PART A: GENERAL PROJECT AND SITE INFORMATION INSTITUTIONAL & ADMINISTRATIVE Project title LOCAL ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT Sub-project number and Reconstruction of the road segment leading to “Sochut� dendropark title Municipality, community Gyulagarak enlarged community, Lori Marz Scope of site-specific Under the sub-project it is envisaged to rehabilitate the road activity segment leading from Gyulagarak settlement to “Sochut� dendropark. The length of road to be reconstructed is 2.8 km and it ends in the proximity of fence of “Sochut� dendropark. The frame of activates include: → asphalt pavement works of the road segment including the area close to the fence of dendropark → installation of solar powered lighting pillars → installation road traffic and safety signs → installation of selling booths in the area close to the fence of dendropark Institutional Task Team Leader: Safeguards Specialists: arrangements (WB) Zaruhi Tokhmakhian Darejan Kapanadze (Environment) Ahmed Eiweida Vera Dugandzic (Social) Implementation Implementing entity: Works supervisor: Works contractor: arrangements (RoA) ATDF “Haldi Consult� LLC “Janapar� LTD David Hovsepyan Eduard Bezoyan SITE DESCRIPTION Name of institution Gyulagarak enlarged community’s administrative unit whose premises are to be rehabilitated Address and site location of Gyulagarak enlarged community’s administrative unit, Gyulagarak settl ement institution whose premises are to be rehabilitated Who owns the land? The road to be rehabilitated belongs to Gyulagarak Enlarged Community. The Who uses the land Sub-project will not impose any activities that will reduce other people’s access (formal/informal)? to their economic resources. There are no shops, kiosk or other small business activities along the road to be reconstructed. The implementation of sub- project does not include acquisition of private land. The sub-project will not result in the temporary or permanent loss of crops, fruit trees and/or household infrastructure. No resettlement issues are anticipated. Description of physical and The segment of the road envisaged to reconstruct is 2.8 km and it ends close to natural environment around the fence of “Sochut dendropark�. The existing road is in rather deteriorated the site condition besides the road doesn’t have drainage system, road traffic and safety measures. Alongside the road leading to dendropark, there are deciduous trees, as well as semi-ruined church of “Tormak� from medival ages is located on the right-side of the road leading to “Sochut� dendropark. “Sochut� dendropark named after Edmund Leonowicz was found in 1931, has 35 ha area and consists of ornamental trees (15 ha) and natural forest (15). “Sochut� dendropark does not have the statues of designated natural protected area According to Am laws. The subproject activities will not have any negative impact to the road physical and natural neighbourhood, as the project envisages only reconstruction of the existing road segment. LEGISLATION National & local legislation According to RA national legislation the subproject requires: & permits that apply to ➢ construction permit sub-project activity ➢ construction waste disposal permit PUBLIC CONSULTATION When / where the public The public consultation meeting was held on October 1, 2018, in Gyulagarak consultation process will enlarged community. take /took place ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: Site map/photo Attachment 2: Records of public consultation Attachment 3: Permit for construction waste disposal Attachment 4: Construction permit PART B: SAFEGUARDS INFORMATION ENVIRONMENTAL /SOCIAL SCREENING Activity/Issue Status Triggered Actions 1. Building rehabilitation [ ] Yes [x] No See Section A below 2. New construction [ ] Yes [x ] No See Section A below 3. Individual wastewater treatment system [ ] Yes [x] No See Section B below Will the site 4. Historic building(s) and districts [ ] Yes [x] No See Section C below activity include/involve 5. Acquisition of land1 [ ] Yes [x] No See Section D below any of the following? 6. Hazardous or toxic materials2 [ ] Yes [x] No See Section E below 7. Impacts on forests and/or protected areas [ ] Yes [x] No See Section F below 8. Handling / management of medical waste [ ] Yes [ x] No See Section G below 9. Traffic and pedestrian safety [x] Yes [ ] No See Section H below 10. Social risk management [x] Yes [ ] No See Section I below 1 Land acquisitions includes displacement of people, change of livelihood encroachment on private property this is to land that is purchased/transferred and affects people who are living and/or squatters and/or operate a business (kiosks) on land that is being acquired. 