Code of Environmental Practices (COEP) Slaughterhouse Development

Transcription

1 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Code of Environmental Practices (COEP) Slaughterhouse Development April

2 COEP Slaughterhouse Development 1.1 Objective The objective of this Code of Environmental Practice (COEP) is to establish general guidelines for managing and minimizing potential environmental and social impacts of slaughterhouse development projects by presenting principles and minimum standards that shall be considered in the planning, design, and construction of slaughterhouses. This COEP shall be read in conjunction with COEP 1 Administrative Procedures, COEP Consultation, and Compensation, and COEP - 5 Construction Camps of Samoa Code of Environmental Practice (PUMA, 2007). All project developers, project proponents, and construction industry involved in development of slaughterhouses should comply with this COEP. 1.2 Principles In general slaughterhouse and relevant infrastructure construction and management should follow the five principles of animal welfare (Farm Animal Welfare Council of UK presented at the web site, that includes: Freedom from hunger and thirst Having full access to fresh water and food to maintain their health and strength. Freedom from discomfort through provision of shelter and resting area. Freedom from pain, injury or disease through provision of veterinary services to animals. Freedom to express normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, facilities and company to minimize stress. Freedom from fear and distress Providing proper environment and treatment to avoid mental suffering. In addition, the siting, planning and design of slaughterhouses shall: Avoid wherever possible National Parks, eco-tourism areas, foreshore reserves, forest reserves, nature reserves, riverbank reserves, traditional reserves, water catchment reserves, wetlands, and heritage and archaeological sites; Avoid areas of land, foreshore, wetlands, waterways or other areas of habitat which have been set aside for the conservation of flora and fauna, and biodiversity; Avoid sites of archaeological, heritage, historical, traditional, and cultural importance; Include appropriate solid and liquid waste management measures to minimize pollution of soils, surface and ground water bodies and the airshed; and Incorporate measures and design features for the mitigation of adverse environmental effects. 1.3 Planning Stage Slaughterhouse site Since currently there is no zoning plan in Samoa, it is necessary to select the proposed slaughterhouse location in an area that is close to animal farms and as far from residential areas, schools, hospitals, and other sensitive areas as possible to minimize potential environmental impact, mainly odour and potential respiratory problems. To minimize impact on inhabitants and to prevent the need for land acquisition and 2

3 the need for resettlement of inhabitants, every effort should be made to locate the proposed site and associated roads on government land that is not currently leased nor inhabited whether legally or illegally. During the planning stage of stationary slaughterhouse development near Apia, the potential abattoir site should be cleared of all vegetation to allow for preparation of large scale topographic map and for development of site plan and the best site for waste management facilities. The proposed location of the slaughterhouse shall be disclosed and through the use of public hearing and consultation tools (see COEP 3, Consultation), the acceptability of the proposed location and design of the slaughterhouse and access roads shall be discussed with the affected and interested parties, following the siting principles identified under item Land acquisition It has been specifically agreed that there will be no land acquisition or involuntary resettlement under SACEP and that this will be indicated in project documentation and the legal agreement between the Bank and the Government of Samoa. Therefore, there will be no need to invoke the COEP 4 of Samoa Code of Environmental Practice (PUMA, 2007) for SACEP project. The location of the slaughterhouse, solid and liquid waste management facilities, and staging areas shall be identified on plans drawn to an appropriate scale, with contour lines, and the plans including potential impacts and potential mitigation measures shall be shared and discussed during public consultations Environmental Assessment To maximize the goals of sustainable development with minimal environmental and social impact, the project proponent must conduct a site specific environmental impact assessment during the planning stage of the slaughterhouse projects. Proposed mitigation measures identified in the site specific EIA should be considered in the finalization of design and construction methods to minimize environmental risks, while maximizing possibility of developing a sustainable development. The proposed mitigation measures shall be clearly presented in an environmental management plan (EMP).The project proponent should identify and set out the relevant clauses of the contract requirements and construction details to ensure that environmental standards and guidelines are implemented. The EMP shall set out the management, mitigation measures, and monitoring requirements that will be put into place during the project. The EMP shall: Identify the personnel who have clearly defined roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the EMP; Establish the chain of responsibility for managing the environmental aspects and social aspects (including consultation) of the project; Identify the records to be maintained which demonstrate compliance with the EMP; Establish the mitigation and contingency measures for at least the following: oil spills; erosion control; failure of protection works or earthworks; litter control; dust control; water collection management; noise control; and traffic management. 3

