South Pqclflc Regionol Environmenl Progromme

SPREP Report qnd Studies Series no. 100

Environmenlol lmpoctAssessmenl (ElA) Report

Almospheric Rodiotion ondCloud Stolion in Nouru

SPREP t ibrary Cateloguing-in-Publiertion lData

Onorig Korneri

Envimnmental funpact aossssre.nit report :

Atmeqpheric Radiation and Cloud S,e{ition inNauru / by Koureri Onoris. - Api", Samoa :

SPREB 19e7.

!8 pi : mape, phe,ro* i29'en.. (SPREP l9lepone

aqd Studi-s se,ries ; no.100).

lPrepared for the United.States ARL4 Pmgrarrn's

Tlupio.l Iffetero Pacific Prognam Offiee and'rhcMioictry of Island Devc,lopnilent and Indr,rstries,

Bc,public sf Nauni",

ISBN: 982-04-017:5-5

1. Iinv,ilr,ligeunal ir'npact a,naly"is - AtmosphirricRadiatiot,and Cloud Statia,n . Naur-u. ;, Envircsmentalnsniroritilg: - Atmosplaeric Radiation and elo.udStation - Naunil. L Atmoopheric Radiation lvleaslrremeut (A'-RfoI)i P,rcB,ian* II. South Pacific Regional

Envim,nment Prvgganarne III. Titls, [V-. Series

333.7109685

Published in Nwen'ber leef by, tLhe

S.ouuh Pacific Regional E:ryircnment ProgrammePO Box 240

AFra,So.r,roa

Typeu"t in [L113 GararnondPriuted on rec,,reled pa.per 9Ogprn fuaan-eh Mat An (60%) byQornr:oercial Pristerg l-tdApia, Samoa

Co.rner phorc: The islan of Narrrnr (courtcsy of theTrop.icalVesuwrfuoymOffire\

@ South Peeific Regional Envi:ronnsnt Progqpme; 1996.

The Sosth Paeific Regional Envfuorunert Fmgrammeauthoriss the reproductio.n of this mat€rial, whotre s-r inpan, in any form pnrided appropriateacknowledgernent is giren.

Origind Teg; English

South Pocific Regionol Environment progromme

Environmental Impact AssessmentReport

Atmospheric Radiation andCloud Station in Nauru

Prepared for the United States ARM Program'sTropical Westem Pacific Program OfficeandMinistry of Island Development and IndustriesRepublic of Nauru

by Komeri OnorioEnvironmental tmpact Asseesment OfficerSouth Pacific Regional Environment programme

Gontents

1 Intmdustion 1

1.1 The Atmoqpheris Rdlatior Mr:asureoem Pro.grarn ($.ru\'I) 1

1.2 The i{RM ExperimeutalPrrogram "2

2 Proiect Description 52.L The site 5

2-1.1 She constmction 5

2.1.2 TheABeSq$dpmcnt 5

2.12.1 hlrrnw'inetnlionattdequipment t2.122 DaaaadoPraws 6

3 Existing etreito{urrelnt 9

3.1 Ella Park 9

1.2 The redaiuned reef I3.3 Soeio+csrrcmics 10

4 Environmenul irnpacts and mitigation 12

4.t Expectcd effects of reef reclamatisn 12

+,7.1 Short-erm €fhcrs 12

4.1.2 Inng+erm andlorperrnanet sffrcts 12

4.1.2.1 Ahtnatiaecomnanity sh.ct 16 12

4,1.2,2 Cigutera 13

4.1.23 AltsadonofscdinewQrzgineandcunetttflou Ii

4.2 Expected effeos of ARCS site eonstructiou 14

4,2.1 C-onetnrc'tion rvork 14

4.2.2 V,ttptpollution 14

4.2.3 Air pollution f5

4.3 Expeo-ted e.ffects of opcatioo of the r{.RCS site 15

4.3.1 Atrnospheric radiation and doudy snrdy 15

4.3,2 Fotns of huuran activities 16

5 Surunary of findings and r,ecommendations 17

6 References 18

List of Figures

FigFre 1.,1: Proposed Atoospherie Rad'iation mdCloudftation (ARCS) 3

F'igrgr-e 1.2: Arti*'s i4pression of a rypiel Amnospheric Radiarion endQ,lotrd Station (ARC.9) 4