2 Toxic / hazardous material includes but is not limited to asbestos, toxic paints, noxious solvents, removal of lead paint, etc. PART C: MITIGATION MEASURES ACTIVITY PARAMETER MITIGATION MEASURES 0. General Notification and (a) The local construction and environment inspectorates and communities are notified of upcoming activities Conditions Worker Safety (b) The public is notified of the works through appropriate notification in the media and/or at publicly accessible sites (including the site of the works) (c) All legally required permits are acquired for construction and/or rehabilitation (d) The Contractor formally agrees that all work will be carried out in a safe and disciplined manner designed to minimize impacts on neighboring residents and environment. (e) Workers’ personal protection equipment complies with international good practice (always hardhats, as needed masks and safety glasses, harnesses and safety boots) (f) Appropriate signposting of the sites informs workers of key rules and regulations to follow. A. General Air Quality (a) During interior demolition, debris-chutes are used above the first floor. Rehabilitation and (b) Demolition debris is kept in controlled area and sprayed with water mist to reduce debris dust. (c) During pneumatic drilling/wall destruction dust is suppressed by ongoing water spraying and/or installing dust screen /or construction enclosures at site. activities (d) The surrounding environment (sidewalks, roads) is kept free of debris to minimize dust. (e) There is no open burning of construction / waste material at the site. (f) There is no excessive idling of construction vehicles at sites. Noise (a) Construction noise is limited to restricted times agreed to in the permit. (b) During operations, the engine covers of generators, air compressors and other powered mechanical equipment are closed, and equipment placed as far away from residential areas as possible. Water Quality (a) Appropriate erosion and sediment control measures are applied such as e.g. hay bales and / or silt fences to prevent sediment from moving off site and causing excessive turbidity in nearby streams and rivers. Waste (a) Waste collection and disposal pathways and sites are identified for all major waste types expected from demolition and Management construction activities. (b) Mineral construction and demolition wastes are separated from general refuse, organic, liquid and chemical wastes by on-site sorting and stored in appropriate containers. (c) Construction waste is being collected and disposed properly by licensed collectors. (d) Whenever feasible, appropriate and viable materials (except asbestos) are reused or recycled. B. Individual Water Quality (a) The approach to handling sanitary wastes and wastewater from building sites (installation or reconstruction) is approved by wastewater the local authorities. (b) Before being discharged into receiving waters, effluents from individual wastewater systems are treated in order to meet the treatment system minimal quality criteria set out by national guidelines on effluent quality and wastewater treatment. (c) Monitoring of new wastewater systems (before/after) is carried out (d) Construction vehicles and machinery are washed only in designated areas where runoff will not pollute natural surface water bodies. C. Historic Cultural Heritage (a) If the building is a designated historic structure, very close to such a structure, or located in a designated historic district, building(s) notification is made and approvals/permits be obtained from local authorities and all construction activities planned and carried out in line with local and national legislation. (b) Provisions are put in place so that artifacts or other possible chance finds encountered in excavation or construction are noted and registered, responsible officials contacted, and works activities delayed or modified to account for such finds. D. Acquisition of Land Acquisition (a) If expropriation of land was not expected but is required, or if loss of access to income of legal or illegal users of land was not land Plan/Framework expected but may occur, that the Bank’s Task Team Leader is immediately consulted. (b) The approved Land Acquisition Plan/Framework (if required by the project) is implemented E. Toxic materials Asbestos (a) If asbestos is located on the project site, it is marked clearly as hazardous material. management (b) When possible, the asbestos is appropriately contained and sealed to minimize exposure. (c) Prior to removal (if removal is necessary), the asbestos is treated with a wetting agent to minimize asbestos dust. (d) Asbestos is handled and disposed by skilled & experienced professionals (e) If asbestos material is stored temporarily, the wastes are securely enclosed inside closed containments and marked appropriately. Security measures are taken against unauthorized removal from the site. (f) The removed asbestos is not reused. Toxic / (a) Temporarily storage on site of all hazardous or toxic substances is in safe containers labeled with details of composition, hazardous waste properties and handling information. (b) The containers of hazardous substances are placed in a leak-proof container to prevent spillage and leaching. management (c) The wastes are transported by specially licensed carriers and disposed in a licensed facility. (d) Paints with toxic ingredients or solvents or lead-based paints are not used. F. Affected Protection (a) All recognized natural habitats, wetlands and protected areas in the immediate vicinity of the activity are not damaged