014 1287 wtps iraq oil terminal non technical summary english rev01

KAZOILTERMINALPROJECT

EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment

NonTechnicalSummary

Onbehalfof:WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC

ProjectReference:

0141287

Revision:REV01

Date:December2014

Earth&MarineEnvironmentalConsultants

ChelseaBusinessCentre2ndFloor

AlCornicheStreetBasrah

RepublicofIraq

[email protected]

NonTechnicalSummaryWaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC


KAZOilTerminalProject,Iraq

0141287Revision01 December2014

DocumentControlRecord

Revision Date Author(s) Authorisedby ReasonforChange

00 30/11/14 MJS/DCW SPR FirstinternalDraft

01 11/12/14 DCW SPR IssuefollowingClientcomments

COMMERCIALINCONFIDENCE

ThisdocumentandalltheinformationcontainedwithinitareproprietarytoEarthandMarineEnvironmentalConsultantsLtd(hereinaftercalledEAME)andaresuppliedinconfidence.Thisdocumentis

nottobereproducedinwholeorinpartnordisclosedtoanythirdpartywithoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofEAME.Norshallitbeusedotherwisethanforthepurposeforwhichithasbeensupplied.

WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC

IraqOilTerminalProject

EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment,NonTechnicalSummary

0141287Revision01

December2014

Contents Page

AcronymsandAbbreviations i

1 Introduction 11.1 ProjectOverview 11.2 ProjectLocation 21.3 ProjectSchedule 41.4 ESIAProcessandMethodology 4

2 StakeholderConsultation 6

3 ProjectDescription 73.1 Introduction 73.2 ConsiderationofAlternatives 8

4 EnvironmentalImpactAssessment 104.1 Introduction 104.2 AirQuality 104.3 NoiseQuality 124.4 SoilQuality 134.5 SedimentQuality 154.6 SurfaceWaterQuality 164.7 GroundwaterQuality 174.8 EcologyandBiodiversity 174.9 CumulativeandTransboundaryImpacts 194.10 HazardAnalysisandRiskManagement 19

5 SocialImpactAssessment 225.1 SocialandPoliticalEnvironments 225.2 SocioeconomicSurveyFindings 23

6 EnvironmentalandSocialImpactSummary 266.1 ImpactAssessmentCriteria 266.2 ProjectImpactsMatrix 26





7 EnvironmentalandSocialManagementandMonitoringPlan 36

WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC

IraqOilTerminalProject

EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment,NonTechnicalSummary

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December2014Pagei

AcronymsandAbbreviations

CEMP ConstructionEnvironmentalManagementPlan

CO CarbonMonoxide

CSSF CommonSeawaterSupplyFacility

dB Decibel

DWB DeeperWaterBerth

DWT DeadweightTonnage

EAME Earth&MarineEnvironmentalConsultants

ESIA EnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment

ESMMP EnvironmentalandSocialManagementandMonitoringPlan

GCPI GeneralCompanyPortsofIraq

GDP GrossDomesticProduct

HAZOP HazardandOperabilityStudy

HAZID HazardIdentification

KAZ KhorAlZubairOilTerminalProject

Km Kilometre

Km2 Squarekilometre

KZP KhorAlZubairPort

IUCN InternationalUnionforConservationofNature

IS IslamicState

m Metre

m3 Cubicmetres

MoF MinistryofFinance

NGO NonGovernmentalOrganisation

NOx Nitrogenoxides

NTS NonTechnicalSummary

OSERP OilSpillEmergencyResponsePlan

SKA SKAInternationalGroup

SOx SulphurOxide




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SRFO StraightRunFuelOil

SVOC SemiVolatileOrganicCompound

UQP UmmQasrPort

VOC VolatileOrganicCompound

VR VacuumResidue

WTPS WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC




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1 Introduction

WaterwayTrading&PetroleumServicesLLC(WTPS)havecommissionedanEnvironmentalandSocialImpactAssessment(ESIA)oftheproposedKhorAlZubair(KAZ)OilTerminalProjectinordertoassessthepotentialadverseandbeneficialimpactsandassociatedmitigationandmanagementmeasures.AnESIAisadetailedstudyoftheenvironmentalandsocialconditionsintheprojectareaandanassessmentofhowtheprojectmaychangetheseconditions. Ifthesechangesaredeemed tobenegativeand severe, the studyhasdefinedmeasures toreduceoreliminatetheseimpacts.

ThisdocumentistheNonTechnicalSummary(NTS)oftheESIA.

1.1 ProjectOverview

Asaresultofarmedconflicts,tradesanctionsandisolationfromtheinternationalcommunityfordecades,Iraqdoesnotpresentlyhavetheresourcestoproviderefinedpetroleumproductsatasufficientratetomeetdemand. Assuch,WTPS intendstoconstructanewpetroleumproducts Terminal on the Khor AlZubair River, close to the Khor AlZubair Port (KZP) inSouthernIraq.TheproposedTerminalwillprovideamodernimportfacilityandalsoafutureexportterminalforrefinedpetroleumproductsthatwillbeproducedinIraq.

TheTerminalwillprovideberthingfacilities,storage infrastructure,truck loading/unloadingfacilities and all associated utility and support systems for multiple berths capable ofdischargingvesselsupto47,000deadweighttonnage(DWT).TheconstructionoftheTerminalwill be phased: the first phase being a singleDeeperWaterBerth (DWB) and associatedpipelineconnectiontotheexistingSKATerminal.Subsequentadditionalphaseswillincludestoragetanksandassociatedutilities,withapotentialstoragecapacityofupto300,000m3.TheTerminalwillbeconstructed to theappropriate international industrystandardsusingreliable and proven technology and will be operated in accordance with standards andpracticesgenerallyprevailinginthepetroleummarineterminalandstorageindustry.

AnindicativelayoutoftheTerminalispresentedinFigure1.1.Itshouldbenotedthatthisisbasedoncurrentstateofknowledgeandgroundconditionsandmaybesubjecttochangeasmore detailed design studies take place. The overall concept is not expected to changesignificantlyanymaterialenvironmentalimpacthowever.




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Figure1.1:ConceptualDevelopmentLayout

1.2 ProjectLocation

TheproposeddevelopmentislocatedonthewesternbankoftheKhorAlZubair,adjacenttotheKZPandtheKZPFreezone.UmmQasrPort(UQP) is14kmsouthofthesite,BasraCityCentreis37kmtothenorthandthebordercrossingintoKuwaitatSafwanislocated19kmtothesouthwestofthesite(Figures1.2and1.3).




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Figure1.2:LocationoftheproposedTerminaldevelopment

GoogleEarthProImagingwiththepermissionofGoogleLicensedtoEarthandMarineEnvironmentalConsultantsLtd

Figure1.3:ProposedTerminaloutline





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1.3 ProjectSchedule

Thepreciseschedulehasnotbeenspecifiedatthisstageaspoliticaldisruption inBaghdadassociatedwiththeIslamicState(IS)insurgencyandchangeofgovernmenthasplacedsomeuncertaintyon theanticipateddateofapprovals tostart,however,constructionworks forPhase1areexpectedtocommenceinearly2015.

1.4 ESIAProcessandMethodology

ThemainobjectiveoftheESIAprocessistoidentifypotentiallysignificantnegativeimpactsonthephysical,humanandnaturalenvironmentthatcouldarisethroughtheentirelifeoftheproject.Wheresuchimpactsareidentified,theprocessidentifiesmeasurestoeliminateormitigate them andmanagementmeasures for any residual impacts. It also provides anopportunityforconsultationwithpotentiallyaffectedstakeholders.

Theassessmentprocessconstitutesasystematicapproachtotheevaluationoftheproposedprojectinthecontextofthenatural,regulatoryandsocioeconomicenvironmentsinwhichthedevelopmentisproposed.

