Impact of the Decommissioned Railway Headquarters in Kenya (Essay Sample)

THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF KENYA
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSSESSMENT
SCREENING ANTICIPATED IMPACT OF THE DECOMMISSIONED RAILWAY HEADQUARTERS IN NAIROBI COUNTY ,KENYA
The complete assessment of the proposed actions was based on majorly on construction and all operations within the site and its environments
This assessment of impact is limited mainly to anticipate impact within a set area of the railway headquarters , however, railways yards, borrows areas, area of disposal of surplus fill, staging areas, access roads to construction initiation points and other construction activities will result in impacts outside the identified corridors
1 Hydrological and water resources
a)Impact of accident-free rail transportation; where the corridor crosses the area of flood as mapped in the area the railroad spur would be vulnerable to damage and or inundation if possible around five miles from upper hill valley and muthurwa market
construction of rail spur and access roads may change the boundaries of floods areas, and higher insurance cost. The impact would be most prevalent on the upgrading side of the proposed side of the proposed alignment or other flow obstruction
b) Impact of accident-free truck transportation; accident free transportation within the regulation sectors of Nairobi by legal-weight truck would create a potential impact on water resources from the release of water pollutants in truck emission during routine operations. If such impact on water resources from soil of contaminants during construction and operation
c) Impact of a transportation accidents; transportation accidents would have a large impact on water resources, inline with damage to water resources from personnel and equipment responding to the accident, all accident will also create risk of wildfire, which would also have potential impact on water resources
2) Air resources
a) Impact of accident-free rail transportation; during construction phase of the proposed action, the combustion of diesel fuel inhaul trucks and mobile equipment( such as loaders and bulldozers) along with any combustion of propane and fuel oil would create elevation ambient levels of carbon iv oxide, particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur iv oxide in in the air, combustion emission from construction equipment are relatively uncontrolled at the exhaust pipe
Construction of the railway line towards this area will also result in the loss of soil through wind erosion with associated air quality impact
According to NEMA regulations the construction of the proposed action would comply with all applicable air quality regulation, nevertheless, the proposed action would diminish the existing air matter and other light-scattering or light absorbing pollutants to the air.
b) Impact of accident-free truck transportation; engines exhaust, gasses from the truck well constitute an additional source of air pollution including carbon iv oxide, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur iv oxides, particulate matter, and other constituents of diesel fuel exhaust
c) Impact of transportation accidents; all accidents of severity, create risks of air pollution from fire, land disturbance resulting in wind erosion and other factors
3) Vegetation and soils
a) Impacts of accidents-free rail transportation; the proposed action will result in disturbance of as much as 1000 acre of vegetation and soil in Nairobi County including rail road bed, access road, work camps
The flat cross-sections of the rail corridor largely eliminates the need for cuts, but create a significant demand for borrow materials to construct the road beds. construction of the road bed in the site will require more than 160000 cubic yards of fill materials excess than that generated by required cuts, from predictions assumptions that the borrow will be obtained from adjoining areas and that those areas will be excavated to a depth of up to 20 feet.
There will be also construction of landfills for solid waste generated during construction and this again increases the amount of land disturbance by the project.
In terms of vegetation generally the proposed action will normally result in a conversion from the shrub dominated to a community of grasses and low growing plants in the short term. The reclaimed plant community would be expected to stabilize the construction site and to provide forage for wildlife and livestock in the short term, however, the extensive propelled land disturbance will produce habitant conducive to inversion by noxious weeds and vehicles used during construction and operation would help spread the weed seeds, which will invade the disturbance area
Construction of proposed rail line towards the headquarter would result in a loss of soil erosion through wind erosion
b) Impact of accident-free truck transportation; the trucks will create a potential impacts on vegetation through the spread of naxious weeds, since motor vehicle s are one means by which noxious weed seed are spread
c) Impact of transportation accident; Operation of emergency vehicles and personnel and also creation of nearly disturbed soils which are vulnerable to weed invasions, such an accident also would create a risk of wildfire, which associated impacts upon vegetation and soil
The Human Environment
1 Cultural resources;
a)Impacts on cultural resource; generally regardless of the alternatives , selected, the proposal action would irreversibly alter a historic way of life in the rural
b) Impacts of on accident-free rail transportation; ground disturbance activities during construction phase of the proposed rail corridor could crush or disturb archaeological sites, or exposed or cover sites by creating soil erosion
Indirect impacts may also occur during the construction phase, include disturbance of archaeological sites by purposeful of accidental actions of project employees
c) Impact of accident-free truck transportation; the construction of service or maintenance facilities, the proposed action would have a potential impact on cultural resources, due ground disturbance or indirect damage to the resources
d) Impacts of a transportation accident; potential impacts on cultural resources related to damage occurring during emergency response and the risk of wildfire, both of which could cause trampling, crushing, or exposure of cultural items, such impacts may be greater in the vicinity on Nairobi ri...