or forests, wetlands exploited; all staff is strictly prohibited from hunting, foraging, logging or other damaging activities. (b) A survey and an inventory is made of large trees in the vicinity of the construction activity, large trees are marked and and/or protected cordoned off with fencing; their root system protected, and any damage to the trees avoided. areas (c) Adjacent wetlands and streams are protected from construction site run-off with appropriate erosion and sediment control feature to include by not limited to hay bales and silt fences. (d) There is no unlicensed borrow pits, quarries or waste dumps in adjacent areas, especially not in protected areas. G. Disposal of Infrastructure for (a) In compliance with national regulations, the newly constructed and/or rehabilitated health care facilities include sufficient medical waste medical waste infrastructure for medical waste handling and disposal; this includes and not limited to: ▪ Special facilities for segregated healthcare waste (including soiled instruments “sharps�, and human tissue or fluids) from management other waste disposal; ▪ Appropriate storage facilities for medical waste are in place; and ▪ If the activity includes facility-based treatment, appropriate disposal options are in place and operational H. Traffic and Direct or indirect (a) In compliance with national regulations, the construction site is properly secured and construction related traffic regulated. pedestrian safety hazards to public This includes but is not limited to ▪ Signposting, warning signs, barriers and traffic diversions: site will be clearly visible and the public warned of all traffic and potential hazards. pedestrians by ▪ Traffic management system and staff training, especially for site access and near-site heavy traffic. Provision of safe construction passages and crossings for pedestrians where construction traffic interferes. activities ▪ Adjustment of working hours to local traffic patterns, e.g. avoiding major transport activities during rush hours or times of livestock movement. ▪ Active traffic management by trained and visible staff at the site, if required for safe and convenient passage for the public. ▪ Ensuring safe and continuous access to office facilities, shops and residences during renovation activities, if the buildings stay open for the public. I. Social risk Public (a) The Contractor has a local liaison person assigned who is in charge of communication with and receiving requests / management relationship complaints from local population. (b) Local communities are consulted to identify and pro-proactively manage potential conflicts between an external workforce management and local people. (c) The Contractor raises local community’s awareness about sexually transmitted disease risks associated with the presence of an external workforce and include local communities in awareness activities. (d) The population is informed about construction and work schedules, interruption of services, traffic detour routes and provisional bus routes, blasting and demolition, as appropriate. (e) Construction activities are limited at night. When necessary, night work will be carefully scheduled and the community properly informed so they can take necessary measures. (f) At least five days in advance of any service interruption (including water, electricity, telephone, bus routes), the community is advised through postings at the project site, at bus stops, and in affected homes/businesses. Labor (g) To the extent possible, work camps are not located in close proximity to local communities. management (h) Siting and operation of worker camps is undertaken in consultation with neighboring communities. (i) The Contractor recruits unskilled or semi-skilled workers from local communities to the extent possible. Where and when feasible, worker skills training, is provided to enhance participation of local people. (j) Adequate lavatory facilities (toilets and washing areas) are provided in the work site with adequate supplies of hot and cold running water, soap, and hand drying devices. A temporary septic tank system is established for any residential labor camp and without causing pollution of nearby watercourses. (k) The Contractor raises awareness of workers on overall relationship management with local population, establish the code of conduct in line with international practice and strictly enforce them, including the dismissal of workers and financial penalties of adequate scale. PART D: MONITORING PLAN What Where How When Why Who Activity (Is the parameter to be (Is the parameter to (Is the parameter (Define the frequency (Is the parameter (Is responsible for monitored?) be monitored?) to be monitored?) / or continuous?) being monitored?) monitoring?) CONSTRUCTION PHASE Supply of construction Purchase of construction In supplier’s office or Verifications of the In the process of signing To ensure technical ATDF materials materials from the licensed warehouse documents the contracts for material quality of construction, suppliers supply human health and environmental quality Technical condition of In the road segment Inspection