ThepotentialenvironmentalandsocialeffectsresultingfromtheTerminalprojecthavebeenassessedagainst:

Applicableregulations,standardsandguidelines;

Existingenvironmentalandsocioeconomicconditions;and

Issuesandconcernsraisedbyidentifiedstakeholders.

TheESIAandtheidentificationofassociatedrecommendationshasbeendevelopedbydeskbased research, fields studies (to establish baseline conditions), assessment of results,stakeholderconsultationandexpertopinion.

The baseline environmental and social conditions of the Terminalprojectwere identifiedinitially fromacomprehensivedesk study.Thisexercisehelped tonarrowdown themostcriticalenvironmentalandsocialissuesrequiringdetailedevaluation.Theseissuesweretheninvestigatedviaaseriesofstudiesincluding:

Acomprehensivedeskstudyincludingsocioeconomicbaselineinformation;

Baselinelandqualityassessmentincludingtheexcavationofboreholesandsoilsampling;

Baselineairqualitymeasurement;




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Baselinenoiseassessment;

SurfacewaterandsedimentqualitysamplingoftheKhorAlZubair;

Baselinegroundwaterassessment;

Baselineterrestrialecology;

BaselinemarineecologyofKhorAlZubair;

SurveysoffishermenontheKhorAlZubair;

MarineTrafficSurvey;and

TrafficsurveyatakeypointonHighway28.

Thesensitivityoftheenvironmentalandsocialreceptors,andthemagnitudeofthepotentialimpacts were then identified and used to determine impact significance. Potential andresidual impacts (i.e. those remaining after the application ofmitigationmeasures)werecharacterisedasbeingoflow,mediumorhighsignificanceorasbeneficial.Whereverpracticable,additionalmitigationmeasureswereidentifiedtoreducefurtherthoseadverseresidualimpactsthatwereconsideredtobeofmediumorhighsignificance.

Themitigationandenhancementmeasuresthathavebeenproposed intheESIAtoreduceadverse impacts (and enhance potential benefits) have been captured in a commitmentsregister. The commitments that relate to the operating phase of the Terminal will beincorporatedintotheEnvironmentalandSocialMonitoringandManagementPlan(ESMMP).




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2 StakeholderConsultation

Stakeholder consultation isof crucial importance tounderstandhow the Terminalwouldimpactonstakeholdersandtoobtaintheir inputonwhich impactsshouldbe includedandexcluded. WTPS recognises the importance of consultation and that it is also an earlyopportunityforstakeholderstobecomebetterinformedabouttheplannedTerminal.

Stakeholderconsultationcomprisedtwoparts:

thedevelopmentandissueofaScopingReport;and

thedirectconsultationwithpotentiallyaffectedcommunities.

TheScopingReport(0141287WTPSIraqOilTerminalEnvironmentalScopingReportREV03,EAME, August 2014) was prepared at the start of the ESIA process. It is a standalonedocumentthatdescribestheproject,setsouttheenvironmentalissuesthatwillbeassessedthroughtheESIA(andthosethathavebeenscreenedout),explainshowthesewillbeassessedandseeksfeedbackfromtheconsulteesontheseissuesandanyadditionalinformationthattheyhave. TheScopingReportwassent togovernmentdepartments,NonGovernmentalOrganisations (NGOs), local businesses, regional environmental organisations and publicrepresentatives inAugustandSeptember2014. Overonehundred copiesof theScopingReportwereissued,however,replieswereonlyreceivedfromthreeentities,noneofwhichprovidedanyadditionalinformationorsoughttoamendtheproposedapproach.

This low levelofresponsiveness isnotunusual for IraqwhichonlyhasashorthistoryandexperienceofESIAsbeingperformed andno formal requirements forpublicor statutoryconsultation. Also, there are no residential communities in the area and the nearestbusinessesthatcouldbeaffected(SKAandKZP)aredirectstakeholdersintheproject.

Theconsultationwith localpeople (especially fishermen) isdescribed in theSocial ImpactAssessmentsectionofthisNTS.




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3 ProjectDescription

3.1 Introduction

TheproposedTerminaldevelopment is locatedonthewesternbankoftheKhorAlZubair,adjacenttotheKZPandtheKZPFreezone.Theonshoreproportionofthesitecoversapieceoflandapproximately1,500mby500m,coveringatotalareaofapproximately0.95km2(95ha)withaperimeterofroughly4,944m.

It isunderstoodthatWTPShavesecureda25yearaccess/licenceagreementwithGeneralCompanyforPortsofIraq(GCPI)todevelopthesite.

TheTerminalwillultimatelybedesigned tohandleup to fivedifferentproducts:gasoline,gasoil,naphtha,StraightRunFuelOil(SRFO)andVacuumResidue(VR).Gasolineandgasoilwillbeimportedbymarinetankersandoffloadedintothetankfarmbeforebeingexportedvia road tanks. Simultaneous truck loading andmarine tankerunloadingwill increase theefficiencyoftheTerminal.Naphtha,SRFOandVRareexpectedtobebroughttotheTerminalviaroadtankersandloadedontomarinetankersforexport.

Theoffshoreelementsofthe(ultimate)projectinclude:

Jettyfacilityprovidingtwoberthsofvesselsrangingfrom27,000to47,000DWT;

Accesstrestletothejetty;and

Topsideelementstofacilitatetheimportandexportofproducts.

The jettyfacilitieswillbedesignedtoallowforunloadingand loadingofdifferentproductswithfromamaximumoftwovesselsatanyonetime.

When theTerminal is fullydeveloped, it isenvisaged that the sitecouldcomprisearoundtwenty buildings of six generic building types and in the region of thirty tanks totallingapproximately300,000m3ofstorage.

CurrentSiteConditions

Themajorityofthesite,approximately95%,isundevelopedandvacantwithsparsehalophyticvegetation[vegetationthatgrowsinverysalinesoilsorsediments],unsurfacedaccessroadsandevidenceof flytippedwaste.There isevidenceofdisturbanceofsomeof thesoilsbyheavyplantandsomeaccumulationsofearthmoundsfromearthworksactivities.Alsothereisanearthbankroadrunningalongthesiteparalleltotheshorelinewithtwosmallerearthbankroadsextendingtothewaterline.




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ThenorthernelevationofthesitecomprisesKAZJettyNo.1andareasofunsurfaced,derelictlandwithareasusedforthestorageofscrapmetal,muchofwhichappearstobemarinederived(shipwreckclearance).

It isunderstoodthatthemajorityofthesitehasneverbeendeveloped,however,thesitewalkoverbyEAME,variousmapsoftheregionandremotesensingdatahasindicatedsignsofhumanimpactsincludingflytipping/dumping,offroadvehicleactivitiesandtheremnantsignsofwar.

Photograph2.1:Projectsitelandarea

Photograph2.2:Projectsiteintertidalarea

3.2 ConsiderationofAlternatives

The environmental and social implications of alternative development sites or a nodevelopmentoptionwereconsidered.

ItisimportanttoappreciatethelocationspecificconstraintsrepresentedbytheIraqicoastline(i.e. only 58km in length) and the presence of only two navigable rivers suitable for thelocationofaTerminal.TheproposedsiteisidealforthisprojectasadjacenttoitistheSKATerminal (an existing small capacity storage facility jointly owned by WTPS that will beconnectedtothenewberth).TheSKATerminalwillnotbeabletoentirelyfulfilthelongtermrequirementsparticularlyasthereislittleroomforexpansion.Itdoes,however,allowforconsiderableoperationalbenefits,butmustnecessarilyhavetheberthslocatedclosetoit.

