Simulated view of turbines from the northern end of the proposed Salkhit Uul wind park

Prepared for:

Funded by:

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE SALKHIT UUL WIND PARK, MONGOLIA

30 November 2008

E NVIRONMENTAL AND S OCIAL IMPACT A SSESSMENT OF THE S ALKHIT U UL W IND P ARK , M ONGOLIA

30 November 2008

Prepared for:

Prepared by:

Funded by:

Contract C17400/LUX-2007-12-08 Black & Veatch Project 041894.01.01

ESIA for Salkhit Uul Wind Park

TITLE PAGEProject Title: Contract: Document Title: Prepared by: Date Prepared: Prepared by: Reviewed by: B&V Project Manager: Newcom Project Manager: EBRD Project Manager: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Salkhit Uul Wind Park, Mongolia C17400/LUX-2007-12-08 Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp. 30 November 2008 Ivan Maximov, Ursula Bycroft, Jack Mozingo Jim Eldridge Jack Mozingo D. Gankhuyag Robert Adamczyk

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TABLE OF CONTENTSTitle Page....................................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents.......................................................................................................................... ii Appendices .................................................................................................................................. iv List of Tables................................................................................................................................ iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... v Glossary and List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ...................................................................... vi 1.0 Introduction and Project Background ...................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................1 1.2 Project Background .....................................................................................................1 1.3 Scope of the ESIA .......................................................................................................2 1.4 Methodology for the ESIA ...........................................................................................4 1.4.1 Scoping............................................................................................................4 1.4.2 Baseline Data Collection .................................................................................5 1.4.3 Assessment of Impacts ...................................................................................5 1.4.4 Environmental Mitigation and Enhancement ...................................................8 1.4.5 Environmental Monitoring................................................................................9 1.5 Organization of This Report ........................................................................................9 2.0 The Proposed Project ........................................................................................................10 2.1 Construction ..............................................................................................................14 2.1.1 Transportation ...............................................................................................14 2.1.2 Temporary Works ..........................................................................................15 2.1.3 Control Center Compound.............................................................................15 2.1.4 Access Road .................................................................................................16 2.1.5 Transmission Line from Site to National Grid ................................................17 2.1.6 On-Site Roads and Transmission Lines ........................................................18 2.1.7 Turbines.........................................................................................................19 2.2 Operations.................................................................................................................20 2.3 Decommissioning ......................................................................................................22 3.0 Legal and Institutional Framework .....................................................................................23 3.1 Mongolian Energy Law..............................................................................................23 3.2 Mongolian Renewable Energy Program....................................................................23 3.3 Key Mongolian Environmental Laws .........................................................................24 3.4 International Requirements .......................................................................................27 3.5 Current Legal Status of Salkhit Uul Wind Park Project .............................................28 4.0 Environmental and Socioeconomic Baseline Conditions ...................................................30 4.1 Climate ......................................................................................................................30 4.1.1 Temperature ..................................................................................................30 4.1.2 Precipitation...................................................................................................30 4.1.3 Wind ..............................................................................................................31 4.1.4 Air quality.......................................................................................................33 4.2 Landscape and Geology ...........................................................................................34 4.3 Seismic conditions.....................................................................................................34 4.4 Surface water ............................................................................................................37 4.5 Hydrogeology ............................................................................................................39 4.6 Ecosystems ...............................................................................................................39 4.7 Soils...........................................................................................................................40 4.8 Flora and Fauna ........................................................................................................42 4.8.1 Vegetation .....................................................................................................42 4.8.2 Wildlife ...........................................................................................................44 4.8.3 Birds ..............................................................................................................45 4.9 Noise and Vibration ...................................................................................................46 ii November 2008