of pre- Unannounced monthly To control emissions ATDF Earth works and other construction vehicles and under reconstruction defined movement monitoring visits during realize and dispersion construction related machinery; including entrance and routes; work hours and beyond into the environment Technical Supervisor activates exit To control nuisance to consultant Transportation of Coverage of loads when In road segment local communities; construction materials carrying dust, soil and under reconstruction and waste; construction waste by including entrance To minimize traffic predefined routes and and exist disruption; ensure Movement of movement speed not exiting pedestrian safety and construction vehicles 20 km/h; prevent accidents and machinery Operation of construction related machinery within working hours of 9AM-6PM; Water spray at the construction site during dust causing construction activities. Temporary storage of waste Road segment under the Inspection of site Unannounced monthly To prevent construction ATDF Generation of at the pre-defined areas road construction; monitoring visits during related waste construction waste under the construction; entire construction phase accumulation in Technical Supervisor 7 Timely disposal of waste in Waste disposal site construction site and its consultant the permitted dumpsite by neighborhood the community Provision of uniforms and Road segment under the Inspection of site Unannounced monthly To minimize probability ATDF Deploying manpower for safety gears to workers and construction visits during entire of accidents; construction; enforcement of their use by construction phase Technical Supervisor Undertaking works in the constructor; To protect workers’ consultant construction site Provision of work-site safety health; instruction to contractor’s Health and safety personnel and instructions To exclude nuisance to provisions proper recording; neighborhood after working hours; Installation of traffic and safety signs; To exclude vibrations and noise impacts to Provisions of nuisance neighboring physical and activities within working natural environment hours from 9AM-6PM and in accordance with allowed norms of noise and vibrations Site reinstatement Construction related waste Road segment under the Inspection At the post -construction To ensure cleaned site for ATDF removal from all the areas of construction and its phase operation the road been reconstructed neighborhood Technical Supervisor and their neighborhood consultant OPERATION PHASE Household waste Trash bins placement and Reconstructed site Inspection During operation phase To prevent litter in Gyulagarak’s community management timely transportation of rehabilitated site administrative unit waste to the final disposal site Maintenance and Non-authorized Rehabilitated site Inspection During operation phase Prevent aesthetic view of Gyulagarak’s community protection of site constructions and land use in site and surrounding area administrative unit rehabilitated area; Police of RA Prevent roadside Ministry of Transport Maintenance of road signage accidents due to lack of and Communication road signage that may arise from the loss or damage of the initially installed signs 8 Attachment 1 1.1. Map of the sub-project site 9 1.2. Photos from the subproject site 10 Attachment 2: Records of Public Consultation MINUTES OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION MEETING on the design and potential environmental and social impacts of Reconstruction of the Road Leading to “Sochut� Dendropark Gyulagarak, August 13, 2018 A public consultation meeting was held in Gyulagarak Community Administrative office of Lori Marz on August 13, 2018 at 12:00am on the design and environmental and social potential impacts of the rehabilitation of the road leading to “Sochut� Dendropark to be undertaken within the framework of the Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Project. Information on the meeting day and time was posted on information boards of Gyulagarak Community Administration Offices and other public visible places of enlarged settlements; in addition, the Administration conducted telephone calls to ensure participants’ attendance. Announcement of public consultation meeting was published in “Republic of Armenia� daily newspaper on July 27, 2018. The public consultation was carried out by ATDF Environmental Specialist Lusine Gevorgyan and ATDF Social Specialist Sonya Msryan. The meeting was attended by representatives of Gyulagarak community including 22 participants were present at the meeting, among them 8 women. The Consultant of the Head of Community Mr. V. Ayvazyan welcomed the participants, introduced ATDF Specialists and introduced the purpose of the meeting and encouraged them to provide feedbacks on the topics discussed further. V. Ayvazyan introduced the scope of the activities to be implemented under the sub-project. L. Gevorgyan introduced Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Project among which Rehabilitation of the Road Segment Leading to “Sochut� Dendropark sub-project was presented to the participants. L. Gevorgyan introduced the