Furthermore,fromearlybathymetricstudiesofthearea,itseemsthatthechannelmaintainsanaturalscouredminimumdepthofaround12m in this location,whichmeans it formsanaturaldeeperwaterlocationforaloadingberth,withminimaldredgingrequirement(andits




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associated environmental disturbance). It is also close (with direct access to) the portdistributorroadswhichconnecttothemainhighwaytoBasraandthevariousdevelopmentzonesoftheSouthernRegion.

The opposite bank of the Khor AlZubair is largely undeveloped and has no establishedtransportinfrastructure,sotheconstructionprojectandlogisticswouldbeconsiderablylargerthanadevelopmentonthewestsideofthechannel(aswellastherelatedimpacts).

Theonlyalternativechannelwhichcouldreceiverelatively largeships is theShattAlArabWaterway,however,thereisasandbarontheentrancetothechannelthatdriesoncertaintides(limitingaccessibilitytimes)andthechannelhasbeenneglectedformanyyearsintermsofmaintenancedredgingsoisonlyaround810mindepthwhichisinsufficientforthevesselsrequired.

TheKhorAlZubairis,therefore,theonlylogicaloptionforsuchaberthandtheonlyzonethatisreachablefromthenavigablechannelandaccessibletotransportinfrastructureisthewestbankwheretheproposedTerminalistobedeveloped.

Iftheprojectdoesnotgoahead,therewillevidentlybenoenvironmentalandsocioeconomicimpacts from constructionoroperationof such a facility,however, thepotentialpositivebenefitswouldalsobelost,including:

Lossofdedicatedimportandexportfacilitiesforrefinedpetroleumproducts;

ThecontinueduseofinefficientandpoorlymaintainedinfrastructureatKZPwhichpreventits reversion to its original design use of dry cargo (forwhich there is also a pressingrequirement);and

LossofthesocialbenefitsoftheemploymentopportunitiesandeconomicstimulusthattheTerminalwouldgenerate.

Apart from the storage of large fragments of shipwreck scrap, the site is unused andunoccupiedandalternatepotentiallybeneficialusesarenotpresentlyproposed.Themostlikelyalternativeuseofthesitewouldprobablybeforsimilarport/logisticsrelatedfacilitieswithsimilarattributesandimpactsasthoseproposedforthecurrentproject.




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4 EnvironmentalImpactAssessment

4.1 Introduction

BaselineenvironmentalconditionswereidentifiedduringtheScopingExerciseforarangeofparametersincluding:

AirQuality;

NoiseQuality;

SoilQuality;

SedimentQuality;

SurfaceWaterQuality;

GroundwaterQuality;and

EcologyandBiodiversity.

EachofthesearediscussedinmoredetailinthefullESIAandsummarisedbelowintermsofbaselineconditions,impactassessment,mitigationandresidualimpacts.

4.2 AirQuality

AirQualityBaseline

Exposuretohighlevelsofatmosphericpollutantsordustcansometimescauseadverseeffectson human health so it is important to understand the levels of such pollutants in theenvironment. The ESIA focussedonVolatileOrganicCompounds (VOCs), sulphurdioxide(SOx),oxidesofnitrogen(NOx),carbonmonoxide(CO)andbreathabledust inparticularastheprojectcouldreleasequantitiesofsomeorallofthesepollutantstoatmosphere.

Theexistinglevelsweremeasuredatfivelocationsaroundtheprojectsiteusingacombinationof passive diffusion tubes left out for 30 days (for SOx, NOx and VOCs), instantaneousmeasurements of particulates using a dustmeter and direct capture (laboratory analysismeasurements)forCOusingapumpedsamplecapturesystem.

Baseline ambient air quality monitoring at the site was found to be below publishedenvironmentalbenchmarks.




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Forparticulatematter,theambientairqualityofthesiteislikelytobeaffectednegativelybyoccasionalsandstorms,whicharefrequentevents inthisregion. Thesesandstormsmovelargevolumesof finedust into theatmosphereandcan last fromseveralhours toseveraldays. Themeasured high levels of total particulate and breathable (below 10microns)particulate matter observed during the survey period are very probably due to thesewindblowndustsandsands,ratherthanfromindustrialsources.Therefore,thiswillremainthemain influenceonthe localairqualityregardlessofanyconstructionworksassociatedwiththeTerminalprojectorotherbuiltdevelopment.

Figure4.1:Airandnoisesamplingandmonitoringpositions


AirQualityImpactsandMitigation

Duringconstruction,dieselpoweredvehicles,constructionplantandpowergeneratorswouldemitatmosphericpollutants,includingnitrogenoxides.Theseemissionswouldbeproducedforalimitedtimeandfrommobilesourcesoverawideareaso,giventhegoodbaselineairqualityintheProjectarea,itisnotanticipatedthattheywillaffecthumanhealth(thenearesthabitationbeingover5kmaway).




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Constructionvehiclesandearthmovingactivitieshave thepotential togeneratedust,buttypically these only travel a few hundred metres at most from the source activity. It isconsideredthatwithanappropriateConstructionEnvironmentalManagementPlan(CEMP)thepotentialfordustduringconstructiontocauseanynuisancewillbeminimal.TheCEMPshouldrequireweathermonitoringanddampingdownofdustsduringperiodsofhighactivity.Theduststhatcanbegeneratedasaresultofconstructionactivitiesarelocalisedandshortlivedandareinsignificantcomparedtonaturaldustfromdustandsandstormswhichoccurfrequently.

WhentheTerminalisoperational,thedustgenerationpotentialwouldbeinsignificantasthesitevehicleswouldbetravellingoverhardstandingareasandhardsurfacedsiteroads.

VOCsassociatedwithtankventingduringloadingandtransferoperationswouldbeminimisedbyusing industrystandardpumpingandtransferfacilitiesandtank inventorymanagementprogrammes.Atpresent,petroleumproductsareloadedandunloadeddirectlyintotankersatKZPwithnosuchcontrols.TheproposedTerminalwillutilisebulktankstorage,thereby,reducingshipdischargetimesandassociatedemissions.

Overall,theresidualimpactsonairqualityarenotconsideredlikelytoresultinanydetrimentaleffectsonhumanhealthandecosystems.Thesignificanceisconsideredtobelow.

4.3 NoiseQuality

NoiseBaseline

During the monitoring period, the general noise levels were considered low with nodiscernibleobtrusivetonalornoiseimpactsbeingobserved.Nosignificantdifferenceswerenotedbetweenthemonitoringlocations.ThelocationsaredepictedinFigure4.1.

Using1993IraqiNoiseStandards,noneofthemaximumvaluesorcalculatedaverageswerefoundtobeabovethe70dBstandardfor industrialandcommercialpropertiesandoverallthe site can be considered to be a quiet, low noise environment at present. Themostnoticeablenoiseonthesite isthewindandoccasionalbirdsongfromwadingbirdsontheforeshore.

Exposuretonoiseatextremelyhighlevelsforalongperiodoftimecanharmthehearingofhumansandanimals.Atlowerlevels,noisecanalsobeanuisance.

NoiseImpactAssessmentandMitigation

Itisinevitablewithanymajordevelopmentthattherewillbesomenoise,particularlyduringthesiteclearanceandconstructionphasewhenheavyplantandmachinerywouldbeused.Typically, however, noise disruption due to construction is localised, temporary and only




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people livingorworkingwithinafewhundredmetresofthesiteboundaryare likelytobeimpacted. It ispossible,however, thatworkerson the adjacent Freezone andKZPwouldreceivenoiseimpactsbecauseoftheirclosenesstotheworks.Themainnoisewouldbefromtheenginesofheavyplantandequipmentduringearthworksactivitiesandthepilingrigs.Thenoiselevelswould,however,betransientandwillbemaskedtosomeextentbylocalactivitieswithin theportsuchascrane loadingandshipenginerunningduringberthingoperations.Therearenosignificantactivities(thatwouldinvolvepersonnelbeingpresentforprolongedperiodsoftime)intheportandFreezoneareasclosesttotheTerminal.Therefore,giventhenaturalattenuationofnoisebybuildings,theexposuretimeofpersonnelinareaslikelytobeaffectedwouldbeverysmall.

