Archive for category: Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment of four Clay Material Borrow Sites to be used for Dam Construction in Cyprus

The project refers to the Environmental Impact Assessment of four clay material borrow sites at Kousoulia –Flasou (170.000 m3 of clay) and Mantres at Kato Koutrafas (100.000 m3) to be used for the construction of the Solea Dam in Cyprus.

Client: Water Development Department Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Cyprus

Region: Cyprus

Type: Environmental Impact Assessment

Duration: 06/2010 – 04/2011

Other Partners: –

The main objectives of the project were:

• Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of positive and negative environmental impacts of excavation of borrow areas
• Compatibility of the planned quarrying with existing or planned uses
• Cause of difficulty to the inhabitants or other users of the area and to their health and safety
• Impacts to the use or development and value of the land
• Atmospheric pollution including dust
• Impacts to natural runoff and drainage, soil, floods etc.
• Sources and level of noise, dust and vibration due to the works
• Impact to fauna and flora, ecosystems and wild life
• Proposed methodology for the reclamation of the area to its initial condition before the exploitation

The tasks that were successfully completed were:

• Description of the works to be undertaken (area, required extent of land, main works and quantities to be excavated, consumption of natural resources and energy, human resource needs , reclamation of landscape)
• Production, processing and disposal of wastes (liquid and solid wastes, noise, vibrations, aerial emissions,)
• Description of natural environment of the area (topography, geology, hydrology/hydrogeology, seismicity, soils, meteorology, flora and fauna)
• Description of the socioeconomic conditions of the area (population, economic activities, town planning, land use)
• Evaluation of environmental impacts
• Proposal of mitigation measures for the environment (water resources, noise and vibrations, quality of the atmosphere, creation of wastes, aesthetics, biotic environment, social and town planning conditions, safety issues – traffic)
• Monitoring and control program
• Views of local communities (Flasou, K. Koutrafa)

Block 11 (Cyprus) Offshore Exploration Drilling Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment study for the Block 11 Offshore Exploration Drilling campaign of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus in order to evaluate the impact of the project (both routine activities and unplanned/accidental events) on the physical, biological, socio-economic and cultural heritage environment.

Client: RSK Environmental Ltd for Total Exploration and Production Cyprus BV

Region: Block 11 of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus, expected route of the supply/support vessels to Limassol Port and Limassol Port and its immediate surroundings

Type: Environmental Impact Assessment

Duration: 04/2016 – 03/2017

Other Partners: –

Total Exploration & Production Cyprus B.V. (TEP Cyprus) intends to carry out an offshore exploration drilling campaign in Block 11 of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus. The proposed campaign comprises drilling of one exploration well and one (optional – if the results of the exploration well are positive) appraisal well, along with associated support activities. The exploration well, Onesiphoros West-1 (OW-1), will be a vertical well in 1,698 m of water. The target reservoir (gas) is in the Miocene strata at -4,250 m true vertical depth / mean sea level (TVD/MSL). Drilling operations will be supported from a logistics base within Limassol Port, whose facilities include: pipe yard, warehousing, jetty, drilling fluids mixing plant and drilling fluids storage, areas for offices, vehicles, marshalling, cargo containers, waste transfer and transit (no waste treatment). The logistics base will be located on existing available port facilities.

An ESIA study was elaborated for the Block 11 Offshore Exploration Drilling (both routine activities and unplanned/accidental events), whose objectives were:

• identify the legal and regulatory requirements and other standards relevant to the project;
• identify sensitive environmental and socio-economic receptors in the project area of influence;
• inform stakeholders and obtain their views and opinions (potentially affected
• communities/people and other interested parties);
• determine project aspects and activities that could result in environmental or socioeconomic impacts (along with scoring of impact significance);
• develop mitigation measures to reduce potential negative impacts to within acceptable levels and enhance any beneficial environmental and socio-economic impacts arising from the project;
• determine residual project impacts (along with scoring of residual impact significance);
• ensure that mitigation measures are incorporated into management plans that will be implemented by the project sponsor and their contractors and subcontractors during the drilling programme.

The ESIA process included stakeholder engagement, the main goal of which is to identify the views and opinions of potentially affected people and other interested parties.