Figure 2.t lvlap of'Nauru 6

Figure 2.2ar Eltq P€rk T

Figure 2.2b: The sieauall secrioa s{EllaPark to be enended for ARCS 7

Figrire 3: Bdd Flawau g

1.1

INTRODUCTION

The Atmospheric RadiationMeasuremenr Program (ARM) contracredwith SPREP's Climate ChangeProgramme to act as an independentregional consultant to determine likelyenvironmental impacts of locating andopeffint an Atmospheric Radiation andCloud Station (ARCS) in the Republic ofNauru. In particular, ARM is concerned

with the appropriate improvement of theseawall at the proposed ARCS site.

This report incorporates co[lmentsraised by the ARM Program on rhe draftreport. Comments from the NauruGovernment were not available at rhetime of publication.

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program (ARM)

The US Depanment of Energy (DOE)initiated the Carbon Dioxide ResearchProgram n 1978 ro address rhe effects ofincreased concentrations of carbondioxide in the atmosphere. Recently,DOE developed programmes thar are anintegral part of the extensive national andinternational efforr to understand globdclimate change.

Large-scale numerical models are lceyelements of modern climate research andthe effon to accurarely predict furureclimate scenarios. The models of theglobal climate system have advanced toinclude realistic geography, the annualcycle of the seasons and varying cloudcover. However, research has also revealedthat important uncertainties remain inthese computer models.

DOE's Atmospheric RadiationMeasurement Program was thereforecreated in 1989 to address the impact ofclouds (one of the mosr imponant ofthese uncerrainties) on the atmosphericenergy balance and to improve climatechange predictions. This programme nowforms part of the ongoing effort toresolve scientific uncertainties aboutglobal climate change that may resultfrom the addition of carbon dioxide andother so-cdled greenhouse gases ro rheatmosphere.

Modelling the impacts of clouds aredifficult due to their complex anddiffering effects on both wearher andclimate. Clouds can reflect incomingsunlight and therefore contribute tocooling, but they also absorb infra-redradiation leaving the earth and therebycontribute to warming. High cirrusclouds for example, may have the impactof warming the atmosphere while lowlying stratus clouds, which are frequentlyfound over oceans can contribut€ tocooling. In order to successftrlly modeland predict climate, ir will be necessaryto have the abiliry to both describe rheeffect of clouds in the currenr climate butdso predict the complex chain of evenrswhich might modify the distribution andproperties of clouds in an altered climate.

The specific goals of ARM, therefore, areto:

' improve General Circuladon Models(GCMs) as tools for predicting global andregional climate change;

' improve the treatment of radiativetransfer in GCMs under all conditionsi.e. clear sky, general overcasr and brohencloud conditions; and

' improve the parameterisation of cloudpropenies and formation of clouds inGCMs.

1.2

Atmosphnic Radiation and Cload Sution in Nastu

The ARM Experimental Program

Improving the treatment in General

Circulation Models of clouds and theirinteraction with solar and terrestridradiation requires a new experimentalapproach to the study of climate models.

ARM has chosen to create an

experimental framework in which large

^tlays of instruments can be used over

extended periods of time to undentandnot only the processes associated withclouds and radiation, but also the way inwhich these processes are captured inclimate models. These instruments willcollect data for analyses that will helpdetermine the effects and interactions ofsunlight, radiant energy and clouds on

temperatures as well as weather and

climate. Knowledge gained from these

measurements will contribute to a better

understanding of porcntid climatechanges by improving the accuracy of the

computer models used to predict these

changes.

Three primairy and six suPPlementary

locdes, also referred to as Cloud and

Radiation Testbed (CART) fieldmeasurement sites, were idendfied as

representing the range of climaticallysignificant regimes in whichobservational programmes should be

conducted. The selection of the Primaryand supplementary locdes involved an

extcnsive evduation based on the cloud

and radiation processes to be studied and

modelled in order to achieve the

objectives of the ARM Program. Theprimary locdes selected include the

Southern US Great Plains, the Tropicd\Testern Pacific Ocean and the NorthSlope of Alaska. The first primary locale,

in the Southern Great Plains, was

dedicated n 1992. The second to be

established by the ARM Program is inthe Tropical Western Pacific (I$0P). TheTtil7P locale covers the area betweenapproximately lO'N to 10'S of theEquator from Indonesia to near

Christmas Island, locally known as

Kiritimati (see figure 1.1).