Themainnoisegeneratingactivitieslikelytobeassociatedwiththeproposeddevelopment,(onceoperational)would includegenerators,compressors,pumps,mechanicalequipmentandmaintenanceactivities.Giventhedistancebetweentheproposedoperationalareasandnoisesensitivereceptors,itisconsideredthatnoisefromthedaytodaysiteoperations(andassociatedmechanical plant and equipment) is unlikely to be noticeable at those noisesensitivereceptorlocations(suchasthenearestresidenceswhichareover5kmaway).ItislikelythatoperationalnoisefromtheTerminalwillbeaudibleintheFreezoneandportareabutthedurationandlevelofexposuretooperativesinthoselocationswouldbenegligible.

Also,thewindconditionsarefairlyconsistentandpredictableinIraqwiththemainwindbeingtheShamalwhichblowsfromthewestandnorthwestonmostdays.Thiswould,onmostoccasions,carryanynoisegeneratedon thesiteoutonto theopenwaterof theKhorAlZubair,awayfromneighbouringlandusesanddistantresidentialproperties.

Itisreasonabletoconclude,therefore,thatnoiseimpactwouldbeoflowsignificance.

4.4 SoilQuality

SoilBaseline

EAMEcollected20surfacesoilsamplesfromacrossthesiteandalsodrilledsevenboreholestoallowthecollectionofsampleswithdepth(threefromeachborehole).Thesamplesweresenttoanindependentlaboratoryforchemicalanalysisforarangeofcommoncontaminants.SamplelocationsareshowninFigure4.2.

Noneofthesoilsamplesobtainedshowedconcentrationsabovetheirrespectivescreeningcriteriaforrisktohumanhealth(wherepublishedcriteriaexist).Noneofthesampleswerepositively identified in the radiation screening as having detectable radioactivity.Furthermore,therewasnoevidenceofhydrocarboncontaminationonthesite.




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Figure 4.2:BoreholeandSurfacesoilsamplinglocations


Cemented asbestos sheetingwasobservedwithin the areaof scrapmetal storageon thenorthernpartofthesite.Onesoilsample,here,wasfoundtocontain looseasbestosfibreswhichisadangertohumanhealthandmustberemoved.

Thebaselineassessmentshows that thesite iseffectivelyuncontaminatedwithanyof thespeciestargetedforanalysisand,inthatregard,therearenoobviouscontaminationlegacyissuesthatneedtobeaddressedaspartofthesitedevelopmentworks.

SoilQualityImpactsandMitigation

Soil isan importantenvironmental resource that can sometimesbeadverselyaffectedbyconstructionactivitiesandiscloselyassociatedwiththefunctioningofotherresourcessuchaslandscape,ecology,agriculturalandproductivity.Offroaduseofvehicles,heavyplantandequipmentcancompactsoil,alteritsdrainagecharacteristicsandreducesoilaerationlevels,




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whichcoulddecreasetheabilityofvegetationtogrowback.Howeverinthecontextofthissite,allsoilareaswillbedevelopedandimportantagriculturalorecologicalcommunitiesdonotexistonthesiteorclosetoit.

Withtheexceptionofthelooseasbestosfibres,nosignificantsoilcontaminationwasfoundintheprojectareasodisturbanceandspreadofcontaminationisunlikely.However,spillsoffuel and other hazardous materials from construction plant or stored materials couldcontaminate the soils and sediments of the Khor AlZubair unless care is taken duringconstruction.

The construction works would be performed under a CEMP that would set out specificenvironmentalprotectionandpollutionpreventionmeasuresandanyresponsemeasurestobeusedifanycontaminationisdiscoveredorspillsoccur.

The operational developmentwould implement a pollution prevention plan andOil SpillEmergencyResponsePlan(OSERP)todealwiththestorageoffuelandhazardousmaterialsandtheresponsetoanyspillevents.Therewouldalsobeawastemanagementplantodealwiththedisposalofroutinewastesandcontaminatedsoilfromanyincident.Thiswouldsetoutmeasurestopreventpollutionfromthedisposalofanysuchwastes.

Theresidualimpactsoftheprojectonsoilare,therefore,expectedtobeoflowsignificanceexceptfortheremovalofflytippedwaste(asbestossheeting),scrapmetalandforeshoredebris,whichwould,actually,bebeneficialcomparedtothebaselineconditions.

4.5 SedimentQuality

SedimentBaseline

SedimentsampleswerecollectedfromtheKhorAlZubairandtheonlypotentialsourceofcontamination identified relates to elevated concentrations of lead identified at threelocations.Allotherparameterswererecordedatconcentrationsbelowtherelevantscreeningcriteriaatwhichtheyareconsideredtobeenvironmentallynotsignificant.Consideringtheresultsoverallandpreviousstudies,thecontaminationlevelofthesedimentsisconsideredtobelowandsoistheirassociatedpollutionpotential.

SedimentImpactAssessmentandMitigation

The Terminal is unlikely to have any impact on sediment quality and specific mitigationmeasuresarenotrecommendedtoberequired.




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4.6 SurfaceWaterQuality

SurfaceWaterBaseline

AlltensamplescollectedfromtheKhorAlZubairwerefoundtohaveincreasedconcentrationsofsulphateandchlorideabove the relevantguidelinevalues.However, this iseffectivelyamarineenvironmentsosuchhighlevelsarenaturalandtobeexpected.

Intermsofpotentialcontamination,elevatedconcentrationsofmercurywerenotedinallofthe samples. These concentrations could be the result of natural accumulations in theenvironment (ofgeologicalorigin).However, theymayalsobe related tohumanactivitiessourcesgiventheproximityofaport,heavy industryandmajorcity,with limitedpollutioncontrolmeasuresinplace.

Overall,whilstsomeelevatedconcentrationsofcertainsubstanceshavebeenobserved,theKhorAlZubair isnotregardedassignificantlycontaminatedandthe levelsofcontaminantsobserved are not considered to be a problem or to require remediation.Apart from thepotential for thehigh sulphateandchloride levels in the soilsandgroundwater (and riverwater)tobeaggressivetowardsconstructionmaterialslikeconcrete,thechemicalconditionsofthegroundwaterandriverwaterarenotlikelytocauseproblems.

SurfaceWaterQualityImpactsandMitigation

The constructionof thedevelopment could lead topollution if surface runoff ladenwithsediment isallowedtodrainuncontrollablytotheKhorAlZubair,or ifspillagesoccurfromconstructionplantorequipmentduringuseorrefuelling.Theentireconstructionoperationswould, however, operate under a CEMP with environmental protection and pollutionpreventionmeasures inplacetodealwiththeseeventualitiesorrespondwithappropriatecleanupactionsifsystemsfail.

Thegreaterenvironmentalriskwouldbeduringtheoperationallifeofthefacilityiftherewereamajorreleaseofpetroleumproductsfromthestoragetanks,transfersystemsofshipsusingtheberth. TomitigateagainstthisthereshouldbeadetailedOSERP,whichshouldincludemeasurestoreduce the impactsontheKhorAlZubairbyusingcleanupandcontainmentequipmentandteams(seeSection4.10).

Undernormaloperatingconditionstherewouldbenoreleasesofpollutingmaterialsfromthefacilitytosurfacewaterandthustheimpactwouldbenegligible(neutral).




