facilities (transformer house, guard house, weighbridge, drive way, ash collection area with 2No. ash pits, staff court, visitors parking and loading house) supporting amenities and associated facilities. The project will be located on Plot L. R. No. 23961 (Part) Portion 11 on EPZ Land, Kinanie, Mavoko Sub-County, Machakos County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Air quality • Provision of dust masks to employees and management to enforce strict use of personal protective clothing. • Screen off the area to reduce dust in the neighbourhood. • Limiting vehicle speed in the construction area to minimize dust in the area. • Watering area with exposed soil surfaces twice each day during dry weather. • To Discourage idling of vehicles. • Regular maintenance of construction plant and equipment. Noise pollution • All installation works to be limited to daytime only. • To provide ear protectors for workers in noisy areas. • Strict enforcement on use of ear protectors. • Regular maintenance of construction plants and equipment. • There should not be unnecessary horning of the involved machinery. • Provision of billboards at the construction site notifying of the construction activity and timings. • Comply with the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Noise and Excessive Vibrations Pollution Control) Regulations, 2009. 5370 5370 Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures Soil erosion • To control construction activities especially during rainy conditions. • To re-surface open areas after completion of the project and introduce appropriate vegetation. • To provide suitable storm water drainage channels to effectively discharge water to safe areas. Storm water drainage • The design of the drainage system should ensure that surface flow is drained suitably into the public drains provided to control flooding within the site. • Drainage channels should be installed in all areas that generate or receive surface water and be covered with appropriate materials. • Paving of the sideways, driveways and other open area should be done using pervious materials to encourage recharge and thus reducing water runoff volume. Occupational safety and health • Appropriate personal protective equipment to be used. • Appropriate training of workers of ways of working safely. • Appropriate supervision at workplace. • A first aid kit, fully equipped to be provided within the site and managed by qualified person. • All moving machine parts and high temperature areas should be fitted with guard rails and restrict access. • Adequate sanitary facilities should be provided and standard cleanliness maintained. • Workers operating within the high temperature zones should not exceed 2hrs continuous presence or/as may be directed by the Occupational Health and Safety Experts. • Mounting of safety signage’s within and outside the incinerator plant. • Conducting risk assessments before the work commences to ensure that hazards are identified and eliminated before the work commences. • Ensuring the workplace is registered under Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS). • Undertaking statutory audits including health and safety and fire safety audits. • Documenting the facility’s Environmental Safety and Health policy, Occupational Health and Safety and fire safety policies. Increased demand on water and energy • Avoid wasting the water supplied to the site. • Encourage water reuse/recycling during both construction. • Encourage proper water management systems. • All plant equipment and electrical appliances should be switched off when not in use. • Explore the use of solar and wind energy especially for site security lighting during the night. • Create awareness among workers by use of stickers on the need to conserve energy. Waste disposal • All liquid wastes to be disposed of properly by connecting to the EPZ sewer line system. Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures • Construction of the drainage system to be under the supervision of the structural engineer • Solid waste to be handled, managed and disposed according to the waste management regulations. • Waste handling bins to be provided for workers onsite. • Colour code to be used to distinguish waste bins of different wastes. • Solid waste to be disposed only at licensed disposal sites Local air quality degradation • Installation of wet inertial scrubbers for particulate matter control. • Limiting the ash content of the waste feed via source control or selection. • Designing and operating the primary combustion chamber to minimize fly-ash carryover. • Choosing advanced combustion designs and emission-control technologies for the pollutant of concern. • Having well-trained and certified employees to ensure that the combustor is operated to maximize combustion efficiency. • Optimize furnace operation, including temperature, oxygen concentration, and carbon monoxide concentration by optimizing grate speeds. under-fire and over-fire air-injection rates, locations, and directions. and operating auxiliary burners. • Maintain a maximum gas flow-rate limit to ensure adequate residence time in the combustion chamber and proper operation of the air pollution control equipment. • Quarterly stack emission assessment of the incinerator. • Installation of stack-gas monitors. • Injecting activated carbon into the flue gas, or by passing the flue gas through a carbon sorbent bed, which adsorbs the trace gaseous constituents and mercury. • Limiting the lead content of the waste feed via source control. • The combustion chamber for incineration be designed to provide complete mixing of the gases evolved from burning of wastes in the presence of air and to provide adequate residence time of the gases. • Systematic injection of granular or powdered activated carbon upstream in the incinerator to remove dioxins and furans. • Load the incinerator according to the recommended “Best Practices”. Ash handling at the site • Contain ash at all times both inside and outside the facility. • Use of water to quench the ash, reducing dust generation and minimizing the possibility of ash-dust inhalation or ingestion by workers. • Enclosed ash-handling systems throughout the incinerator. Ash disposal • Fly ash residues are to be transported and disposed of only after it has been solidified in the incinerator. 24th November, 2023 THE KENYA GAZETTE Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures • Ash be handled and disposed in a secure hazardous-waste landfill that is designed to ensure that there will be no groundwater pollution. • Regular testing of ash to determine its toxicity. Scrubber waste disposal • Wet-scrubber wastewater be discharged to on- site wastewater-treatment system. Operational inefficiency leading to green house gas emissions • Screening incoming wastes at the plant to reduce incineration of wastes that are non- combustible and are likely to produce pollutants when burned. • Certification procedure for incinerator control- room operators. • Emissions be reduced by modifying operating characteristics such as furnace temperature, air- injection rate, flue-gas temperature, reagent type, and injection rate, and by selecting optimal combustor designs and emission- control technologies. • Use and continued calibration and maintenance of continuous monitors of emissions and facilitate maintenance of optimal operating conditions at all times by incineration operators. • Survey furnace emission-control devices and related equipment regularly to ensure that they continue to be operative and properly sealed and insulated. Increased traffic • All users of said roads to always observe traffic rules this will give pedestrians and cyclists their space and safety while using the road. • Speed limits to be strictly observed. • Motorist to be sensitized to use unleaded fuel as opposed to leaded fuel. Fire hazards • Provide adequate and standard firefighting equipment. • The management should also ensure that contacts for emergency service providers are well displayed in and around the facility. • Provide an emergency alarm system. • The incinerator attendants should be trained by reputable firms. • Undertake annual fire drills. • Emergency fire evacuation procedures should be documented. • Adhere to the Fire Risk Reduction Rules 2007. 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, Machakos 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/6203398 National Environment Management Authority.