Environmental Monitoring
Environmental monitoring enables quantification of the possible impact that building an infrastructure generates on the environment through a set of periodic surveys, carried out on biological, chemical and physical parameters, relating to the following environmental components:
Air
Monitoring points have been identified within a 250 m strip from the infrastructure and close to the route for the Ante Operam and Post Operam phases, coinciding with civic receptors located close to the operational areas (yards and work sites) and the roads affected by the transit of work site vehicles for the Ongoing work phase.
Ante Operam Phase - Parameters measured: pollutants from traffic such as Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Benzene-Toluene-Ethyl Benzene-Xylenes (BTEX), Ozone (O3), PM10, PM2.5 IPA (benzo-(a)-pyrene) and meteorological parameters.
Ongoing work Phase - Parameters measured: PM10, Terrigenous Element, IPA (benzo-(a)-pyrene) and meteorological parameters.
Ante Operam Phase - Parameters measured: pollutants from traffic such as Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Benzene-Toluene-Ethyl Benzene-Xylenes (BTEX), Ozone (O3), PM10, PM2.5 IPA (benzo-(a)-pyrene) and meteorological parameters.
Surface watercourses
Monitoring points are identified at sections where interference occurs between the work and the principal water courses, positioned according to the hydrological upstream-downstream criterion.
Ante Operam Phase - Parameters measured: Flow, Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Redox Potential, pH, Electrical Conductivity, Turbidity, Total Suspended Solids, Chlorides, Sulphates, Total Hydrocarbons, Ammoniacal Nitrogen, Anionic Surfactants, Non-Ionic Surfactants, Aluminium, Iron, Chrome, COD, EPI-D, IBE, IFF.
Ongoing work Phase - Parameters measured: Flow, Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Redox Potential, pH, Electrical Conductivity, Turbidity, Total Suspended Solids, Chlorides, Sulphates, Total Hydrocarbons, Ammoniacal Nitrogen, Anionic Surfactants, Non-Ionic Surfactants, Aluminium, Iron, Chrome, COD, EPI-D, IBE, IFF.
Post Operam Phase - Parameters measured: Flow, Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Redox Potential, pH, Electrical Conductivity, Turbidity, Total Suspended Solids, Chlorides, Sulphates, Total Hydrocarbons, Ammoniacal Nitrogen, Anionic Surfactants, Non-Ionic Surfactants, Aluminium, Iron, Chrome, COD, EPI-D, IBE, IFF.
Underground watercourses
Monitoring points have been identified in areas displaying geological and hydro geological features that could determine the migration and propagation of possible pollutants into the groundwater, or with high vulnerability in the first aquifer, or, likewise, areas affected by works thath could interfere with the groundwater, and which are situated according to the upstream-downstream criterion compared to the direction of the outflow from the ground source itself.
Ante Operam Phase - Parameters measured: Static Level, Air Temperature, Water Temperature, Oxygen ppm, Oxygen %, Conductibility, pH, Redox Potential, Total Hydrocarbons, TOC, Anionic and Non-Ionic Surfactants, Total Chrome and Chrome VI, Iron, Aluminium, Nickel, Zinc, Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Manganese, Copper, Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium, Nitrates, Chlorides, Sulphates.
Ongoing work Phase - Parameters measured: Static Level, Air Temperature, Water Temperature, Oxygen ppm, Oxygen %, Conductibility, pH, Redox Potential, Total Hydrocarbons, TOC, Anionic and Non-Ionic Surfactants, Total Chrome and Chrome VI, Iron, Aluminium, Nickel, Zinc, Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Manganese, Copper. If ?VIPConductibility>1, Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium, Nitrates, Chlorides, Sulphates.
Post Operam Phase - Parameters measured: Static Level, Air Temperature, Water Temperature, Oxygen ppm, Oxygen %, Conductibility, pH, Redox Potential, Total Hydrocarbons, TOC, Anionic and Non-Ionic Surfactants, Total Chrome and Chrome VI, Iron, Aluminium, Nickel, Zinc, Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Manganese, Copper.
Soil
Localisation of the areas and the monitoring points is done on the basis of the recognition of potential interferences associated with work construction activity along the whole route, with particular focus on temporary yards and site routes, i.e. on those areas which, once the work has concluded, will be restored to their original function.
Ante Operam Phase - Parameters measured: Texture, pH, Organic Substance, Heavy Metals (As, Cd, Cr, CrVI, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn), Hydrocarbons C>12, soil profile.