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4.7 GroundwaterQuality

GroundwaterBaseline

Groundwatersampleswereobtainedfromsevenboreholes.The locationsarepresented inFigure4.2.

Anumberofcontaminantswerefoundtobegreaterthanrelevantguidelinevaluesincludingsulphate,chloride,nitrate,manganese,mercuryandnickel.

Thesulphate,chlorideandmanganeseconcentrationswerenotunexpectedduetothehighlysalineenvironmentofthesiteandsuchlevelsareconsiderednatural.Themercurylevelsmaybe due to its natural occurrence in the environment, however, there could also be acontributionfromnearbyindustrialemissions.Thesamecouldapplytonickel.

Low levelsofhydrocarbonsweredetected inthreeboreholes.However,asnohydrocarboncontaminationwas noted in the soil samples (or observed onsite) this suggests that thehydrocarbonsmaybetheremnantsofhistoriccontaminationonthesite.Thelevelsarenotconsideredtobeaproblem.

TherewasoneVOCandthreeSemiVolatileOrganicCompounds(SVOC)thatweredetectedinthegroundwatersamplesbutthesewereatlevelswhicharenotconsideredtobeaproblem.However,itisindicativeoflowlevelsofcontamination.

Overallitcanbeconcludedthatthereisnotsignificantcontaminationofthegroundwateronthesite.

GroundwaterQualityImpactAssessmentandMitigation

Thesameriskscenariosapplytogroundwaterastosurfacewaters.Potentialimpactsduringtheconstructionphase(primarilyfromfuellingofconstructionplantandequipment),wouldbemitigatedviathecontrolsappliedthroughtheCEMP.Therewouldbenooperationalphasedischargestothegroundwaterundernormaloperatingconditions.Underamajoraccidentscenariogroundwatercouldbeimpactedbuttheriskisconsiderablylessthanthattosurfacewaterasthesitewillbehardsurfacedandprovidedwithbulkstoragecontainmentsystems.Nonetheless,theOSERPwouldstillrespondtosuchasituation.

4.8 EcologyandBiodiversity

EcologyandBiodiversityBaseline

The habitats identifiedwithin the site boundaries have all been significantly affected byhumanactivities.Thelimitedvegetationprovideslimitedsupportforspeciesoffaunaonland




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and the intertidal area is also sparsely vegetated and disturbed by debris that hasaccumulatedonthebeachorbeendepositedthereaspartofthewreckclearanceactivities.Wherevegetationispresent,itisprimarilydominatedbyasmallrangeofspecies.Asaresultofthesignificantdisturbancethroughoutthearea,thehabitatssupportonlylimitedfloristiccover, with those species identified during the September survey comprising commonhalophytic species.Only fourplant specieswere identifiedduring thebaseline survey.Allspeciesrecordedareconsideredcommonthroughouttheregionandacrosssuchhypersalinecoastalenvironments.Thespeciesidentifiedarequicktocolonisedisturbedhabitats.

Thesurveyrecordedthepresenceoftwomammalspecieswithintheproposeddevelopmentarea.However,thespeciesferaldogandcamel,arenot listedontheIUCNRedListduetopopulationsprimarilyresultingfromescaped,domesticatedanimals.

Atotalofthreebirdspecieswererecordedduringthebaselinesurvey.Thesespeciesareallconsidered tobecommonresident,commonbreedingresidentand/orcommonmigratoryspecies in Iraq. Similarly, all species are listed as Birds of Least Concern on the Bird LifeInternationalDatabase.

Themarine environment itself if highly dynamic and could support awide range of fish,mammalandplanktonspecies.However,theexistingshipping,dredgingandhighturbiditylevelshavelimitedthiscomparedtothemoreopenwatersoftheArabianGulfandlessturbidcoastalzonesofsomeoftheGulfstates.Nonetheless,thisisthemostecologicallyinterestingandsensitiveaspectof theprojectareanaturalenvironment. ThemostabundantspeciesidentifiedwerelargecoloniesofmudskippersthatarepresenteverywherealongthebanksoftheKhorAlZubair.

Theoverall conclusion is that the sitehas a negligible to low conservation value andecologicalsensitivityofthesite intermsofspecies,habitatandregional importanceisalsolow.

EcologyandBiodiversityImpactandMitigation

ThemainimpactsassociatedwiththeTerminalwouldbephysicaldisturbanceofthelandandintertidal areas and a proportion of the tidal sediments (from piling). Whilst thiswoulddirectlyimpactanyspeciesintheaffectedarea,thespeciespresent(sabkhavegetationandmudskippers)areabundantintheareaandtheimmediatelossofanyofthosespecieswouldbeinsignificantintermsoftotalpopulation.Furthermore,themudskippersaremobileandwillmove in the early stagesofdisturbance and recolonise after constructionworks arecomplete.

Theimpactoftheproposeddevelopmentontheecologyoftheareaisthusconsideredtobenegligible.




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4.9 CumulativeandTransboundaryImpacts

Thereareanumberofotherproposeddevelopmentsintheareathatcouldhaveimpactsontheenvironmentthatwouldbecumulativewithotherprojects.TheprincipalamongsttheseistheCommonSeawaterSupplyFacility(CSSF)that isduetobedevelopedonanadjacentsite. Thismayhavesimilar impactstotheTerminalprojectbut issimilarly ina lowqualityenvironment, remote from residential areas and on a site of low ecological value.Consequently,thecombinedimpactsaresimilarlylikelytobeoflowsignificance.

Atthetimeofwritingofthisreport,theothermajorprojectnearby(BIOGH)wasnotbelievedtobegoingahead.

4.10 HazardAnalysisandRiskManagement

TheproposedTerminalhasbeenspecifiedtobedesignedtointernationalindustrystandardsandwoulduserelevantmanagementandtechnologicalcontrolstoensurethatundernormaloperatingconditionsthefacilitywouldnothaveasignificantimpactupontheenvironment.Thereisalways,however,thepotentialforamajorincidentoraccidentthatcouldgiverisetomajorimpacts.ThesearesummarisedinTable4.1.

Thedesign control,management systems and equipment standardsbeing applied shouldensurethatthefacilityandallaspectsofitunderWTPScontrolareadequatelysafeguardedagainsttheincidentscenariosdescribed.

Table4.1:EnvironmentalRiskScenariosandMitigation

IncidentScenario AffectedEnvironment MitigationMeasures

FireExplosion Air,waterandsoilQuality

Humanhealthimpacts SocioEconomicImpacts

The facility would be a modernmaterials handling and berthingTerminal designed and built tointernational standards, The designwould go through an Engineeringdesign, Procurement andConstruction process and will besubjected to HAZOP and HAZIDreviews and Construction QualityAssurance programmes. Thisprovides theopportunity to identifyand design out many potentialincident scenarios and where theycannot be designed out, protection

LargescaleHydrocarbonReleasetoLand

Air,landandwaterquality

Socioeconomicstatus

LargescaleHydrocarbonReleasetowater

Air,landandwaterquality

Socioeconomicstatus Humanhealth Builtenvironment




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Table4.1:EnvironmentalRiskScenariosandMitigation

IncidentScenario AffectedEnvironment MitigationMeasures

Habitats,speciesandecologicalproductivity

measureswouldbeemployedwhichinclude:

TotalSiteSecurity(controlledaccess)