The ARM Program has commenceddeploying to the T\(rP locale byestablishing the first of several

Armospheric Radiation and CloudStations (ARCS) in Manus, Papua NewGuinea, in September 1996. This will be

followed by the founding of an ARCStation in Nauru during 1998. Theestablishment of Kanton and KiritimatiARCS will commence following thecompletion of the Nauru station. In each

primary locale, a "site" related to the size

of a typical general circulation grid cellwill be equipped with an array ofinstruments for long-term (seven to tenyears) observations, to supPort theevaluation and improvement of cloud and

radiation process models' The currentARCS design consists of five to sixcontainers, and will includemeteorological instruments' comPutersystems for data collection and storage, a

satellite communications system and

support equipment (see figure 7.2 for art

artist's impression of a rypical ARCS)-

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Figure 1.2: Artist's impression of a typical AtmosphericRadiation and Cloud Station (ARCS)

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2

2.1

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The US Department of Energy's ARMProgram, in collaboration with the SouthPacific Regional EnvironmentProgramme (SPREP), proposes ro operareits second Atmospheric Radiation andCloud Station (ARCS) on rhe island ofNauru in cooperation with the NauruDepartment of Island Development andIndustries (DIDD. The Governmenr ofNauru has decided to locate the ARCS at

Ella Park, an area of land on the sourh-western side of the Nauru airfield,approximately 50 metres east of the lastdomestic household along the coasr ofYarren District. DIDI will provide anynecessary permits for the operation ofthe ARCS at Naunr for rhe anticipatedperiod of operation of ten years (see themap of Nauru in figure 2.1).

The site

The ARCS site is at an area in the YarrenDistrict Porcion No. 90, locally known as

"Atomo", a government-leased landunder the Aerodrome (Acquisition ofLand) Ordinance 1952. The required landsurface area for the ARCS site isapproximately 70 metres long by 14

metres wide. The allocated land area isvery narrow therefore, much of therequired space will have to be reclaimedfrom from en are^ 10 metres south of theseawall.

2.1.1 Site constructionThe proposal is to construct an extendedseawall from the eastern bend of the oldseawall (adjacent to the last household),to join the new airstrip seawall pa$ rhepill box. The reclaimed area would belandfilled and refurbished for theestablishment of the ARCS site whichwill be fenced in (see figures 2.2a andb).

All backfill material will be coralpinnacle limestone which are inabundant supply at the used phosphatemine site, n'Topside". Initially, bouldersup to 1100 kilograms will be used,gradually moving to smaller sized rocksand finally to crushed chips and gravelfor the surface. Boulders will becemented together and anchored down tothe base reef rock by steel pins to ensure

the weather side of the seawall willwithstand the strong wave actionnormally experienced in this particularare .

Heavy equipment, skilled and casuallabour needed for the consrruction of thesite is available on the island.

2.1.2 TheARCS eguipment

2.1 .2.1 Instrumentation and equipment

A complete ARCS faciliry will beinstalled on Nauru. This consists of fiveto six specially equipped 2O-foot sea

containers and associatedinstrumentation, including a 50 kilowanbackup generator set. The rypicalinstnrments that will be operared at thesite include:

. Vaisala Ceilometer (VCEIL25K)

. Micropulse Lidar (MPL)

. Downwelling Radiation (SKYRAD)Instrumentation

' Multifilter Rotating ShadowbandRadiometer (MFRSR)

. Caterpillar Diesel Generator andElectrical Control System

. ARCS Enclosures (Vans)

' Monitor and Control System (MACS)and Communications System (COMS)

' Microwave Radiometer (MlfR)

Atmospheric Rad.iztion and Cloud Sation in Nauru

. MET Tower-\ilind Speed./ VindDirection/ Relative Humidity (SMET)

ARCS Data Loggen

' UPwelling (GNDRAD) Instrumentation

. Whole Sky Imager (VS!

