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Project Number: 48386-004 July 2019

AZE: Railway Sector Development Program

Prepared by Azerbaijan Railways Closed Joint Stock Company for the Republic of Azerbaijan and the

Asian Development Bank.

This environmental monitoring report for the Railway Sector Development Program (Rehabilitation of the Sumgait-Yalama (Russian border) Railway Line) is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of

or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank

does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Environmental Monitoring Report

Semi-annual Environmental Monitoring Report

_________________________________________________________________________

Project Number: 48386-004, L3615-AZE 01 July 2019

AZERBAIJAN: Railway Sector Development Project - Rehabilitation of the Sumgait-Yalama

(Russian border) Railway Line

(Financed by the Asian Development Bank and Agence Francaise de Development)

Prepared by: Project Implementation Unit, Azerbaijan Railways Closed Joint Stock Company For Asian Development Bank Endorsed by: Mr.Elkhan Orujov, PIU director

Railway Sector Development Program - Rehabilitation of the Sumgait-Yalama (Russian border) Railway Line Semi - Annual Environmental Monitoring Review _________________________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Preamble ....................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Headline Information ..................................................................................... 1

2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES .................................. 2

2.1 Project Description ........................................................................................ 2

2.2 Project Contracts and Management .............................................................. 3

2.3 Project Activities During Current Reporting Period ........................................ 3

2.4 Description of Any Changes to Project Design .............................................. 3

2.5 Description of Any Changes to Agreed Construction methods ...................... 3

3. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARD ACTIVITIES .................................................... 4

3.1 General Description of Environmental Safeguard Activities .......................... 4

4 RESULTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING .............................................. 5

4.1 Overview of Monitoring Conducted during Current Period ............................ 5

4.2 Waste Management ...................................................................................... 5

4.3 Health and Safety .......................................................................................... 5

4.4 Training.......................................................................................................... 5

4.5. Grievance Redress Mechanism ………………………………………………... 5

5 FUNCTIONING OF THE SEMP ........................................................................... 7

6 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................... 8

6.1 Summary ....................................................................................................... 8

6.2 Recommendations ......................................................................................... 8

Annexes:

Railway Sector Development Program - Rehabilitation of the Sumgait-Yalama (Russian border) Railway Line Semi - Annual Environmental Monitoring Review

12 September 2019

Abbreviations

ADY Azerbaijan Railway CJSC

ADB Asian Development Bank

ALC Allowed limit concentration

AP Affected Population

CJSC Closed Joint Stock Company

DSC Design and Supervision Consultant

EA Executing Agency

EARF Environmental Assessment and Review Framework

ED Ecology Department

EMP Environmental Management Plan

EMP Environmental Monitoring Plan

GFP Grievance Focal Points

GHG Green House Gases

GoA Government of Azerbaijan

GRC Grievance Redress Commission

GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism

IEE Initial Environmental Examination

MENR Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources

MP Monitoring Plan

PCBs Polychlorinated Biphenyl

REA Rapid Environmental Assessment

RoW Right of Way

SEE State Policy on Ecological Expertise

SPS Safeguard Policy Statement

SSEMP Site Specific Environmental Management Plan

TA Technical Assistance


12 September 2019 1

1 Introduction

1.1 Preamble

1. This report represents the Semi - Annual Environmental Monitoring Review (SA-EMR)

for Railway Sector Development Program - Rehabilitation of the Sumgait-Yalama

(Russian border) Railway Line Project.

2. This report is the 1st EMR for the project.

3. The rehabilitation of Sumgayit-Yalama Railway Project categorized as environment

Category B under the ADB Safeguard Policy Statement 2009, requiring an Initial

Environmental Examination, which has been prepared and cleared by ADB.

1.2 Headline Information

4. An Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) report has been prepared in order to

assess the potential environmental and social impacts based on the conceptual

design of the feasibility study. The IEE complies with the requirements of ADBs

Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) and Azerbaijani laws and regulations on

environmental protection. IEE was approved on 22 January 2019 by the State

Ecological Expertise department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.

As per SPS, the environmental and social assessment is based on desk top study,

ground proofing diagnosis, and consultations of stakeholders and project affected

populations.

5. Final design of the project will be prepared by the Contractor. The final design is not

expected to go beyond the Project corridor which was agreed as 8 meters from the

edge of the railway line.


12 September 2019 2

2 Project description and current activities

2.1 Project Description

6. Azerbaijan Railway CJSC (ADY) has requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB)

to finance railway sector, corporate reforms, ADY financial restructuring and

improvements to railway infrastructure, particularly along the north-south (N-S) railway

corridor, to complement the ongoing investments on developing the East West railway

corridor, i.e., the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway which connects Central Asia and Europe

through the transit corridor between the Caspian and Black seas. The current length

of the N-S railway corridor in Azerbaijan totals about 510 km, comprising (i) 192 km

northbound railway link between Baku-Yalama (Russian border) which is doubled

tracked, electrified and equipped with automatic signaling system; (ii) 129-km

southbound railway link between Baku-Osmanly station which is double-tracked and

electrified; and (iii) further 189-km southbound railway link between Osmanly Station

and Astara Station which is single-tracked and non-electrified.

