Environmental Impact Assessment for Thermal Power Plant

Environmental Management
Environmental Management: Environmental Impact Assessment
Assignment #5

Environmental Management
Question #3
Introduction
Selecting a proper site for Thermal Power Plant is important for its ensured prolonged
efficiency and many factors are considered when choosing the site for development of such a
plant. An improvised decision Support System for such plants helps decision makers to come up
with several decisions on the site alternatives, at the level of initial study.
Geospatial information (GIS) comes in handy when evaluating a good location for coal
related thermal power plants. In this case the provided maps will help in spotting the suitable
sites. The sites are then ranked using a Site Suitability Index (SSI) and decisions are made
according to it. In general, both the construction and operation of a power plant requires the
availability of some amenities like water resources and the suitable soil type.
Valued Ecosystem Components and their Indicators
VECs are elements of the ecosystem that has an ecological, scientific, social and cultural
importance among other importance. Their value can determine the basis of cultural ideas or
scientific importance. The impact assessment will focus on the important elements. These are
some of the components that were observed in the study.
i. Physical Environment
There will be the release of impurities that can impact air quality in this particular area.
Improvised light source should be at the sight for operation and workers’ health and safety
purpose that will interfere with human and non-human operations. Noise will be produced as
the construction and other operations take place and may disturb other human activities.

Environmental Management
ii. Water source
The thermal power plant of 300 Mega Watts installed capacity needs almost 12 million
m3 of water per year. There will be high impact on river & ground water which will increase
Water needs for the through system which translates to 30 to 50 times more than that of a
normal closed cycle system.
iii. Wildlife
The project site is a habitat for various animals including Pine Martein, Red Fox and
Beaver. Land clearing activities and infrastructure might impact wildlife habitat.
iv. Aquatic resources
The construction and the operations at the project sight could affect access to recreational
fisheries. This will affect the Northern part of project site like Bamoos Lake, Hare Lake and
the Pic River and in the shores of Lake Superior. These may also affect the use of
commercial fisheries near the project site.
v. Social Environment
The demographics of the area and other communities could change as a result of people
moving towards these areas for the purpose of economic opportunities. As a result of these
the cost and the need for housing in these communities might be affected as a result of the
movement of the population for the same reasons of economic opportunities.
Negative Impacts and Mitigation Measures
Potential water resource impacts and Mitigation Measures
The project requires water for various uses, which are; drilling operations, site
construction and cleaning. The water sources of the project site are water from rainfall, water
bodies like lakes and reservoirs, streams, rivers and groundwater.

Environmental Management
Potential water resource impacts may be mitigated by:
 Minimizing water resources needs (e.g. by the recycling of used water);
 Distributing abstractions to various sources;
 Leading abstractions in the direction of lower sections of catchments;
 Evading abstractions from environmentally sensitive sources;
Impacts on environmentally critical areas and conditions
Regionally important ecological sites, like forested areas, major water bodies and
wetlands, habitats of rare and endangered animals will be significantly affected. This will be as a
result of clearing of the project site and creating other infrastructure such as roads and pathway
etc.
Environmentally critical areas and conditions mitigation measures
The areas will be located and measures taken to ensure that they are not threatened by
project site. The measures will include avoiding, reducing or compensating for environmental
impacts and to improve the ecological and community positive outcome of the project.
For air pollutions the process of incineration which involves combustion and used to
control the emission of organic compounds will be used. It involves oxidation of material with
combustible compounds exposed to heat that will release carbon dioxide and steam.
Positive impacts
This Project is going to bring positive socio-economic benefits to the proposed region
and will represents a very positive significant step in the further development of other