' Atmospheric Emitted Radiance

Interferometer (AERI)

' Millimeter \fave Cloud Radar (MMCR)

Should the Governmnent Naum decide

to use the ARCS as a basis of establishing

a Meteorological Service, additionalinstrumentation may be located on the

site.

2.1.2.2 Data and operators

The ARM Program will make available

as required all ARCS data withcalibration informarion based on ARMoperational research requirements. ARCS

operators (local staff trained by the ARMProgram) will be responsible for the dailyoperations of ARCS instruments and

associated systems. A Regional Service

Team (RESET) from the US will make

periodic and emergency visits to service,

repir, and calibrate instruments and

systems and will provide continuedtraining for personnel.

Should the ARCS be used as a basis for a

Meteorological Service some additionalinstrumentation and operators will be

required. This will be the responsibilityof the Nauru Government. The ARMProgram will assist in this effort and a

cost eflicient collaboration will be

worked out. Any requirements of theARCS instruments or requirements and

use of the ARCS data outside ARMooerational research requirements will be

the responsibiliry of the MeteorologicalService. ARM will collaborate within its

charter to assist in these areas as well'Basically the ARM and MeteorologicalService working together can serve bothfunctions in a cost effective manner,

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Figure 2.1: Map of Nauru

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AtmoEhuir Radiation atd Clotd Sution in Naunr

Figure 2.3:

3

3.1

3.2

EXISTING ENVIRONMENT

The Republic of Naunr is located ar O'30'S

latitude and 166"55'E longitude. Thus ir isin the TVP locale (between 10"N and 10'S

of the Equator) in which the ARM Programwishes to deploy its ARCS. Nauru is a singleraised limesrone island with a circumferenceof tg.3 kilometres (12 mile$ and atoml landarea of 21 square kilometres (8.2 squaremiles). The island consists mainly of a flarplateau, at about 90 metres above sea level,that descends to a narrow coastal fringewhere most of the popularion live. Theplateau interior contains extensivephosphate deposits which have been minedsince 1902. The ovcr-mining of the island

has resulted in an eerie, barren andinhospitable plateau suggesting a sciencefiction creation, as seen in figure 2.3.Funher, as observed by Helen Bogdan andAssociates in 1990, "the removal ofvegetation to facilimte mining has left theplateau with a bald top". This has causedan "oven' effect which is so hot that theupdraft of air disperses the cloud formationresulting in less than 1.5 merres of annualninfall being recorded. These draughts haveretarded much of the normal vegerationgrowth, restricted habitats for local birdsand funher accentuated the problem ofwater shortage.

Ella Park

The ARCS site will occupy Ella Park andthe reclaimed land. The tiny park, whichcurrently provides two picnic tables withsealing under the shade of two coconuttrees, is in an area of compacted coral sandand rubbles devoid of vegeration except forstunted grass growth in patches,low growthsalt bushes Scaewla sericea and ground coverIponoea sp The site is approximately 50metres east of the nearest residentialhousehold alongside the main road, and

about 50 metres away from the side of theairstrip.

A seawall was built on the sea side of thepark due to heavy coastal erosion frompounding waves during high tides, enforcedby the prevailing strong south-easterlywind. This seawall extends to the neu/eastward extension of the airstrip,completed in 1993, close to the outer edge

of the reef.

The reclaimed reef

The reef area under study is typical of a

coral island coastal area. The inundated area

underthe reclamation will emend fromthebeach side of the existing seawall to abour8 metres into the reef flat covering about70 metres of the coastline of Yarren District.

The narrow strip of sand that has formedover beach rock are moderately sloped areas

of clean coarse sand and coral rubble withlittle biota outside of the ghost crab,Orypoda sp found in abundance inside theholes along the seawall. This strip of sand,

like the reef platform, is submerged only athigh tide.

The reef platform in general varies slightlywith depth. Close to the study site, the reefflat has numerous shallow reef pools (witha depth of less than 0.2 metres) which are

surprisingly devoid of living orgarismsexcept for hermit crabs. This is comparedto the pools funher out ro sea which areinhabited by small fish, gobies, juvenilesurgeon fishes and the odd sea cucumbers,mainly the surf redfish Actinopyga

3.3

Atmostheric Radiation and Cloud Sution in Naaru

rnauritidna and lollyfish Holothuria(Halodeirna) ata variety. This particulararea of the coast has been heavily disturbedthrough seawall construction and coastal

erosion. Thus the reef flat close to theseawall is also devoid of biota cover, whilefurther to the middle and loq'er areas of thereef there is an abundant cover of green and

red coralline algae.