ESIA for Salkhit Uul Wind Park4.10 Protected areas .........................................................................................................48 4.11 Socioeconomic conditions.........................................................................................48 4.11.1 Overview........................................................................................................48 4.11.2 Economic conditions......................................................................................51 4.11.3 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................51 Assessment of Environmental and Social Impacts ............................................................55 5.1 Introduction................................................................................................................55 5.2 Climate and Air Quality..............................................................................................55 5.2.1 Construction ..................................................................................................56 5.2.2 Operation.......................................................................................................56 5.2.3 Decommissioning ..........................................................................................57 5.2.4 Optional Layouts............................................................................................57 5.3 Landscape.................................................................................................................57 5.3.1 Construction ..................................................................................................58 5.3.2 Operation.......................................................................................................60 5.3.3 Decommissioning ..........................................................................................63 5.3.4 Optional Layouts............................................................................................63 5.4 Hydrology and Hydrogeology ....................................................................................63 5.4.1 Construction ..................................................................................................64 5.4.2 Operation.......................................................................................................65 5.4.3 Decommissioning ..........................................................................................66 5.4.4 Optional Layouts............................................................................................66 5.5 Geology and Soils .....................................................................................................66 5.5.1 Construction ..................................................................................................66 5.5.2 Operation.......................................................................................................68 5.5.3 Decommissioning ..........................................................................................68 5.5.4 Optional Layouts............................................................................................68 5.6 Flora and Fauna ........................................................................................................68 5.6.1 Construction ..................................................................................................70 5.6.2 Operation.......................................................................................................72 5.6.3 Decommissioning ..........................................................................................74 5.6.4 Optional Layouts............................................................................................74 5.7 Noise .........................................................................................................................75 5.7.1 Construction ..................................................................................................75 5.7.2 Operation.......................................................................................................77 5.7.3 Decommissioning ..........................................................................................78 5.7.4 Assessment of Optional Layouts ...................................................................78 5.8 Social Impact Assessment ........................................................................................78 5.8.1. Demographics and Economics........................................................................78 5.8.2 Social Infrastructure.......................................................................................80 5.8.3 Land Use .......................................................................................................81 5.8.4 Community ....................................................................................................81 5.8.5 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................81 5.8.6 Occupational and Public Health and Safety ..................................................82 5.9 Cumulative Effects ....................................................................................................83 5.9.1 The International Airport ................................................................................83 5.9.2 Expansion of Wind Park ................................................................................84 5.10 Summary of Impacts .................................................................................................85 Environmental Action Plan .................................................................................................92 Environmental and Social Monitoring Program................................................................101 References Cited .............................................................................................................107

5.0

6.0 7.0 9.0

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APPENDICESAppendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E ESIA Preparers Milestones and Schedule for Preparation and Completion of ESIA Public Consultation and Disclosure Plan Ornithological Report Comments on the Draft ESIA and Responses

LIST OF TABLESTable 1-1 Table 1-2 Table 1-3 Table 2-1 Table 2-2 Table 2-3 Table 4-1 Table 4-2 Table 4-3 Table 4-4 Table 5-1 Table 5-2 Table 5-3 Table 5-4 Table 5-5 Table 5-6 Table 5-7 Table 5-8 Table 5-9 Table 5-10 Table 6-1 Table 7-1 Table 7-2 Determination of Environmental Impact Significance ............................................ 6 Duration of Impacts ............................................................................................... 7 Determination of Social Impact Significance ......................................................... 8 Land Disturbed During Construction of Wind Park.............................................. 14 Characteristics of the VESTAS V80 Wind Power Generator............................... 20 Land Disturbed During Operation of Wind Park .................................................. 21 Annual Average Wind Speed at Wind Measurement Stations ............................ 32 Typical Sound Pressure Levels Associated with Common Noise Sources ......... 47 Guideline Values for Community Noise in Specific Environments ...................... 47 Protected Areas Nearest to the Project Site........................................................ 48 Air Quality Sensitivity to Change ......................................................................... 55 Landscape Sensitivity to Change ........................................................................ 56 Visual Receptors and their Sensitivity to Change................................................ 57 Sensitivity of the Water Environment................................................................... 64 Sensitivity of Ecological Receptors...................................................................... 69 Sensitivity of Mammals Likely to be Present at Salkhit Uul and Surrounding Areas ................................................................................................................... 69 Summary of Sensitivity of Avifauna Likely to be Present at Salkhit Uul and Surrounding Areas .............................................................................................. 70 Noise Receptors and their Sensitivity to Change ................................................ 75 Typical Construction Noise for Salkhit Wind Park ............................................... 75 Summary of Environmental and Social Impacts.................................................. 86 Environmental Action Plan: Mitigation and Enhancement Measures to Prevent or Reduce Potential Impacts .............................................................. 93 Key Environmental Performance Indicators for Construction and Operation Phases, Salkhit Uul Wind Park.......................................................................... 102 Environmental Monitoring Program for Salkhit Uul Wind Park .......................... 103