4 Specify the temporary storm-water treatment devices, their locations, and the maintenance program for all such devices; Specify the waste water treatment system for treating waste waters generated by the slaughterhouse; Specify and detail sedimentation control measures to be implemented; and Specify control methods to be used, and identify how these will minimize the amount of sediment released into the environment Land Clearance and topographic survey Follow the process for consultation and land access for survey and investigation as set out in COEP 3 - Consultation and COEP 4 - Land Acquisition and Compensation (PUMA, 2007). Minimize branch trimming, tree felling, or other environmental disturbance to that necessary to establish line of sight for topographic survey. After preparation of topographic map and preparing the approved plan for slaughterhouse construction, clear only the areas that will be used for the development of slaughterhouse infrastructure and staging area and access roadss. Only vegetation that is covering the construction areas for the slaughterhouse, waste management facilities, construction camp, or waste material disposal areas shall be cleared. Cleared vegetation shall be mulched and stockpiled with topsoil for use in revegetating exposed surfaces. Large logs and branches that cannot be mulched shall be stockpiled for use in erosion prevention or control. In no circumstances the cleared vegetation shall be burned. Design and Construction Stage Location During the design of the slaughterhouse construction work, the consultant shall consider appropriate locations for construction camps, location of abattoir facility, staging area, waste management/waste disposal facilities, and access roads. The consultant shall specify a schedule of sites identified during the planning stage as unsuitable as well as sites that are unsuitable in terms of topography, proximity to watercourses, and environmental sensitive areas such as forests, swales, or swamps. Construction campsites shall be located on a site such that permanent adverse environmental effects can be avoided or mitigated. Every effort should be made to minimize short term and temporal adverse environmental effects. Campsites shall not be located in areas identified during the planning stage as unsuitable for such use. The site or sites shall be selected such that mitigation measures stipulated in this COEP can be implemented with minimal effort Construction Camp Construction camp shall be sited in accordance to the requirement of COEP 5 Construction Camps (PUMA, 2007) Cuts and Fills In addition to any requirements to alter the location of slaughterhouse facilities, waste management site, and staging area for topographic, environmental or social impact reasons, the infrastructure design should determine the best practicable option for: minimizing the extent of cuts and fills; minimizing the transportation of spoil through or over ecologically sensitive areas (refer to COEP 6; PUMA, 2007); 4

5 minimizing excess cut requiring disposal, especially for construction of waste management/disposal sites; minimizing the impact of sediment generation in the design of and protection systems for areas requiring cut and fill; Disposal of Excess Material In consultation with the potentially affected communities in proximity of the proposed facility, identify and implement the best practicable option for the disposal of excess cut and unsuitable non-toxic materials. Any toxic materials shall be disposed of by a method or methods that comply in all respects with the laws of Samoa Soil Erosion All project work shall be undertaken with a conscious approach to the need for preventing or minimizing erosion of any exposed earth surface. In addition to permanent drainage or erosion control systems that are required to be constructed, say interceptor drains upslope of the waste management site, other temporary measures to prevent erosion are to be implemented whenever they are found necessary to mitigate against the erosion of exposed surfaces. The contractor is required to enter into the spirit of environmental protection and conservation and to construct works in terms of agreed programs, methods and sequences that will prevent or mitigate against erosion. The contractor shall employ such temporary measures as are necessary such as silt fences to prevent or mitigate against erosion or siltation of any natural water course in addition to permanent drainage or erosion control systems that are detailed in the contract documents Work Program The work program shall be planned so that sequence of operations cause the minimum the amount of time that any barren soil area is left exposed to the element of weather, especially during the rainy season. Amount of land cut and fill and earth work should be kept to minimum during the rainy season. Appropriate soil erosion control measures such as use of silt fence or interceptor drains shall be used to minimize soil erosion and increase in sediment load in natural waterways. When high volumes of discharge of silt laden water are required, retention ponds shall be used to prevent or minimize the discharge of silt laden water. Silt traps and ponds shall be used throughout the construction period. At the completion of construction works, silt traps and ponds shall be cleaned out and ponds filled to suit surrounding topography and levels. If location is appropriate, the pond site can be used as waste disposal/waste management pond. The designer shall detail and specify the construction and maintenance of silt traps. The designer shall specify the design of silt retention ponds having regard to the desired retention period and the method of operation. The disposal of material that is periodically cleaned from traps or ponds shall also be carefully specified to ensure that it does not re-enter any natural watercourse. During the design of the works, the need for silt retention ponds shall be assessed and sufficient land allocated within the site of the works for their construction Clean Up At the completion of the works the whole site including any construction camp or storage areas shall be cleaned up. All surplus materials and construction debris shall be removed from the site and any exposed earth surfaces shall be trimmed and shaped to conform to surrounding topography and sown with appropriate grass and landscaped. 5

