INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATASHEET
APPRAISAL STAGE
I. Basic Information
Date prepared/updated: 05/11/2009 / Report No.: 485051. Basic Project Data
Country: West Bank and Gaza / Project ID: P105404
Project Name: GZ-SOUTHERN WEST BANK SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Task Team Leader: Ibrahim Khalil Dajani
Estimated Appraisal Date: February 4, 2009 / Estimated Board Date: May 14, 2009
Managing Unit: MNSSD / Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan
Sector: Solid waste management (85%);Sub-national government administration (15%)
Theme: Pollution management and environmental health (67%);Municipal governance and institution building (33%)
IBRD Amount (US$m.): 0.00
IDA Amount (US$m.): 0.00
GEF Amount (US$m.): 0.00
PCF Amount (US$m.): 0.00
Other financing amounts by source:
Borrower 2.00
EC: European Commission 5.60
ITALY: Dev. Coop. Department (MOFA) 0.40
Special Financing 12.00
20.00
Environmental Category: A - Full Assessment
Simplified Processing / Simple [] / Repeater []
Is this project processed under OP 8.50 (Emergency Recovery) or OP 8.00 (Rapid Response to Crises and Emergencies) / Yes [ ] / No [X]
2. Project Objectives
The objective of the Project is to improve solid waste disposal services for the communities and businesses of Palestinian municipalities and joint services councils in the Bethlehem and Hebron governorates through provision of an efficient socially acceptable and environmentally friendly mechanism, including (i) strengthening the joint services council administrative and technical capabilities for a cost-effective management of waste disposal services; (ii) improving the waste disposal services through provision of a sanitary landfill facility and related infrastructure; and (iii) carrying out a public awareness campaign for promoting waste minimization, resource recovery and cost recovery for financial viability.
3. Project Description
The project would consist of the following components:
Component 1: Institutional Strengthening (US$0.50 million): This component will support consultants services, workshops, study tours, campaigns and training for: a) improving JSC-H&B’s institutional and human resource capacity in policy, operational and administrative aspects of SWM; (b) strengthening EQA in monitoring and reporting on environmental aspects of transfer stations, landfill facilities, and the closure and rehabilitation for interim use of dump sites; and c) public awareness on SWM at the regional and local levels.
Component 2: Development and Implementation of Solid Waste Management Investments (US$18.00 million): This component will support: (a) Civil works construction of a landfill facility and associated infrastructure (including rehabilitation of existing associated infrastructure); b) Civil works and installation of compactors for Hebron Transfer Station; (c) Civil works and installation of waste recycling pilots (owner-supplied equipment) at the landfill; (d) supply of operational equipment for the landfill; (e) supply of transfer station waste containers and waste container hauling vehicles; (f) Rehabilitation of existing dumpsite in Yatta (in Hebron governorate) for use during construction of the sanitary landfill and closure of all 17 dump sites (Yatta plus the 16 smaller dump sites) in Hebron and Bethlehem governorates by end of construction period; (g) operational management contract for the sanitary landfill and transfer station; and (h) implementation of the ESMP and the Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plans (ARAPs).
Component 3: Innovation Window for Waste Recycling and Composting (US$0.50 million): This component will support Consultants Services to prepare: (i) the feasibility and design of pilot projects for waste collection optimization, waste minimization, and waste recovery for recycling and composting including plans toward organizing waste pickers (scavengers) into commercially-viable service organizations; and (ii) Implementation of pilot schemes in waste recycling which will include investments required to launch small businesses and/or cooperatives.
Component 4: Project Management, International Procurement Consultant and Supervision (US$1.00 million). This component will finance: (i) incremental operating costs of the JSC-H&B Technical Operations Unit (TOU) including mainly staff salaries, operational costs and travel related costs associated with training and conference participation; (ii) services of an international procurement consultant; and (iii) a consultant firm for supervision of construction and operational management contract(s).
4. Project Location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis
The Project (landfill site) would be located at about a kilometer to the southeast of the outskirts of Al-Menya village in Bethlehem Governorate, southern West Bank. Substantial and exhaustive studies were undertaken to identify suitable sites for the landfill giving preference to sites within areas A and B under the PA's jurisdiction. However, none of the sites identified in these two areas met with the minimum criteria for selection particularly the environmental and social criteria. As a result, the proposed site situated in Area C of the West Bank was found to meet the criteria and is be the most suitable for a sanitary landfill. Since Area C is still under Israeli Civil Administration control, the construction of a sanitary landfill will require a permit in accordance with the laws and procedures of Israel. It is worthy to note that the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) have been consulted through the entire study process and it has issued a letter to the Bank which provides assurances of the ICA’s commitment to facilitate movement and access to the proposed sanitary landfill and the Hebron transfer station and to issue the necessary construction permits. The project has been designed taking into account the recommendations of ICA including the provisions to upgrade offsite infrastructure that would be affected by the proposed project. The ICA is expected to issue a construction permit within an 18 month period and the grant agreement makes any construction conditional on the obtaining of this construction permit.
The waste transfer station is located in the Hebron municipality industrial zone. Already, another recycling activity has been recently been establish which should not interfer with the proposed activites related to waste transfer. The municipal owned land will be on lease to the JSC-H&B for nominal fee. The site has been reviewed as part of the ESIA and found suitable for the proposed activities.
The project will also rehabilitate the current regional dumpsite in Yatta and close it when the new landfill is constructed and operational. Moreover, the project will close and rehabilitate 16 additional small scale community dumpsite throughout Bethlehem and Hebron Governorates.
5. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists
Mr Mario Antonio Zelaya (MNSSD)
Mr Knut Opsal (MNSSD)
Ms Meskerem Brhane (MNSSD)
6. Safeguard Policies Triggered / Yes / No /Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) / X
Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) / X
Forests (OP/BP 4.36) / X
Pest Management (OP 4.09) / X
Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11) / X
Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) / X
Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) / X
Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) / X
Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50) / X
Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60) / X
II. Key Safeguard Policy Issues and Their Management
A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues
1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts:
A. Environment Protection Impacts: the project aims at improving the quality of environment by improving the current practice of waste management. This would include the proper collection, disposal and treatment of municipal generated waste.
i) discharge of leachate generated from the waste degradation at the proposed sanitary landfill into the surrounding environment and possible seepage into the ground water aquifer. The project design is based on the principle of "Zero Discharge" in order to ensure that the sanitary landfill is properly designed and constructed utilizing the necessary geomembrane and other sealing material and under drainage piping and appurtenances to prevent leachate from seeping into the ground layers. The leachate would be collected and stored in a properly designed and constructed seepage collection pond protected with the necessary lining material. The leachate pond would be sized for the maximum generation of seepage which would be disposed of by evaporation. Provision for returning leachate to the landfill cells would also be included for emergency cases.
ii) access of wild and stray animals to the site will be prevented by the provision of fencing and gates. Access of wild birds would be controlled through the daily cover of waste with soil. The access to the site will be controlled to ensure compliance with this provision;
B. land acquisition for the landfill and the access roads will be on vuluntary basis. The identified landfill site is owned by three Palestinian families who have already agreed with the JSC-H&B to long-term lease and/or sale for the purposes of the sanitary landfill. Part of the site identified for the access road site is owned by four Palestinian families who have already agreed with the JSC-H&B to sell for the purposes of the access road.
C. Loss of income.
i). Waste pickers: about 132 waste pickers have been identified at the Yatta dump site, although most of these work part-time on the dump site. A number of mitigation activities are set forth in the ARAP and are to be assessed by a consultant to be hired under the project. In addition, Component 3 of the project includes pilot activities to formalize waste recycling as well as other income generating activities. The JSC-H&B would be responsible for the management of these initiatives, which would be monitored independently by the Bank.
An additional very small number of occasional/part-time pickers have been seen at a number of the smaller remote dumpsites. Primarily, a number of these pickers use the dumpsites to burn self collected waste and tires to extract metals for re-selling. The JSC-H&B has committed to additional survey to identify and document these pickers. The ARAP prepared for the Yatta waste pickers will also apply were applicable in the smaller dumpsites.
ii) Land owners: The land for the proposed sanitary landfill and access road is currently barren and there is no agricultural or animal husbandry activity on the land that would generate income to the owners. However, fair compensation to land owners needs to be ensured. In addition, to these locations, land leased (on monthly or annual basis) by local municipalities for waste dumping are also identified as potential Project Affected People. Despite a number of the 16 locations are already closed prior to the project, the remaining will need be treated in accordance with the appropraite safeguard policy.
iii) Herders: Anecdotal information of occasional use of the area of both the landfill and the access road by wandering herders has been reported, however, herders could continue to use adjacent open areas in such circumstances. Nevertheless an ARAP discusses their situation.
2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area:
The project will have primarily positive impacts by assisting the municipalities in adequate collection and disposal of waste. The project will also promote regional cooperation in waste management which will reduce the cost associated with the service. The project would also support the protection of the environment by properly rehabilitating and closing exist illegal dumpsites which are already causing significant harm to the environment.
3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts.
Project alternatives have been reviewed as follows:
a. waste minimization: of the key issues is to reduce generated waste to the possible minimum, recycle to the extent possible and therefore reduce the disposed of waste. Still, a well designed and controlled landfill will be required to ensure no damage or negative impact is being generated from the disposal process;
b. Waste Collection and Transfer alternatives: the methods have been assessed in terms of type of collection vehicles and whether or not the use of transfer station would be more feasible as to reduce the cost of waste transport to the landfill. As experienced in the northern West Bank project, transfer stations do reduce the cost and would be recommended. So far, at least one transfer stations is expected to be implemented as part of this project.
c. Waste Disposal alternatives: in addition to the sanitary landfill operation, composting, bio-gas, incineration, and waste to energy have all been explored.
The project would support the carrying out of a number of technical reviews which may lead to the implementation of pilots to explore the readiness for the communities to assist in the composting process, else, the process may not be economically feasible. As for bi-gas, this process may not be feasible due to the competition with the composting process, storage space is still required sludge needs to be dried or tankered prior to sending it to the landfill. Finally, the physical or chemical combustion of waste (incineration) may not be feasible due to high average moisture content of the waste and the associated high costs of the supporting fuel/energy required in the process.
4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described.
The proposed project is a second generation in the West Bank that is being financed by the Bank. These two projects are within the PA's policy and strategy for solid waste disposal consisting of having three regional sanitary landfill facilities. The first project has been through the construction of the sanitary landfill in the northern West Bank. To date, the administrators of the northern project have been in full compliance with the Bank’s safeguard policies. Their experiences have been shared with the recipients of the new project in the southern West Bank since project inception. The key stakeholders from the southern West Bank have also participated in study tours to the northern project to learn from such experience. This experience has been instrumental in the design of the southern West Bank solid waste management project. Furthermore, the Environment Quality Authority with the support of the project have been following the northern
project since inception and arrangements have been made for it to continue to do so for environmental oversight of the new project.
Two Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plans (ARAPs) have been prepared to address the potential Project Affected People (PAPs). The first was for waste pickers and herders and the second was for land owners. These ARAPs have been reviewed by the Bank safeguard specialist and cleared for in-country and in InfoShop disclosure in both English and Arabic. So far, all stakeholders have committed themselves to respect, comply and implement all measures related to safeguards.