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LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1-1 Figure 1-2 Figure 2-1 Figure 2-2 Figure 2-3 Figure 2-4 Figure 2-5 Figure 2-6 Figure 2-7 Figure 2-8 Figure 2-9 Figure 2-10 Figure 4-1 Figure 4-2 Figure 4-3 Figure 4-4 Figure 4-5 Figure 4-6 Figure 4-7 Figure 4-8 Figure 4-9 Figure 4-10 Figure 4-11 Figure 4-12 Figure 4-13 Figure 4-14 Figure 4-15 Figure 4-16 Figure 4-17 Figure 4-18 Figure 4-19 Figure 4-20 Figure 4-21 Figure 4-22 Figure 4-23 Figure 4-24 Figure 5-1 Figure 5-2 Figure 5-3 Location of Proposed Salkhit Uul wind park .......................................................... 3 ESIA Process ........................................................................................................ 4 Proposed Salkhit Uul wind park........................................................................... 11 Proposed Layout for Salkhit Uul wind park ......................................................... 12 Optional Layout 1 for Salkhit Uul wind park......................................................... 13 Optional Layout 2 for Salkhit Uul wind park......................................................... 13 Conceptual layout of control compound .............................................................. 16 Example of 110kV transmission line tower base ................................................. 18 Typical road construction to allow use by self-propelled construction crane....... 18 Construction of typical foundation for tower and turbine. .................................... 19 Components of typical wind turbine .................................................................... 21 Crane lifting rotors to top of tower ....................................................................... 21 Mean monthly air temperature curve, 2001-2006................................................ 30 Average monthly precipitation, 2001-2006 .......................................................... 31 Average monthly wind speed, 2004-2006 ........................................................... 32 Diurnal wind speed, 2004-2006........................................................................... 32 Prevailing wind direction at the project site ......................................................... 33 Landscape and topography at the Salkhit Uul Wind Park site, April 2008 .......... 35 View from valley to East Ridge, April 2008 ......................................................... 35 Views from turbine locations on East Ridge, April 2008...................................... 36 Geology of the project area ................................................................................. 37 Surface water features on the project site ........................................................... 38 Small spring on the project site, April 2008 ......................................................... 39 Hydrogeology map of the study area .................................................................. 40 Ecosystems in the project area .......................................................................... 40 Soils in the project area....................................................................................... 41 Soil erosion caused by vehicle tracks in the project area, April 2008.................. 42 Vegetation map of project area ........................................................................... 43 Sparse grass cover in the project area, April 2008.............................................. 43 Burrows of Brandts voles in the project area, April 2008.................................... 44 Steppe eagle soaring over the project site, April 2008 ........................................ 46 Protected areas nearest to the project site.......................................................... 49 Railway station 7-P zor and railway workers apartment houses, April 2008 ...... 51 Nomadic and permanent residences near the project site, Spring 2008............. 52 Ovoo located on mountaintop in the project area, April 2008.............................. 54 Stone-covered burial area on the East Ridge of the project area, April 2008 ..... 54 Theoretical visibility of the wind park ................................................................... 61 Simulated view of the wind park .......................................................................... 62 Vulnerability of soils............................................................................................. 67

