Diapositiva 1

Environmental Consultants and Research
2013
INTEGRAL PLAN FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, SLOPE STABILIZATION AND
WILDLIFE CROSSING FOR CONSTRUCTION AFFECTED SITES
A CASE STUDY IN SINALOA, MEXICO
Norma Fernández Buces, Ricardo Sánchez Maldonado, Viridiana Lizárraga Gárate, Mélany Marien Rodríguez Rodríguez, Jonathan Josue Torres
Díaz, Joel Demetrio Martínez, Sergio A. López Noriega
INTRODUCTION
Sinaloan fraction
The Durango - Mazatlan Highway is one of the most important projects in Mexico. It is part
of the network plan for connecting the west and east coasts.
• Difficult access
• Complex topography
The construction of 47.2 km in the Sinaloa section started in 2002 and 2008 and it is still
under execution as it comprises 37 bridges and 31 tunnels under very difficult landscape
conditions.
• Diverse lithology
SITUATION / PROBLEMS
Environmentally authorized projects are obliged to implement mitigation, restoration and
compensation measures. Their enforcement must be included in the construction program
as a Mitigation Management Plan.
Sometimes construction due program urges actions that cannot be adequately mitigate and
therefore emergency restoration activities need to be implemented in order to comply with
regulations and reduce environmental impacts.
• Historical reluctance to comply by construction companies.
• EI Statement’s mitigation measures were stated in general; precise actions needed to be
defined for their adequate implementation.
• Mitigation costs were underestimated by promoters/contractors and few economic resources
are spared for highway mitigation.
Such is the case of “Durango-Mazatlan Highway”; sections “El Salto-Concordia” and “Villa Unión-Concordia”, in Sinaloa, México.
Highway construction began before our environmental supervision was hired and mitigation measures had not being implemented.
The promoter, the Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) was sanctioned by the PROFEPA (Mexico’s attorney general's office) and obliged to develop an emergency Mitigation
Management Plan (EMMP) with integral restoration measures for the environmental impacts that had been caused.
ACTIONS TAKEN
“Villa Unión-Concordia”
“El Salto-Concordia”
Construction started 2008,
Still under construction
1) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS DIAGNOSIS
Several important impacts were caused and few mitigation measures were taken:
a. Vegetation cleared areas were open and subjected to erosion factors.
b. Materials deposited on slopes without stabilization causing debris flow over natural
vegetation.
c. Habitat loss for important, even protected, species associated with vegetation clearance.
d. Fauna corridors were interfered by highway infrastructure.
Construction started 2002, abandoned until 2012; Now
under reconstruction
Affected sites and environmental impacts
a. Road cuts with low stabilization areas on surfaces, important risk issues.
b. Secondary access roads were not restored and are subjected to erosion.
c. Material deposits on slopes causing debris flow over natural vegetation and streams.
d. Lateral rock extraction pits causing erosion problems.
e. Drainage structures were obstructed by debris, some could be useful for fauna crossing
with modifications.
f. Vegetation cleared areas subjected to erosion factors.
2) EMERGENCY MITIGATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
Develop an Integral EMMP
What we did
Assess and Help Construction Companies and
Promoter (SCT) Comply with all planned
restoration measures within the EMMP
1. Developed detailed schemes for restoration measures within an Environmental Action Plan
(particular specifications for each w/quantities and design).
2. Estimate mitigation costs witch were presented to promoter and contractors.
3. Present and discuss Plan with contractors and promoter until agreement and responsibility
acceptance.
4. Define promoter and contractor’s role in complying.
5. Assess contractors for adequate compliance of each restoration measure.
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International Conference on Ecology and Transportation
ICOET 2013 • Canyons, Crossroads, Connections
June 23-27, 2013 | The Westin Kierland | Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Environmental Consultants and Research
2013
3) OPERATIONALIZING IMPACT ASSESSMENT
(Implementation of Integral Restoration Measures and Programs within an EMMP)
“Villa Unión-Concordia”
“El Salto-Concordia”
1) Forestation of vegetation cleared areas
to reduce habitat and community impact
Temporary plant nursery
installed
“PLANT RESCUE AND
REPRODUCTION PROGRAM”
1) Integral EMMPlan for diagnosed affected sites
Germination and growth
of native species
Seed and propagule
rescue
2) Forestation of vegetation cleared areas to reduce habitat and vegetation
community impact
Native species are being produced for
reforestation in a nursery
Seed banks and bio-rolls are being used
32,375 native plants
1,676 stakes rescued and used for reforestation
2) Stabilization of road slopes and
temporal roads of labor
“EROSION CONTROL AND SOIL
RETENTION MEASURES”
3) Wildlife corridors will be restored by modifying drainage structures to
work as underpasses
Creative restoration actions were
implemented using construction
materials and residue recycling to
reduce mitigation costs.
3) Forestation of road slopes and temporal roads of labor
4) Vulnerable species are being rescued from construction sites
zones
4) Stream and river protection
5) Protection of Bat colonies within existing drainages structures; modifications are
made to protect bats.
4) CONCLUSIONS
5) Adequate management
of construction residues
“Residues Management Plan”
• To pretend to avoid mitigation compliance will result in higher expenses, more time
and penalties.
• If Mitigation is described in general, it is difficult to define specific actions that
contractors need to assume as their responsibility and proceed to their execution.
Specific mitigation programs need to be developed.
• Implementation is a challenge, creative low cost measures can be an option to assure
mitigation compliance.
5) AKWOLEDGEMENTS
Centro SCT-Sinaloa (Sinaloa Department of Transport; Secretariat of Comunications and Transports)
3
International Conference on Ecology and Transportation
ICOET 2013 • Canyons, Crossroads, Connections
June 23-27, 2013 | The Westin Kierland | Scottsdale, Arizona, USA