FireDetectionandAlarmSystem FirefightingCapability PreventiveMaintenance

Programme

ModernEquipment TrainedandExperienced

Operatives

CertifiedManagementSystems MonitoringandAudit

Programmes

EmergencyResponsePlan

DumpingofWasteonLand

Waterandsoilquality Humanhealthimpact Habitatimpact

DumpingofWasteinWater

Waterqualityimpact Habitatimpact

PlantandEquipmentFailure

Airqualityimpact Speciesimpact Ecologicalproductivity

impact

FacilityDebrisfromLargescaleDamage

Waterandsoilquality Socioeconomicimpact Builtenvironmentimpact

Onanyindustrialfacilitysuchasthiswhereoilsandpetroleumproductsarebeinghandledinbulk and transferred to and from ships via pipelines between storage vessels, there is apossibility of leakage or loss from these systems either in terms of liquid spills or afire/explosionrelatedincident.Furthermore,ifenvironmentalmanagementandoperationalproceduresarenotfollowedcorrectly,therecouldbeunauthoriseddischargesanddisposalsthatcould impact theenvironment. Themitigationofsuchevents isbasedupona3partapproach:

1. Designoutpotentialproblemswherepossiblebefore constructing andoperating thefacility;

2. Operate high qualitywellmaintained equipment under formal auditedmanagementprogrammesandstandardoperatingproceduresusingtrainedcompetentpersonnel;and

3. Providealarms,monitoringandemergencyresponseteamsandequipmenttorespondrapidlyandcomprehensivelytoanyincident.

Consequently,whilstsuch impactsarestillpossible,theyarehighly improbableandrobustinterventionmeasuresshouldlimittheconsequencesofsuchincidentsiftheyoccur.




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Theworstcasescenarioisamajoroilreleasetothewaterthatisnotadequatelymitigatedbythe implementationofanOSERP.However,oneadvantageofa long linearchannel isthatboomscanbedeployedupstreamanddownstreamofthespilltocontainitandpreventtidalspreadoftheslick,andbothshorescanbeaccessedbypersonnelandequipmenttocleanup.The ecosystem here is highly dynamic (tides and mixing), has a high environmentaltemperature(watertempsof35oC+andairtempsof50oC+),biologicallyactivebacteriaandhasstrongpersistentwinds.Sointheunfortunatelybutunlikelyeventofsuchaspill,theseconditionswouldpromotebreakdown anddegradationof theoilproducts and assist therecovery of the natural environment. Finally,with the exception ofwading birds in theintertidal area (which are in very low numbers around the project site), the receivingenvironmentisoflowecologicalqualityandlesssensitivetoimpactthanahighlyproductiveecologicallydiversearea.




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5 SocialImpactAssessment

5.1 SocialandPoliticalEnvironments

Demographics

AccordingtotheMinistryofPlannings2013data,thepopulationoftheBasrahGovernoratewas2,672,425.Accordingdatafrom2010,theethnoreligiousidentityoftheGovernorateisclassifiedas99.8%ArabShiaMuslim.

EconomyandLivelihoods

Theaveragemonthlyhousehold incomeforBasrahGovernorate isID898,400which is justabovetheIraqinationalmonthlyaverageofID858,800.

Thesurveydata indicatesagriculturalactivity isofonly limited importance intheAlZubairDistrict.Thereisaheavyrelianceonstateemployment,witharoundahalfoftheworkforcebeingemployedaspublicservants.

Employment

Iraqseconomy isveryvulnerabletooilpricefluctuationsbecauseofaweakprivatesectorandarelianceonthestatetoprovideemployment.Theneedtocreateemploymentsince2003 has led Iraq to double its public sector.However, ultimately IraqsGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)isstill95%derivedfromoilrevenues.

Unemploymentstatisticsfor2013recordthenationalunemploymentrateinIraqas14.7%.Thus theunemployment in theBasrahGovernorate (basedon2009 figures)appear tobeslightlyabovethenationalaverage,however,theactualrateislikelymuchhigher,consideringunderemploymentanddiscouragedjobseekers.Themainreasonsforunemploymentcitedwithinhouseholdsinthesurveywerenoopportunitiesforworkandillness/oldage.

Inaddition,femaleemploymentisgenerallylowthroughoutthegovernorateespeciallywithinAlZubairandFao.FemaleparticipationinthelabourforceislowinIraq,generally,comparedtomostofIraqsneighbours.Employmentratesamongstwomeninthelabourforcearealsorelativelylow.

InfrastructureandServices

Thesupplyofwaterandenergyandtheprovisionofeducationandhealthcarefacilitiesarekeyelementsofsocialinfrastructureandservices.




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TheelectricityinfrastructurewasseverelydamagedduringtheGulfWar,sufferedfromlackofinvestmentandlackofavailableequipmentundersanctions,andsufferedagainfollowingtheUSledoccupationin2003.Whilethesupplyofelectricityisincreasing,itisunabletokeeppacewithrisingdemand.Problemsintheelectricitysectorarewidespread.Powergenerationishamperedbyissuessuchasagingpowerplantsandshortagesinfuelandwater.TomeettheelectricitydemandsofBasra,threepowerstationships,producing450MWofelectricity,havebeeninstalledontheShattAlArabWaterwayandKhorAlZubair.

WatersalinityduetothehighsaltcontentoflocalwatersourcesisamajorissueaffectingthepublicnetworkintheBasrahGovernorate.Itisestimatedthatonly1%percentofhouseholdsinthegovernorateusethepublicnetwork.Householdsrelyonbottledortankerdeliveredwater. Rehabilitationofthewatertreatmentanddistributionsystemsisurgentlyneeded.

TheGovernmentofIraqhasidentifiededucationasoneofitsmainpriorities.Between1990and2007therewasanationaldropinnetprimaryschoolenrolmentratesfrom91%to85%.Thequalityofeducationishamperedbypoorlearningenvironmentscausedbypoorqualityinfrastructureandovercrowding.Nationally,oneinfiveIraqisagedover15yearsisilliterateandintheAlZubairDistrict15.1%ofpeopleagedover10areilliterate.

Thehealth system in Iraq isoverburdenedand suffers froma shortageof infrastructure,equipmentandprofessionalstaff.

TheclosestmajorroadtothesiteisHighway26,whichisanasphalteddualcarriagewaywithno central reservation. Thehighway hasbeenundergoing subject to improvements since2012,and,sectionsofthedualcarriagewayareclosed.Assuch,theseclosuresandthelackofcentralreservationsmeanthatinmanyplaces,trafficfrombothwaysuseonesideofthedualcarriageway.

5.2 SocioeconomicSurveyFindings

Theproposedprojectareaisunoccupiedandeffectivelyunused.ThelandisownedbytheMinistryof Finance (MoF) (i.e. stateowned)andunder the controlofGCPI. Thenearestresidentialpremisesareover5kmfromtheprojectsiteandthelandinbetweentheprojectsiteandnearestresidentialpropertiesisalsounusedandunoccupied.Consequently,therearenoresidentialcommunities likelytodirectly interactwiththeprojectactivitiesandsitedevelopment. At present, the site provides no employment opportunities and is not apurchaserof goods and services so there isnonet contribution to the local economyoremploymentstatus.

Themainactivitythattakesplaceinthevicinityoftheprojectsiteandwhichcouldpotentiallybeaffectedbyitissmallscalefishing.




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AllfishermenhaveofficiallettersissuedfromcentralGovernmentwhichentitlethemtofishinsideany Iraqiterritorialwaters (exceptmilitaryexclusionzones)andtheriverpoliceandGCPIcannotpreventthefishermenusingtheriver.Smallcatchesaresold locally,eitheronthewatertoKuwaitifishermen(whocannotenterIraqiwaters),oratsmallroadsidestallsinUmmQasrandZubair.IftheylandalargecatchtheycallafishingagentinBasrawhosellstheminthemarketsinBasra.