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GLOSSARY AND LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMSaimag amsl BAT BOD5 0 C CDM CHP CO2 CRETG dBA DO EAP EBRD e-coli EIA ESMP ERA ESIA EU FPER ger Hz IFC ISO14000 IUCN km kV kW LAeq LLC MEAP mm m/s MW NGO ovoo PCDP pH PM10 rpm SO2 soum TDS TPH TSS UN UNDP USDOE v WHO Province (Mongolian administrative unit) above mean sea level Best Available Techniques Biological Oxygen Demand (5 days) degrees Centigrade Clean Development Mechanism (under the Kyoto Protocol) Combined Heat and Power Plant carbon dioxide Central Regional Electricity Transmission Grid decibels (sound pressure level) dissolved oxygen Environmental Action Plan European Bank for Reconstruction and Development bacteria index Environmental Impact Assessment Environmental Monitoring Plan Mongolian Energy Regulatory Authority Environmental and Social Impact Assessment European Union Fire Protection and Emergency Response Plan Traditional dwelling of Mongolians (also known as yurts) Hertz, typically a measurement of one cycle per second International Financial Corporation Environmental management standard International Union for Conservation of Nature kilometers kilovolts, or 1,000 volts kilowatts, or 1,000 watts of energy, equal to 1 joule of energy per second equivalent sound pressure level Limited Liability Company Mongolian Environmental Assessment Program millimeters meters per second Megawatt one million watts of energy non-governmental organizations traditional Mongolian cultural monument Public Consultation and Disclosure Plan

measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solutionparticulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter revolutions per minute sulfur dioxide Mongolian administrative unit roughly analogous to county total dissolved solids total petroleum hydrocarbons total suspended sediments United Nations United Nations Development Program United States Department of Energy volt, a measure of resistance or potential difference World Health Organization vi November 2008

ESIA for Salkhit Uul Wind Park

1.01.1 Introduction

INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT BACKGROUND

Newcom LLC, a Mongolian company, plans to construct a wind park to generate up to 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity in the vicinity of Salkhit Uul (windy mountain), about 70km south-southeast of Ulaanbaatar (Figure 1). Newcom is seeking financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). As part of their decisionmaking process, EBRD and IFC require that the proposed project be evaluated in an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) that meets international guidelines. The draft ESIA was disclosed to project stakeholders and the public in compliance with EBRD and IFC guidelines. All stakeholder and public comments on the draft ESIA were considered in developing this final ESIA, and will be considered in in the final decisions made by EBRD and IFC. 1.2 Project Background

The Mongolian Parliament passed an Energy Law in 2001 that was intended in part to establish the legal base for restructuring the countrys energy sector. A major effort is to promote private sector involvement in the countrys energy sector, and to encourage private investment and competition. Mongolia's energy needs are met principally with domestic generation, At present, the electrical industry consists entirely or primarily of 18 government-owned companies that generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, and that undertake other related activities. Coal supplies provide over 95 percent of the country's electricity, and over 5.10 million metric tonnes of coal were burned for power in 2007, most in the three plants that serve Ulaanbaatar. The central energy system supplies Ulaanbaatar, three other cities, and six aimags1 with electricity and heating from coal-fired combined heat and power (CHP) facilities, while in the rest of the aimags energy is supplied through coal-fired CHPs and diesel generators. Low reliability and efficiency of heat and electricity supplies, both economic and operational, has been and remains a consistent problem, particularly in rural areas (World Bank, 2006). Overall, installed electrical generation capacity was 832MW in 2007 (USDOE EIA, 2008). Mongolias electricity demand is expected to double in the next 15 to 20 years (ADB, 2005; World Bank, 2006). To help reach this goal, the Government established the Renewable Energy Center to lead an effort to conduct research and to increase the use of renewable energy sources; this organization now focuses primarily on commercial activities. In 2005, the Parliament approved the National Program for Renewable Energy, with a key goal being to have renewable energy sources provide 20-25 percent of the nationwide energy production by 2020. To support the program, Parliament enacted the Renewable Energy Law in February 2007. This law supports the development of a renewable energy industry in Mongolia in part by fixing tariffs to be paid to private sector companies (known as Feed-In Tariffs or FIT) in a band ranging from US 8 cents to 9.5 cents per kWh for electricity generated with renewable sources. The U.S. Department of Energy evaluates the wind resources of many areas around the world and has prepared wind resource maps for many countries, including Mongolia (USDOE 2001). Several regions in Mongolia, covering an area of more than 160,000 square kilometers, were