Post Operam Phase - Parameters measured: Texture, pH, Organic Substance, Heavy Metals (As, Cd, Cr, CrVI, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn), Hydrocarbons C>12, BTEX, soil profile.
Vegetation, Flora, Fauna and Ecosystems
Localisation of areas, transepts and monitoring points includes all the areas displaying a significant quality and vulnerability character, such as those intersected by the project route or affected by construction site areas, those subject to greening work envisaged for environmental mitigation, and those falling within the Natura 2000 Network indirectly affected by work relating to the project.
Ante Operam Phase - Major Activity: Investigations A (Mosaics of phytocoenoses directly lost because of building site activity), Investigations C (Flora), Investigations D (Plant Communities), Investigations E-Am (Amphibians), Investigations E-Re (Reptiles), Investigations F-Si (Strigiformes), Investigations F (qualitative and quantitative analyses of ornithic communities), Investigations G (Multi-spectral analyses to survey the biophysical coverage of the soil and natural vegetation stress), Investigations H (Fish populations), Investigations I (Chiropterans).
Ongoing work Phase - Major Activity: Investigations C, Investigations D, Investigations E-Am, Investigations E-Re, Investigations F-Si, Investigations F, Investigations H, Investigations I.
Post Operam Phase - Major Activity: Investigations A, Investigations C, Investigations D, Investigations E-Am, Investigations E-Re, Investigations F-Si, Investigations F, Investigations G, Investigations H, Investigations I.
Landscape
The main aspects monitored are the visual-perceptual and landscape sensitivity features and the cultural and historical-architectural features.
Ante Operam Phase - Major Activity: Investigation A (integration of the work into the landscape context), Investigation B (interaction between historical/architectural work-heritage).
Ongoing work Phase - Major Activity: Investigation B, Investigation C (areas of archaeological attention). Post Operam Phase - Major Activity: Investigation A, Investigation B.
Noise
The points to be subjected to an acoustic investigation have been identified on the basis of the development of the road route, the location of building site and warehouse areas, and the road network used by the vehicles to transport materials from site to site, from quarry to site and from landfill to site.
Ante Operam Phase - Major Activity: TV Measures (associated with vehicular traffic), LF Measures (associated with the working site area), LC Measures (associated with operations carried out in the building site areas), LM Measures (associated with the traffic of building site vehicles).
Ongoing work Phase - Major Activity: LF Measures, LC Measures, LM Measures. Post Operam Phase - Major Activity: TV Measures.
Vibrations
The points to be subjected to investigation have been identified as residential buildings, places of sensitive activity such as hospitals, precision industries, etc., and historical-cultural phenomena proving to be particularly sensitive to vibrations induced by the work.
Ante Operam Phase - Major Activity: VIA Measures (characterisation of current vibration levels) Ongoing work Phase - Major Activity: VIC Measures (characterisation of vibration levels of receptors overlooking the working site area)
Social Environment
For the final project, Autostrada Pedemontana Lombarda has drafted its own environmental monitoring plan, jointly with ARPA (Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente - Regional Environmental Protection Agency) and in conformity with the “Guidelines for the environmental monitoring project of strategic infrastructures and production settlements referred to in Legislative Decree No. 163 of 12 April 2006”.
Monitoring is divided into three phases:
- ANTE OPERAM surveys are carried out before building site activity begins, to photograph the state of the environment before the infrastructure is constructed;
- ONGOING WORK: surveys are executed while the infrastructure is being constructed, starting from the opening of the building sites until their dismantling and the restoration of the sites;
POST OPERAM: surveys are carried out during the operating phase of the infrastructure, varying in length from 1 to 5 years depending on the investigated component.
By correlating the different phases, monitoring enables the evolution of the environmental situation to be assessed, ensuring that the provisions of the Final Project are overseen and checked and that the environmental parameters laid down are complied with.
Environmental Observatory
On the 20th of January 2010, the Supervisory Board for the Plan Agreement for the accomplishment of the Pedemontana Lombarda Transport System established the Environmental Observatory pursuant to Prescription no. 65 of CIPE Resolution no. 97/2009. The following Document was simultaneously validated:
CRITERIA FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATORY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE DALMINE – COMO – VARESE – VALICO DEL GAGGIOLO MOTORWAY CONECTION AND WORKS ASSOCIATED WITH IT
The Environmental Observatory must ensure constant monitoring, from an environmental perspective, of the acyivities implementing the Environmental Monitoring Plan, the building site activities and the first operational phase of the work. For the technical activities, the Environmental Observatory will make use of the Technical Support provided by ARPA Lombardia.