Environmental Assessment
Volume C-4.2
Slurry Pipeline
Fauna
Ambatovy Project
100
January 2006
avoid primary zonal forest as much as possible, thereby reducing impacts to
faunal populations. Only 23 ha (2.4% of the pipeline route) will occur in primary
zonal forest.
Location of the access roads, camps and laydown areas is not finalized so the
impacts to habitats are also not known. However, the camps, laydown areas and
some roads will also be progressively reclaimed during and after construction
limiting the duration of habitat loss. The key biological goal along the length of
the proposed pipeline route will be to minimize habitat loss, including by
reducing soil erosion. However, in key sensitive areas such as the Mantadia-
Zahamena corridor, the goal is reforestation as part of a regional project in the
area. Impacts to species in key primary habitats will also be mitigated as much
as possible through translocation of selected species, where possible, prior to
pipeline construction in any of the few undisturbed habitats crossed, especially
near the mine site. Combined with the progressive and rapid reclamation of the
pipeline route, impacts to faunal species will be reduced.
Change in Hydrology
Along the pipeline route in general, changes in runoff and streamflow are
predicted to be negligible (Volume C, Section 3.6). Changes in sediment loads
are also predicted to be negligible as erosion control measures will be applied.
At pipeline watercourse crossing locations, changes in streamflow and sediment
concentrations are predicted to be moderate to high at the time of construction
but reduced to negligible to low during operation and closure. Therefore,
impacts to fauna as a result of changes in streamflow and sediment
concentrations are predicted to be higher during the construction phase, however
the extent of the disturbance will be local and temporary.
Of the 1,393 km of watercourses in the LSA, a maximum of 33 km (2.4%) will
be affected by the pipeline (Table 4.2-3). This impact does not include access
roads, camps or laydown areas however, mitigation will limit disturbance for
most watercourses to the construction phase. As the majority of crossings will be
buried, the impacts will be restricted to the construction phase. At road
intersections with streams and rivers, bridges and culverts will be installed as
appropriate during construction, potentially altering watercourse habitat.
Although some roads will be retained after construction based on regional
planning goals, others will be temporary so these impacts to faunal habitats in
watercourses will also be temporary.