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Province-level administrative unit. There are 21 aimags in Mongolia.

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ESIA for Salkhit Uul Wind Parkfound to be suitable and capable of using high-capacity wind power stations connected to the electric grid network. A nationwide survey of wind resources in the early 2000s found many locations potentially favorable for generating electricity. Newcom in 2004 leased a total of 30,000 hectares from the Government for a 60-year term and began collecting detailed wind data in the Salkhit Uul area, which is in Sergelen soum2 of Tov aimag.. Additional details of the legal framework of the lease agreement and project development are provided in Chapter 3. Newcom is proposing to construct and operate a wind park to generate up to 50MW of electricity in the northeast portion of the leasehold (see Figure 1-1). The proposed project is described in Chapter 2. 1.3 Scope of the ESIA

EBRD and IFC have determined that this is a Category B3 project under their respective procedures. Because of the importance of this renewable energy project to the country and to the prospective lenders, they required the ESIA to meet Category A standards. Prior to making a funding decision, EBRD and IFC have to be satisfied that:

The elements of the investment program they have been asked to help finance would meet Mongolian national requirements and existing European Union, EBRD, and IFC environmental standards. The project would include all necessary mitigation measures to minimize any significant adverse change in environmental, health and safety, and socioeconomic conditions. Appropriate public consultation and disclosure are undertaken in line with EBRD Environmental Policy and IFC Performance Standards, ensuring all reasonable public opinions are adequately considered prior to a commitment for financing.

In keeping with EBRD and IFC requirements, the overall scope of this assessment includes:

Scoping and identification of key issues. Definition of baseline conditions of key environmental and social resources Assessment of positive and negative impacts of the proposed project Consultation with people who may be affected by the prospective project and other stakeholders. Development of design and operating practices that are sufficient to avoid, reduce, or compensate for significant adverse environmental and social impacts. Development of such monitoring programs as are necessary to verify mitigation is effective in accomplishing its goals, and to develop and refine the effectiveness of mitigation measures.

These requirements are discussed further in the following sections.

County-level administrative unit. There are 27 soums in Tov aimag. Projects are classified as Category B when the project would involve new construction, rehabilitation, or process/technology changes that could result in future environmental impacts which are less adverse than those of Category A projects, taking into account their nature, size and location, as well as the characteristics of the potential environmental impacts (EBRD, 2003).3

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June 25, 2008

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FIGURE 1-1Location of proposed Salkhit Uul wind park

ESIA for Salkhit Uul Wind Park1.4 Methodology for the ESIA

This section describes the ESIA process in the context of the Salkhit Uul Wind Park. The overall approach for the ESIA and reporting used the following sources of guidance: European Union Council Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC (Council of the European Union, 1985; 1997). IFC Guidelines, including Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines for Wind Energy (IFC, 2007b), General EHS Guidelines (IFC, 2007a), Draft EHS Guidance for Roads (IFC, 2006), and Operational Policy 4.01, Content of an Environmental Assessment Report for a Category A Project (World Bank, 2007). EBRD policies, including Environmental Policy (EBRD, 2003) and Public Information Policy (EBRD, 2006).