Strategic Environmental Assessment of Cyprus Desalination Plant Development Plan

Due to the serious problem of water shortage in Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus put forward the Desalination Plant Development Plan, in order to be able to cover the drinking water needs and to ensure independency from the weather conditions. The SEA aimed to assess the significant environmental effects that are likely to result from the Plan and propose appropriate mitigation measures to be incorporated into the plan-making process.

Client: Water Development Department Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Cyprus

Region: Cyprus

Type: Strategic Environmental Assessment, Water & Flood Management

Duration: 05/2009-12/2010

Other Partners: ENVECO S.A. (Greece)

Drought is a matter of great importance for Cyprus. Cyprus and Malta are classified as the EU member states with the highest levels of water shortage, with drought being the most important problem. Cyprus has always had a problem of water shortage, affecting both its drinking and irrigation needs. During 2008, Cyprus experienced heavy drought conditions and water shortage, which was the result of consecutive years of drought. This resulted in serious retrenchments both in drinking water supply and more so in irrigation water supply. Water was imported from Greece, in order to meet the drinking water demand. In that context, the Republic of Cyprus put forward the Desalination Plant Development Plan, in order to be able to cover the drinking water needs and to ensure independency from the weather conditions.

The tasks that were successfully completed and the services that were provided by I.A.CO in the frame of the Strategic Environmental Assessment were:

• Analysis and description of the context and objectives of the Plan, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope
• Detailed description of the Plan with a focus on those aspects that have a potential environmental impact
• Developing and refining alternatives, assessing effects and assist in the refinement of the plan and in the selection of the ones to be further analysed. The different alternatives that were examined were:
  • Do nothing scenario
  • Measures for maximising efficient water management, water saving and available drinking water
  • Desalination Plan to achieve full independency of drinking water from the weather conditions
• Analysis and presentation of the current situation in the relevant environmental fields, as well as of the trends and expected developments
• Detailed assessment and evaluation of the significant environmental impacts of the Plan, also taking into account cumulative impacts
• Identification and proposal of appropriate mitigation measures in order to be incorporated into the plan-making process
• Formulation of appropriate Monitoring Programme for the impacts and the effectiveness of measures
• Consultation and Public Participation Campaign with the public and relevant stakeholders
• Presentations of the Environmental Report to the public and to the Environmental Authority

Strategic Environmental Assessment of the River Basin Management Plans of Thessaly, Epirus and Western Greece Water Districts

The aim of the project was the assessment of the significant environmental effects that are likely to result from the implementation of the River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) for three Water Districts of Greece, i.e. Thessaly, Epirus and Western Greece, based on the provisions of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Three SEA Reports were prepared that examined in great analysis the measures proposed by each RBMP and ensured that measures are acceptable from a broader environmental perspective.

Client: Special Secretariat for Water Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Greece subcontracted by the ENVECO S.A. (Greece)

Region: Cyprus

Type: Strategic Environmental Assessment, Water & Flood Management

Duration: 01/2012 – 10/2012

Other Partners: Consortium of “Karavokyris & Associates – V. Perleros – ENVECO S.A. – G. Antzoulatos – EPEM S.A. – Omikron – E. Constantinides – G. Tsekouras – G. Kotzageorgis – N. Gkargoulas” (Greece)

The aim of the project was the assessment of the significant environmental effects that are likely to result from the implementation of the River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) for three Water Districts of Greece, i.e. Thessaly, Epirus and Western Greece, based on the provisions of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. The RBMPs are the first RBMP -according to the provisions of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC- to be compiled in Greece and cover the period up to 2015. The Plans have clearly environmental oriented character, since the main objective is the integrated and sustainable management of water resources.

In this context, three Strategic Environmental Assessment Reports were prepared that examined in great analysis the measures proposed by each RBMP and ensured that measures are acceptable from a broader environmental perspective.

The tasks that were successfully completed and the services that were provided by I.A.CO in the frame of the Strategic Environmental Assessment were:

• Analysis and description of the context and objectives of the Plans
• Detailed description of the Plans with a focus on those aspects that have a potential environmental impact
• Developing and refining alternatives, assessing effects and assist in the refinement of the plan and in the selection of the ones to be further analysed
• Analysis and presentation of the current situation in the relevant environmental fields, as well as of the trends and expected developments
• Detailed assessment and evaluation of the significant environmental impacts of the Plan, also taking into account cumulative impacts
• Identification and proposal of appropriate mitigation in order to be incorporated into the plan-making process
• Formulation of appropriate Monitoring Programme for the impacts and the effectiveness of measures