Theproposedprojectsitewasnotaconcerntotheinterviewedfishermenastheysaythatthearea isseldomusedandtheycanworkoutsideofthatareafromtheirsmallboatsorfromlandfurthersouth.Theyaremoreconcernedaboutplanneddevelopmentworksinthesmalladhocporttheyuseforaccessingtheirvesselsandthewaterway.Concernshavebeenraisedbythelocalfishermenaboutplansforanewberththerewhichtheyfearwillpreventthemaccessingthisareainthefuture.Theyhavesaidthattheywillinsistoncompensationorwilldemonstrateandprotestiftheproposeddevelopmentaffectstheiraccess.ThissiteisclosetoUmmQasrnorthandiswelloutsidetheprojectarea.

Demographics,EmploymentandLivelihoods

The proposed Terminal would generate employment in an areas that has high levels ofunemployment and poverty. The constructionwould offer temporary employment,whileoperation of the Terminal would require a much smaller workforce of skilled technicalpersonnelandsecuritystaff.

ItislikelythatsomeoftheworkersfortheTerminalwouldbesourcedfromlocalcommunitieswhichwouldhelp tostrengthen the localeconomyand improve thestandardof living forhouseholdswithmembersemployedattheTerminal.

LandOwnershipandUse

WTPShaveleasedthelandfortheTerminalfromGCPIfor25yearsandwillleaselandfromMoFneededfortheconstructionperiod.

InfrastructureandServices

ThekeysensitivityandpotentialimpactoftheTerminaloninfrastructureandservicesislikelytobeontheexistingroadsinthevicinityoftheTerminalwhichmayaffectroadconditionandtrafficflow.However,Highway26isintheprocessofrefurbishmentandlikelytobeingoodconditionduringtheconstruction.ThevolumeofpetroltankersvisitingthefacilitywilltoalargeextentsimplybethesamevehiclesthataccesstheKZPfacilitiesatpresent.




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CommunityHealthandSafety

The following should all be implemented to ensure that projectrelated activities do notsignificantlyaffectcommunityhealthandsafety:

Toreducetheriskoftrafficaccidents,theconstructioncontractorshouldberequiredtouseonlytheagreedaccessroutesandtocomplywiththerelevantspeedlimits;

The construction areas should be clearly demarcated and safety fencing should beerected;and

TheTerminalshouldbebuiltandoperatedtointernationalindustrysafetystandards.




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6 EnvironmentalandSocialImpactSummary

6.1 ImpactAssessmentCriteria

This section of NTS provides a tabulated overview of the key aspects of the baselineenvironmentalconditionsandthemitigatedenvironmentalimpactsoftheprojectproposals.Importantly,thissection identifiestherelativemagnitudeandsignificanceofthepredictedimpacts and an overall concluding statement of the impact assessment of the proposeddevelopment.Itisimportanttonotethatimpactscanbepositiveaswellasnegative.

Thecriteriaandsymbolsusedinthisassessmentareasfollows:

Major Positive +++or Major Negative effectwherethedevelopmentwouldcauseasignificantimprovement(ordeterioration)totheexistingenvironment;

Moderate Positive ++ or Moderate Negative effect where thedevelopmentwouldcauseanoticeableimprovement(ordeterioration)totheexistingenvironment;

Minor Positive + or Minor Negative effectwherethedevelopmentwouldcauseabarelyperceptibleimprovement(ordeterioration)totheexistingenvironment;and

Insignificantonodiscernibleimprovementordeteriorationtotheexistingenvironment.

The impact assessment also includes consideration of whether or not the impacts arepermanent, temporary, direct or indirect. Furthermore,where there are other potentialsourcesofsimilar impactsthatcouldaffectthe localenvironmentthencumulative impactshavebeenconsideredalso. Consequently,thischapteroftheNTSprovidesanoverviewoftheoverallpotentialeffectofthedevelopmentproposalsontheenvironment.

6.2 ProjectImpactsMatrix

Table6.1presentseachof theaspectsof thedevelopmentwherepotential impactswerepredictedduringtheScopingExerciseandsubsequentlyassessedduringthisESIA.Thetableprovidesanoverviewofthefollowingaspectsofeachtechnicalareaassessed:

Baselineenvironmentalconditions;

Predictedenvironmentalimpactsforboththeconstructionphaseandoperationalphase;

Identification of the relativemagnitude of the impact for both the construction andoperationalphases;and




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Identificationofwhetherthepredictedimpactispositiveornegativeorwhetherthereisnopredictedimpact.

Thepredictionsareallbaseduponacomparisonoftheconditionsthatwouldprevail ifthedevelopmentdoesnotproceed (i.e. theongoingstatusof thebaselineconditions)againstthosethatwillprevailifthedevelopmentdoesproceedasdescribed.





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Table6.1:ProjectImpactsMatrix

EnvironmentalorSocioeconomicIssue

BaselineConditions DescriptionofImpact(AfterMitigation)

RelativeSizeandNatureofImpact

ConstructionPhase

OperationalPhase

SocioeconomicIssues

There is presently no employment associatedwith thesiteoractivityon the siteand thereareno residentialcommunitiesorculturalsensitivitiesassociatedwiththelandorsurroundingareas.

Thereareoccasionalvisitorstothesite,forexample,localfishermenusethelandtoaccesstheKhorAlZubairanddeployfishingnets.

Adjacent to the site is the Freezone (logistics and SKATerminal)andKZP.

TheTerminalwouldprovidejobsduringtheconstructionandoperationalbothdirectlyandintermsofbenefitstolocalbusinesses.

The traffic impact is unlikely to be significant as thevolumeof requiredproductswillbedrivenbydemandandtherearenoalternative locations forthe importofsuch products so even if this development did notproceed, therewouldprobablybe a similar amountofmarineandroadtrafficinthelocalareaandatthesamejunctions.

Thefishermenthatpresentlyaccesstheshorefromthesitewillnolongerbeabletodosoonceitisdeveloped,but there are numerous other locations where thispractice can continueunaffected. The local fishermenwereinterviewedaspartofthestakeholderengagementexercise anddidnot see the development as affectingtheiractivities.

+ +++





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ConstructionPhase

OperationalPhase

Overall the impacts on the socioeconomic conditionswouldbepositiveintermsofjobcreationandsupporttothegeneraleconomyofsouthernIraq.

ArchaeologyandCulturalHeritage

Thesitedoesnotcontainanyarchaeologicalorreligiousrelictsand isnotculturally significantand therearenodwellingsorresidentialcommunitiesincloseproximitytothesite.

Thesurfaceofthesitehasbeenheavilydisturbedinthepast by earth moving plant (and possibly dredgingsdisposal).

Asthereiseffectivelynobaselinetobeaffectedforthisparametertheimpactwouldbeneutral.

o

o

AirQuality Airquality in the area is generallygoodwithnonotedbenchmarkvaluesexceeded.Themainissuewithrespecttoairqualityistheincreaseinbreathabledustcausedbydustandsandstorms,butthisaffectsthewholeregionandisnotasitespecificphenomenon.

Impactsof the constructiononbothnuisancedustandlocalairqualityhavebeenassessedwithregardstothelocation of locally sensitive receptors. Whilst theconstructionactivities(especiallyearthmoving)havethepotentialtocause localnuisance,thiscanbecontrolledandminimisedbyeffectiveenvironmentalmanagementonthesite.TheworkswouldbecarriedoutinaccordancewithaCEMP.Theimpactsduringtheconstructionphase

o

o





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ConstructionPhase

OperationalPhase

are thus predicted to be moderate to minor at allreceptors if not adequately controlled but insignificantwiththeimplementationofaCEMPandtheassociated.

Impactsduringtheoperationalphasearepredictedtobeinsignificant.

Noise Thesitepresentlydoesnotcontainanyactivitiessointhatregardtherearenonoisesourcesresultingfromhumanactivitiesonthesite.Furthermore,therearenonoisesensitivereceptorsincloseproximitytothesite.

