Abstract: The Transport Restructuring Project seeks to complete the transformation of the consolidated state railways, into economically viable entities, and, establish regulatory competence for multiple operator market. The project would result in a move towards the core railway network whose size, management, operation and regulation, are commensurate with the market demands for freight, and passenger transport, and will facilitate Romania's accession to the European Union (EU). This environmental assessment reviews the country's environmental legal and regulatory framework, identifies potential environmental adversity due to construction works, and its impact on soil erosion, land degradation, groundwater pollution, and air pollution as a whole, within the seven bypass areas, and, provides mitigation measures as follows. To improve the groundwater quality levels, prior its drainage into the outlet, settlers and grease separators have been developed for installation at each bypass. To further protect groundwater, and soil quality, septic tanks were designed to collect wastewaters, and undergo a treatment process. Groundwater quality monitoring is to be carried out by a network of observation boreholes, while the physical and chemical analyses should be performed once a semester, through exploitation would capture boreholes for supervision, near the industrial platforms. Emission levels resulting from road transport, are insignificant at the country emissions' level, which based on the tests on air samples taken at the different areas (for which NH3, NO2, SO2, and total dust suspensions were determined, except NH3), all the maximum admissible limits have not been exceeded. Concerning heavy metals, lead has recorded high levels, while pollutant concentrations of lead and oil petroleum products from the by-pass route produced normal soil values. However, in the road area, the soil quality affects: lower local fertility, erosion in combination with landslides, contamination due to weeds, and, industrial pollution on limited areas. Livestock crossings, and traffic (including agricultural machinery) regulations shall be designed and enforced, including adequate access roads. Specific engineering designs shall address flood protection adjacent to bypass areas, to include as well the riverbed enlargement. Monitoring criteria will be on the basis of site investigations, and laboratory analyses.
Publication Year: 2004
Publication Date: 2004-06-01
Language: en
Type: article
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