7. This project is focused on rehabilitation of 166.5 km Sumgait -Yalama railway line.

Figure 1. Railway network in Azerbaijan and Project Location.

8. The main impacts of the project are related to the increase of traffic frequency (nearly

10%) and speed (nearly 100%) that is likely to increase noise nuisance to population


12 September 2019 3

located in the buffer zone (50 m on both sides of the rail- 60 dB isophone) and the

safety of crossings both for population (vehicles and pedestrians), and fauna. In

addition, the extension of the RoW would impact 5 land plots near Sumgayit Main

station, without generating any expropriations. In fact, the land acquisition impacted

two houses (with total area 50.3 m2), 71.14 m2 auxiliary structure, 134.2 m2 fences,

and 17 perennial plantings and the owners will receive compensation at full

replacement cost.

Finally, the project activities as constructions (replacement ballast, sleepers, rails) and

replacement of the deck small bridges, fencing, pedestrian over bridges, are likely to

impact (medium) the surrounding and the ecological (fauna, trees, wild life) and

physical environment (water, soil, air, noise). Consequently, the Consultant prepared

a set of mitigation measures that shall be applied during the construction phase. It is

acknowledged that the Contractor, is responsible of preparation of the detailed design,

shall apply the requested measures and prepare relevant action plan that indicate

actions, costs and periods of implementation.

2.2 Project Contracts and Management

9. The project is managed by the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) under guidance of

the Investment Department of ADY. PIU possesses an Environmental & Social

Safeguard Specialist, Ms. Vusala Rustamova.

10. Yet contractor and construction supervision consultants haven't been contracted.

2.3 Project Activities During Current Reporting Period

11. There hasn't been any physical project works until the reporting period.

2.4 Description of Any Changes to Project Design

12. No changes have been made to the project design.

2.5 Description of Any Changes to Agreed Construction methods

13. No changes have been made to the agreed construction methods.


12 September 2019 4

3. Environmental Safeguard activities

3.1 General Description of Environmental Safeguard Activities

14. No construction has been started yet.

15. The site visits by safeguard specialist was conducted during preparation of

Management and Disposal Plan for the Contaminated Soil/Material to supervise the

consultant company.

16. Routine field visits will be planned by PIU's safeguards specialist in assistance with

Environment expert(s) of the Construction Supervision Consultant after contracting

Supervision Consultant and Contractor.

17. During the reporting period (i) the Initial Environmental Examination Report was

approved by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and (ii) Management and

Disposal Plan for the Contaminated Soil/Material was prepared by the Consultant and

approved by ADB and ADY.


12 September 2019 5

4 Results of environmental monitoring

4.1 Overview of Monitoring Conducted during Current Period

18. No monitoring has been conducted as the construction hasn't been started.

4.2 Waste Management

19. No waste management activity has been conducted.

4.3 Health and Safety

20. No health and safety related activity has been conducted.

4.4 Training

21. Trainings haven't been conducted.

4.5 Grievance Redress Mechanism

22. ADY has established Grievance Redress Commission for the proposed project to

receive, manage and properly file complaints related to project implementation. The

Commission comprises of the following members:

Shalala Gahramanova, the head of Project Coordination Division under Investment

Department, has been assigned as a head of Commission.

• Representative of the Infrastructure Department of ADY - Bahram Shukurov, Deputy

head;

• Representatives of the “ADY Property” LLC – Ildirim Qocayev, Head of Department

and Azer Alisoy, senior engineer;

• Representative of the Legal Division - Farman Babayev, Leading lawyer in Division for

court cases of Legal Department

• Representative of Freight Department of ADY - Elmar Quliyev, Senior engineer

• Representative of the PIU - Vusala Rustamova, Safeguard specialist;

There are 4 (four) Grievance Focal Person assigned for project.

Contact details of GFPs:

1. Sumgait Main Station, Engineer – Elkhan Haciyev – 012 499 12 58;

2. Shabran Station, Head of station – Suheyl Aliyev – 012 499 12 68; [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


12 September 2019 6

3. Xachmaz Station, Deputy – Aliqiyab Mammedov – 012 499 12 14;

[email protected]

4. Yalama Station, Deputy – Aydin Karimxanov – 012 499 12 01, [email protected]

23. No grievances have been received during the reporting period.




12 September 2019 7

5 Functioning of the SEMP

24. SEMP hasn't been prepared.


12 September 2019 8

6 Summary and recommendations

6.1 Summary

25. Required documentation were prepared, as per Azerbaijan legislation and ADB SPS

principles, during the reporting period. Thus, IEE was completed and approved by the

State Ecological Expertise Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural

Resources.

26. In addition, Management and Disposal Plan for the Contaminated Soil/Material was

prepared by the consultant company (Azecolab Company LLC) hired under ADB TA.

The Management and Disposal Plan for the Contaminated Soil/Material was accepted

and approved by ADB and ADY.

6.2 Recommendations

27. No recommendation has been made.

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