requirements of environmental impact assessment of local legislation and WB Operational Policy. L. Gevorgyan introduced the procedure of environmental and social expertise, need of further consultation meetings, description of the sub-project, including the length of the road to be rehabilitated, traffic safety measures and etc, as well as anticipated main environmental impacts. L. Gevorgyan described baseline environmental conditions, biophysical and social environment of the site. She duly introduced likely negative environmental impacts related 11 to the sub-project implementation including construction and operation phases. L. Gevorgyan outlined anticipated negative impacts including the generation of construction related waste, dust emissions and localized atmospheric air pollution, increase of noise and vibration level during the construction machinery movement and temporary distortion of natural landscape due to construction activities. S. Msryan emphasized that the project does not involve any resettlement as all activities will be implemented in public lands. S. Msryan specified that the construction activities will not disrupt any private business. The roads will be accessible for pedestrians and cars during construction activities and total closure of the road during construction activities is not anticipated. Ms. Msryan explained mechanisms of public engagement and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) to be applied during project implementation. S. Msryan informed that beneficiaries have option to contact ATDF directly to communicate their grievance. S. Msryan explained all the cannels of grievance submission involving the e-mail address, hot line telephone number, postal address and web-site link and outlined that ATDF contact information is reflected on the booklets delivered to the participants, as well as on the information desk posted in public visible places in the Community, including Community Administrative Office building. S. Msryan introduced that information on sub-project details permanently will be available on the information desks, as well as on-going announcements and references. She outlined that these will support to raising public awareness and early identification, assessment and resolution of complaints on Project activities. The participants were welcomed to raise questions regarding to the presented information. The following questions were raised by the participants. 1. Is the rehabilitation of the secondary roads of the main road leading to “Sochut� Dendropark involved in the sub-project? L. Gevorgyan introduced that the sub-project includes only rehabilitation of the main road segment. The detailed design of the road rehabilitation will be presented during the next consultation meetings. 2. V. Ayvazyan offered to include separate roadside for continuous articulated metal track machinery, which is possible taking into account the length of the existing road and which will protect the reconstructed road from damaging. L. Gevorgyan mentioned that the raised question will be discussed with ATDF engineers. 3. L. Gevorgyan raised question whether the participants anticipate any negative environmental and social impacts related to the sub-project. 12 The participants shared with their opinion, that the sub-project will have only positive environmental impacts for the Dendropark and surrounding forest systems. L. Gevorgyan added that all the impacts of the construction activities will be temporary and small-scale. 4. One of the participants offered to install traffic management signs and undertake speed control measures. L. Gevorgyan introduced, that the sub-project includes installation of road traffic and safety signs. The list of participants and photos are attached. 13 List of Participants 14 Photos of Public Consultation meeting 15 MINUTES OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION MEETING on the design and environmental and social impacts of Reconstruction of the Road Leading to “Sochut� Dendropark Gyulagarak, October 1, 2018 A public consultation meeting was held in Gyulagarak Community Administrative office of Lori Marz on October 1, 2018 at 12:00am on the design and environmental and social potential impacts of the rehabilitation of the road leading to “Sochut� Dendropark be undertaken within the framework of Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Project. Information on the meeting day and time was posted on information boards of Gyulagarak Community Administration Offices and other public visible places of enlarged settlements; in addition, the Administration conducted telephone calls to ensure participants’ attendance. Announcement of public consultation meeting was published in “Republic of Armenia� daily newspaper on September 18, 2018. The public consultation was carried out by ATDF Environmental Specialist Lusine Gevorgyan and ATDF Social Specialist Sonya Msryan, the specialist of “Environmental Impact Assessment Expertise Center� SNCO Nazik Mkrtchyan. The meeting was attended by representatives of Gyulagarak community including 25 participants were present at the meeting, among them 8 