6 1.4 Consent Consent Required In accordance with Part V of the Planning and Urban Management Act 2004 and any other relevant legislation, any person who engages in an earthwork activity such as construction of slaughterhouse facility and relevant infrastructure shall first obtain a Development Consent (consent) from PUMA for the proposed activity Application for Consent Consent applications shall be on a form approved by PUMA and shall be submitted by the person undertaking the earthwork activity. In the case of land development, the land developer rather than the contractor or agent shall submit the application. Applications shall be made no later than one month before the proposed earthwork activity is scheduled to begin. Applications shall be accompanied by an Earthworks Plan and such other documents as PUMA may require Public Hearing At any time during the consent process, PUMA may convene a public hearing or hearings for the purpose of determining the facts on which to base a decision. Adequate notice of the hearing or hearings, adequate opportunity to appear and be heard, and adequate opportunity to provide written comment, shall be given to all interested persons Special Conditions PUMA may, upon issuance of consent, impose any conditions or special requirements on the earthwork activity as it sees fit. All such conditions and requirements shall be listed in writing by PUMA and attached to the consent Consent Expiration and Renewal An earthwork consent issued by PUMA shall expire two years from the date of issuance. If the earthwork activity is ongoing at the time of consent expiration, a new consent application shall be submitted to PUMA one month before expiration of the consent. 1.5 Waste Treatment Plan The establishment of a proper Wastewater Treatment Facility involves a detailed process of planning, selection, design and construction. The objective is the mitigation of adverse health and environmental impacts on the community due to the generation of waste from slaughterhouse and the pollution of the environment particularly the receiving water body. To minimize potential impact of the abattoir activities on social and natural environment, every effort should be made to reduce potential contamination of water resources by avoiding discharge of untreated wastewater and solids into neighboring drainage-ways. It is required for the abattoir to include a waste management facility in its design to treat the effluent produced due to slaughterhouse activities and reduce the pathogen count and nutrient load of the effluent to acceptable levels as is proposed by WHO (1971, 1995). The location of waste management facility should be down-slope of the abattoir facility to allow for gravity fed of the effluents. The sizing and type of the liquid waste treatment facility should be selected based on land availability, soil and topographic features of the slaughterhouse. If aerobic pond system is included in the design of waste treatment facility, it is necessary to increase the size of the pond to allow for the high intensity rainfall or, preferably, the pond should be covered to prevent rainwater to enter the pond. 6

7 Some potential means to reduce environmental and social impacts of the abattoir and minimize its effects on social and natural environment that can also impact the selection of waste treatment process include: Possibility of using the effluent for production of alternative energy sources and configurations (biogas); Possibility of further processing of waste for commercial purposes (liquid/solid organic fertilizer, bone meal); Use of minimization strategies such as use of plant, technology and proper equipment design, systems review, process and work flow redesign; and Recycling, reuse and recovery of liquid and solid waste. The different options to consider for waste water treatment before disposal include among others: Biological treatments of effluents; Disposal to surface waters after full treatment in aerobic ponds; Disposal to surface waters after full treatment in anaerobic ponds; Land disposal after treatment on aerobic or anaerobic ponds to remove pathogens as fertilizer/irrigation water; Primary and secondary treatment process within the abattoir facilities such as decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) and sanitation methodologies developed by BORDA 1 ; Use of anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), which is based on enhanced anaerobic pre-treatment system that makes use of microbial sludge as an effective organics removal media. This system produces high levels of sludge build-up that requires regular desludging, requiring manholes for proper maintenance of the system; Screening, flotation, and evaporation of effluents; Sewer disposal; and Waste water recycling. Solid waste produced due to abattoir operation may include: Animal waste including non-commercial value hides and manure; Meat and meat products such as fat, bone, and flesh; Packaging materials including cardboard cartons, paper/plastic liners, etc; Refuse from non processing operations such as workers canteen, offices, other facilities; Processing by-products, rendering and further processing of wastes including fat, meat and meat product trimmings, rejects and returns, unused animal parts, stomach manure, etc; and Solids suspended in effluent. Some possible methods that can be used to manage solid wastes from abattoirs may include: Composting of the solid manure; Filtration, treatment of effluents in settling ponds; Incineration, potentially using coconut husk; and Burying of the solid waste in appropriately designed land fills. 1 BORDA: Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association 7

8 1.7 Odour and Airshed Pollution Control One of the major nuisances of abattoirs is the odour problems. To minimize odour that can have significant impact on people who live down wind of the facility include: Dry cleaning of carcass before wash down Improved manual plug change over for blood pit plug improved screening/filters in treatment plans, floor drains screens Use f aerobic/anaerobic ponds, purification and filtering; and Primary screening. Air pollution due to abattoir operation may include: Noise due to on site operations, transport of animals, etc); Odours related to the production and transport cattle; and Vapours, gases (including greenhouse gases) and solids fallout. Abattoir odours can be treated physically, biologically or chemically. The treatment may include: Use of activated carbon; Use of biofilters, bioscrubbers, etc; Chemical oxidation (wet chemical scrubbing or ozonisation); Dispersion of odour, using such installations as extraction hoods and dispersion stacks; and Thermal oxidation (incineration). 8