Noise levels from the constructionof thedevelopmentcould arise, although there are no sensitive receptorscloseby.Nonethelesstherewillbenoisesourcesonthesitethatdonotexistpresently.Impactsarepredictedtobeoflocalsignificance,howeverwiththeimplementationofmitigationmeasuresandaCEMP,noiseandvibrationimpacts,whichwillbe forshortdurationsonlyandwillnotbe continuous. They couldbenoticeablehoweverandareconsideredtorepresentaminornegativeimpact.

The noise impacts from road traffic during theconstructionarenotconsideredtobesignificant,withtheestimated levelsofnoise from constructionhaulage atthe nearest noise receptor being well below the

o





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ConstructionPhase

OperationalPhase

respective noise criteria at the nearest residentialproperties. The impacts from road traffic during theoperationalphaseareconsideredtobeinsignificantgiventhat there is very little difference between the vehicletrafficaccessingKZPandthataccessingthenewfacilitiesinstead.Theroadtrafficnoisethatprevailsatpresentwillcontinuetobetheroadtrafficnoisethatdominatesinthefutureattheclosestresidentialreceptor.

Once operational, the predicted noise emissionsgenerated within the proposed development frommechanicalservices,plantandday todayoperations ispredicted to be insignificant to the nearest residentialreceptors.

EcologyandNatureConservation

Thedevelopmentsitedoesnotsupportawidevarietyofecologicalspeciesandisnotsoimportantfromanatureconservation perspective. The majority of the site isoccupied by disturbed ground and patches of sabkhavegetation. The Intertidal area houses mudskipper

Therewillbea lossofhabitatsuchas it isontheareaswhere new infrastructure will be developed, but thespecies affected (sabkha vegetation and mudskippers)areabundantandwillrapidlyrecolonizeinadjacentareassotheoverallimpactwillbeneutral.

o

o





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ConstructionPhase

OperationalPhase

colonies (which are ubiquitous along the banks of theKhorAlZubair).

Themostinterestingfeatureofthesiteisitspotentialasasiteforwadingbirds,althoughonlyahandfulofbirdshavebeenobservedonthesiteduringanyofthesurveyvisits.

Thewatersofthemarineenvironmentarehighlyturbidarelikelytohavelowbiologicalproductivityandspeciesdiversity.

Overall the project site is considered to be of lowecologicalvalue.

WaterQualityandHydrology

The water quality in both the surface water andgroundwater is relatively unimpacted by humanactivities(otherthancoliformsinthesurfacewater).

ThegroundwaterishighlysalineduetothemarinenatureoftheenvironmentandlandformingprocessesthereandtheKhorAlZubairisatidalestuary.

ThesiteconstructionactivitieswouldbemanagedunderaCEMPandpollutionofwatersisnotanticipated.

Furthermore, water required for the operationalactivitieswillbebroughtinbytankerandnotabstractedlocally.Undernormaloperatingconditions,allpollutingmaterials will be within managed and monitored

o

o





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ConstructionPhase

OperationalPhase

Althoughtheareahasbeenasiteofarmedconflict,therewas no development and infrastructure here to bedamagedandreleasepollutantssothesetpresentlydoesnotposeapollutionthreattosurfaceandgroundwaterresources.

containment systems sopollution from siteactivities isnotanticipated.

Soils,GeologyandContamination

Thesiteinvestigationhasnotidentifiedanysignificantcontaminationonthesiteineitherthesoilsorsediments(althoughtherearesomeelevatedmetalspeciespresent).Thisisnotunexpectedastherehavebeennopollutingactivitiesonthesitetodate(otherthanlocalisedstorageofvesselscrapwhichmayhaveledtosomelocalisedsurfacecontamination).

Thegeologyoftheareaisrelativelyconsistentcomprisingsands,siltsandclays.

Basedonthesiteinvestigationfindings,specificremedialmeasureswillnotberequiredonthesiteandthedevelopmentoverallwillhaveaminorpositiveimpactbyremovingthefewcontaminantsandwastematerialsthatarepresenttoanappropriatelyauthorisedfacility.

Followingredevelopment,thesitewillbeunderpredominantlyhardstandingwithcontrolleddrainagesuchthatanyspillagesorreleasesshouldbecontainedandpollutionofthesoilsavoided.

o

+

WasteManagement

The site does not presently generate anywastes fromactivitiesperse,but thereare largequantitiesofscrapmetal on the site from shipwrecks and debris on theforeshorethathasbeendepositedbytides.Thereisalso

Theprojectwouldgeneratewastes. ThesiteworkswillbecoveredbyaCEMPwhich,amongstotherthings,will





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ConstructionPhase

OperationalPhase

evidenceofasbestoscementsheet (isolatedfragments)amongstthescrapmetalwaste.

seektoidentifyallwastesgeneratedbytheconstructionactivitiesandsetoutmanagementmeasuresforthese.

To ensure adequate standards of waste managementduringtheoperations,afacilityWasteManagementPlanwouldbedevelopedandimplementedwhichwillsetoutthe appropriate measures to be employed for themanagement and disposal of wastes and pollutionprevention.

Althoughsignificantimpactsarenotexpectedfromwastegenerating andmanagement activities on the site, thefactthatthesitedoesnotpresentlygenerateanywastebutwouldinthefutureisaminornegativeimpact.

KEY:NegativeImpact,+PositiveImpact/+MinorImpact/++ModerateImpact/+++MajorImpactoInsignificantImpact




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The Terminaldevelopmentproposalshavebeen assessed in relation to theirpotential toimpact upon the environmental conditions that currently prevail on the site and in thesurroundingarea.Thisassessmenthasunderstoodtheenvironmentalsensitivityoftheareaaroundtheproposalsite.

Theenvironmentalimpactsoftheconstructionoftheprojectaretypicallyminorandnegativeand are largely a functionof the inevitabledisruption causedby amajor redevelopmentprojectandespeciallytheinitialearthworksphaseswhichareunavoidablyintrusive.Thelonglasting/permanentimpactsassociatedwiththedevelopmentare,onthewhole,eitherneutral(environmentallyinsignificant)or,morefrequentlypositive.

ThemostnotableimpactisthemajorpositiveimpactrelatedtojobcreationandcontributiontotheIraqieconomy.Inoveralltermsthen,theprincipalconclusionoftheESIAisthatdespitesome localised, temporarynegative impacts, theoveralleffectof thedevelopmentwillbepositiveontermsofsocioeconomicbenefits.




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7 EnvironmentalandSocialManagementandMonitoringPlan

AnotherkeyoutputoftheESIAprocess isthedevelopmentofanEnvironmentalandSocialManagement andMonitoringPlan (ESMMP),which setsout various commitmentsby thedeveloperandhiscontractor. This ispresentedasastandalonedocumentbutwill includesuchcommitmentsas:

DevelopmentandenforcementofaCEMPduringanyoftheconstructionactivitiesoftheproject;

Appointmentofa localstakeholder liaisonofficertoactasapointofcontactbetweenthedevelopmentteamandthelocalcommunity(especiallyfishermen);

Development and implementation of an Environmental Management Plan foroperationalactivities thatsetsoutenvironmentalprotectionandpollutionpreventionactivitiesthatwillbeengaged;

Provisionofadequatecontainmentsystems,monitoringandsurveillancesystemsanddevelopment,implementationandmaintenance(includingdrills)ofanOSERP;

Developmentand implementationofaWasteManagementPlan toensure adequatemanagementanddisposalofallwastesgeneratedbythesiteactivities;and

Preparation of a Demolition Environmental Management Plan, setting out how thefacilitieswilleventuallybedepolluted,decontaminatedanddecommissionedtoensurethatnoresidualenvironmentalrisksremain.

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