The overall ESIA process is shown in Figure 1-2. 1.4.1 Scoping

The aim of the scoping process is to identify the potentially significant environmental and socioeconomic issues that are associated with a project, covering the full range of possible effects, both beneficial and adverse, and to ensure that potentially significant issues are considered fully in the ESIA. The method used for scoping the potentially significant impacts of this project comprised:

Scoping identification of key impacts Baseline data collection

Impact Assessment prediction, analysis and determination of significance

Consultation

Consultation with and feedback from government and private organizations and members of the public. Professional knowledge of wind park development and operation, and the types of impacts this could cause. Preliminary knowledge of the existing environment and areas of sensitivity. The scoping process identified the following key issues to be assessed within the ESIA:

Mitigation avoid, reduce, compensate, remediate, enhance

Environmental Management Plan feeds into project construction

Production of the EIA Report

Figure 1-2. EIA Process

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Environmental benefits of using wind-generated energy to meet Mongolias demand for electricity as opposed to other methods, particularly coal. The vulnerability of local soils, in particular their susceptibility to erosion and desertification. Land use, in particular the ability of herders to continue to use pastures for grazing. Wildlife, in particular effects on raptors that use the area for breeding and hunting, and on their prey. Potential effects on local communities, including visual and cultural effects. Potential effects on water from the generation and management of waste. Potential economic effects from employment during construction and operation.

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1.4.2

Baseline Data Collection

The study area was defined initially by the proposed locations of turbines, and then by the area that could be affected by construction and operation of the turbines. Baseline data collection for the wind park included a combination of desk studies and site visits. Desk studies used existing sources of information, including data available on the internet, reports, and data provided by the project proponent, Newcom. Site visits were undertaken between April 15 and April 30, 2008, in order to supplement and verify information provided by desk studies. Based on preliminary findings, a more comprehensive breeding bird survey was completed in May 2008 and a survey of raptor use of the project area was completed in May and June 2008. Chapter 4 of this ESIA provides information on the baseline environment, including natural processes that may affect the baseline over the course of project development. Where there are gaps or uncertainties with the baseline data, or where assumptions have been made, this is stated in the text. 1.4.3 Assessment of Impacts

Chapter 5 of this ESIA determines whether an environmental impact is significant and compares this with alternatives. A number of criteria were used to determine whether or not a potential impact of the proposed scheme could be considered significant. These are outlined with reference to specific environmental and social issues in the subsequent topic sections of this ESIA. Wherever possible, a quantitative assessment of the impacts was undertaken. Where this was not possible, a qualitative assessment of impacts was undertaken, based on existing information available for the site and the surrounding study area, and experience with other wind park developments. The ESIA covers the direct impacts and any indirect, secondary, cumulative, short-, mediumand long-term, permanent and temporary, reversible and irreversible, beneficial and adverse impacts of the proposed scheme. Where relevant, the anticipated impact was compared against appropriate legal requirements and standards. Where no such standards exist, assessment methods involving interpretation and the application of professional judgement were employed. The assessment of significance in all cases took into account the impacts deviation from the established baseline conditions and the sensitivity of the environment. 5 November 2008

ESIA for Salkhit Uul Wind Park1.4.3.1 Methodology for Assessing Environmental Impacts A general method for grading of the significance of environmental impacts was adopted to ensure consistency in the terminology of significance, whether for a beneficial or an adverse impact. The two principal criteria determining significance are the sensitivity of the receptor and the magnitude of the change arising from the scheme, as shown in Table 1-1.

Table 1-1. Determination of Environmental Impact SignificanceSensitivity of receptor Magnitude of change High (e.g. >75% of area or receptor affected) Medium (e.g. 25-75% of area or receptor affected) Low (e.g. 5 to 25% of area or receptor affected) Very Low (e.g. >0, but