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(CNS): The terms of reference (ToR) for the environmental impact assessment of the East-West Arterial Road extension, released by the Department of Environment Monday, outline many of the potential negative impacts this controversial road will have on nature and society that will need to be closely examined during the process. Covering seven defined areas, from the danger of flooding and increased greenhouse gas emissions to the contamination of groundwater and the impact on wildlife, the EIA will also weigh the potential benefits of the road against alternative options.
Given the size of the document and the number of potential problems that it identifies, even before the EIA is conducted, the publication of the terms of reference is likely to fuel further controversy about the proposed highway. The government hopes the road will reduce the morning and evening commute time for residents in East End and North Side to under an hour. Right now many commuters are stuck in traffic for as long as two hours each way due to the significant increase in the number of cars on the road.
The document, drawn up by the US engineering company Whitman, Requardt & Associates LLP, which won the contract for the costly project, has been scrutinised by the DoE and released ahead of the first proposed public meeting about the assessment on 7 February in North Side.
It examines the potential impact of the road on socioeconomic issues, hydrology, geo-environmental conditions, terrestrial ecology, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and vibration as well as cultural and heritage sites along and near the route.
The scientists and researchers will take a close look at how this road will impact all residents, homeowners, businesses and short-term renters, as well as marginalised or vulnerable groups such as inmates at the prison. The pros and cons will be considered against a ‘no-build’ scenario. The EIA will not only consider the direct impact of the road but the potential for new development that its construction will facilitate, a major concern for many people.
The ToRs point out that the proposed project could have a major impact on water circulation patterns, increase stormwater runoff volume and velocity, decrease water quality and impact the ecology of natural resources. The Central Mangrove Wetlands, the Mastic Reserve, the Meagre Bay Pond, the Lower Valley and North Sound freshwater lenses are all at risk.
A damming effect caused by the road could also restrict the hydrology to the critical Central Mangrove Wetland, causing inundation of the mangroves and adjacent developed areas south of the proposed roadway and the subsequent flooding of neighbouring properties and infrastructure.
“The loss of mangroves reduces transpiration, may increase runoff, and could reduce floodplain roughness, which in turn could increase run-off velocity and reduce protection from tropical storms and hurricanes. In addition, the cutting or drowning of mangroves may decrease precipitation on the western end of the island,” the document notes. “The proposed roadway has the potential to release contaminants that may potentially pollute sensitive habitats and the underlying aquifers.”
The construction will also change the quantity and quality of peat and groundwater as it could diminish the recharging of groundwater redirecting stormwater away from the freshwater lenses. The potential for peat to be removed, covered over, compacted and contaminated could also harm the wetlands.
“The peat substrate is required for new growth for many species of flora, including… mangroves. It’s a vital component of a healthy wetland ecosystem and also sequesters and purifies toxins from the surrounding groundwater. An unknown factor is how currently undeveloped lands south of the proposed road corridor will impact drainage conveyance, given there are no proper regulations to ensure developments are built in a sustainable manner with functional drainage plans,” the ToR states.
Ecological resources are also threatened by the road and the EIA will look at the effects not just on the Central Mangrove Wetland, but Meagre Bay Pond and Animal Sanctuary, Mastic Reserve, Little Sound Environmental Zone, and mangrove habitat to the north and south of the area during and after construction. Issues such as habitat loss and fragmentation and the loss of species and restrictions to animal movements, as well as the dust sediment and contamination of the habitat that survives the bulldozer will also be examined.
While greenhouse gas emissions are certain to increase with the arrival of the road and the traffic it will carry, there will also be an increase in emissions during construction from the heavy equipment building the road and the trucks bringing in the construction materials.
The removal of peat will also add to the emission count as it acts as a sink for carbon dioxide and methane. But when the peat is lost those climate change-causing gases will be released into the atmosphere, especially over the stretch of the road east of Lookout Road where the volume of peat is believed to be significant.
“When these carbon sinks are disturbed or removed, its potential to store carbon is reduced. This loss will be incorporated into the overall project impacts,” the scientists that drew up the ToR said.
The project will also generate noise and vibrations likely to affect people and nature. In addition, ground vibrations caused by construction can create a wide range of issues for structures, such as cracking foundations and softening the soil, causing the structure to settle, depending on the amplitude, frequency and duration.
Arial photography shows residential and other properties along the route that could be impacted, including residential communities in Bodden Town, the Clifton Hunter High School and the Frank Sound Fire Station.
The extension also has the potential to affect portions of cultural and natural heritage sites within the project study area, diminishing the aesthetics and character of important Caymanian places as well as the overall loss of natural habitat. These sites could be impacted by a combination of factors associated with both the construction and operation from the noise of traffic to the complete loss or fragmentation of natural habitat.
Despite the catalogue of potential threats and concerns for the community and the fundamental problems caused by the excessive amount of traffic on local roads, the PACT Government has made it clear that this road is a priority. Therefore, the EIA will outline potential mitigation measures or ways to avoid the worst of the damage.
However, the list of potential threats the road poses is extensive and the removal of 174 acres of mangrove to make way for the road, already a major blow to that critical habitat, will not be the only negative effect that cannot be mitigated.
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