SOIL & GROUNDWATER IMPACTS
Typical Operation
6.4.1 The Project will not result in any noteworthy impacts on soil or groundwater during the operation of the plant. Additional possible impacts could rise from unintentional spills and incorrect storage of raw materials, fuels and wastes. On the basis of the observed chances of the soil and groundwater pollution the importance of this impact is determined to be insignificant.
Unplanned Events
6.4.2 Rainfalls are usually low in Qatar; still, infrequent storms can produce in a single event huge capacities of water. On the basis of the above the significance of this impact is determined to be negligible. Other potential impacts arising as a result of large scale accidents have been addressed in the environmental risk assessment Section of this Chapter (Section 6.10).
Construction and Commissioning
Main Site, Port Area and Construction Workers Camp
6.4.3 As stated previously, the Contractor(s) be required to comply with all Qatari regulations and Qatalum requirements with regard to the environment, which will address the measures in place to minimize of any emissions or wastes accidental or otherwise associated with activities that could potentially result in soil or groundwater contamination (e.g. from materials and waste handling and storage, testing etc.). Contractor(s) will also be required to obtain any necessary permits or approvals to dispose of any wastes.
Area for Dewatering and Storage of Dredged Material
Original Port Concept
6.4.4 The 2005 Qatalum Marine Survey included sediment sampling in the Original Port concept dredge area; this did not identify any potential contamination of the sediment. Thus, the potential impacts to soil and groundwater resulting from processes associated with the deposition, dewatering, storage and use of dredge of material (as fill) are unlikely to be a cause for concern. However, it is recommended that dredged material be sampled, prior to use as fill, to ensure that this is the case.
Alternative Port Concept
6.4.5 Previous surveys33, 34 have indicated that the sediments in the region of the possible dredge area could be contaminated with TPH and certain metals. A pre-dredge survey will be undertaken as part of the dredging management plan to confirm whether contamination is present in the dredge areas and to determine the location of any hotspots (see Section 6.5 for further details). If generally high levels of contamination are found, mitigation measures to eliminate or minimize the negative effects associated with the storage and dewatering of the sediments will be discussed and agreed with MIC and SCENR.
Impact Significance
6.4.6 For the significance of the impacts on soil and groundwater from of construction of the Main Site, Port Area, Construction Workers Camp and the dewatering area for dredged materials from the Original Port concept dredging areas are expected to be negligible. Management of the waste is talk over further in Section 6.8; environmental management and monitoring plans are discussed more in Chapter 8.