women. The Consultant of the Head of Community Mr. V. Ayvazyan welcomed the participants, introduced ATDF Specialists and introduced the purpose of the meeting and encouraged them to provide feedbacks on the topics discussed further. V. Ayvazyan introduced the scope of the activities to be implemented under the sub-project, the current status of the sub- project. N. Mkrtchyan introduced the RA laws on environmental expertise, the stages of environmental expertise and current status of the sub-project. L. Gevorgyan introduced Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Project among which Rehabilitation of the Road Segment Leading to “Sochut� Dendropark sub-project was presented to the participants. L. Gevorgyan introduced the requirements of environmental impact assessment of local legislation and WB Operational Policy. L. Gevorgyan introduced the procedure of environmental and social expertise, need of further consultation meetings, description of the sub-project, including the length of the road to be rehabilitated, traffic safety measures and etc., as well as anticipated main environmental impacts. 16 L. Gevorgyan described baseline environmental conditions, biophysical and social environment of the site. She duly introduced likely negative environmental impacts related to the sub-project implementation including construction and operation phases. L. Gevorgyan outlined anticipated negative impacts including the generation of construction related waste, dust emissions and localized atmospheric air pollution, increase of noise and vibration level during the construction machinery movement and temporary distortion of natural landscape due to construction activities. L. Gevorgyan introduced, that there was raised a suggestion on construction of a separate roadside for continuous articulated metal track machinery which was met by the design and currently the design of the road includes this type of roadside. S. Msryan emphasized that the project does not involve any resettlement as all activities will be implemented in public lands. S. Msryan specified that the construction activities will not disrupt any private business. The roads will be accessible for pedestrians and cars during construction activities and total closure of the road during construction activities is not anticipated. Ms. Msryan explained mechanisms of public engagement and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) to be applied during project implementation. S. Msryan informed that beneficiaries have option to contact ATDF directly to communicate their grievance. S. Msryan explained all the cannels of grievance submission involving the e-mail address, hot line telephone number, postal address and web-site link and outlined that ATDF contact information is reflected on the booklets delivered to the participants, as well as on the information desk posted in public visible places in the Community, including Community Administrative Office building. S. Msryan introduced that information on sub-project details permanently will be available on the information desks, as well as on-going announcements and references. She outlined that these will support to raising public awareness and early identification, assessment and resolution of complaints on Project activities. The participants were welcomed to raise questions regarding to the presented information. The following questions were raised by the participants. 1. N. Mkrtchyan asked, whether the sub-project includes construction of public toilets. L. Gevorgyan answered that the sub-project does not involve construction of public toilets as there are toilets inside the dendropark, close to the entry. 2. The participants raised question on the duration and start of the sub-project which were addressed by the specialists. 17 3. One of the participants offered to warn in advance the drivers of continuous articulated metal track machinery to use only the separate roadside after construction is completed. 4. The participants mentioned that the sub-project will have positive impact on the development of the tourism in the region. The list of participants and photos are attached. 18 Photos of Public Consultation Meeting 19 Attachment 3: Permission for construction waste disposal from Gyulagarak’s enlarged community Unofficial translation: Republic of Armenia, Lori marz, Gyulagarak enlarged community № 414 22 October 2018 Dear Mr. Kirakosyan, We suggest the construction related waste generated from reconstruction of road segment leading to “Sochut� Dendropark be disposed in the community dumpsite which is located in the distance of 8km from the aforementioned road. Gyulagark’s community head Mher Gevorgyan 20 Attachment 4: Construction permit Non-official translation of the above attached document Republic of Armenia Lori Region, Community Gyulagarak Construction Permit N 01, 30.01.2019 This is given for the Reconstruction of the road segment leading to “Sochut� dendropark The design documents are 1. developed by “Ara ev Dustrer� LLC, License – N 11127 2. received positive expertise conclusion on 03.09.2018, N 12116 by RA “EKP� LTD A. Gevorgyan Sealed/Signed 21