The reef surrounding Nauru has thepotential to become toxic. Ciguatera fishpoisoning was not known in Nauru until

its outbreak in 1990. Research work byTebanoin 1997 confirmed only 5 cases out of 39

reported as caused by ciguatera fish poisoning.The research work relates the outbreak ofciguarera fish poisoning as a reult of reefblasting of rhe Anibare passage where thepoisoning began, subsequently spreading toAnabar and Anetan reefs. Yarren reef has been

heavily disturbed by the airport extension andwill be further impacted by the reefreclamation for.the ARCS site. Therefore thepotential exists that the reef in Nauru maybecome toxic once again.

Socio-economics

Nauruans have a very strong affinity fortheir village life and community. Theirdeep attachment to the tiny country has

much relevance to the importantquestion of rehabilitation anddevelopment of infrastructures that willprovide security and sustainability oflivelihood to the island people,

Phosphate mining is now almostexhausted and Nauruans are finding thatfisheries may become the only importantsocio-economic activity and future forthe average citizen. In fact, mostNauruans are relying more and more ontraditional full time fishing for theirrecreation and livelihood.

The deployment of ARCS to Naumwould not appear to have economicimportance to the averuge Nauruan since

neither creates a social amenity nor ahighly visible economic developmentopportunity. However, the expansion ofthe ARCS into a meteorological service

for Nauru would result in long-termeconomic benefit rc the fishing andtourist industries as local'weatherforecasting abilities came on-line andNauru entered into the internationalweather forecasting network. In addition,the enrichment of Nauru science

education as a result of the A.RMeducation programme could have far-

reaching effects for Nauru. Children willhave the chance to visit a state-of-the-artresearch outpost, and will also have in-cl'xs enrichment materials and visitsfrom ARCS scientists and technicians.

On the negative side, the ARCS will be

installed on one of the few picnic areas inthe tiny island country. However, theARM Program has agreed to move thetrees or plant others in another locationand contribute to the enhancement ofanother picnic area. [f the NauruGovernment decide to choose theenhancement to take place at a morecentral location, the net gain may well be

a positive one for Nauru.

ln addition, it is possible that significantenvironmental impacts could result fromthe ARCS installation, mainly from theconstruction impacts of the seawall

improvement. The Nauru Governmentshould determine if this seawall

improvement is in the best interests ofNauru, in the long-term, given thefollowing considerations, and if theresulting impacts can be monitored inenough detail to mitigate the effects as

they happen.

The coastline likely to have immediateconstruction impact is about 300 metres,

approximately 1.3 percent of the overall

T1

Nauru coast. T,his sectiorr of seawallitakeady in ilisnepair and" needsrpconst-ruction !o prev,ent further erosiondue n @ve action. Although potenri,alreef imliacts (outlined in scoion 4.1) aredl prcdicrcd following the dieturb:ance o{a pristine rcef, this seerion of Se reef isalready heavily dismrbed. tfte cour,se ofrtcoveql of a redfrori- succegsi\re

disrurbance is not well undersr.ood.

The Go-ver.rurrem of Nauru has approvedthe ARCS inscallation fer the following6eaSOlls:

1. Nauru's interst in,global climate chirnges

that might affect seaJerrel rise which

coul4 in thc long te@, adnerseh af&ettheir coastal' etrvir.ortment;

the long-term adrnntages of having a

Meteorolo,ry .$erYiee on Nau,ru;

needed irqpiweiuetrts to thssea,mdL end

lo-ng'term benefii.s of an educationenrishnent prggrrrume

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4

4.1

Atmospheric Radiation and Cloud. Sution in Nauru

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPAGTS AND MITIGATION

This section discusses the possible

impacts the esmblishment of the ARCS

site on reef reclaimed land will have onthe Nauru environment. The primaryimpacts of the proposal are likely to be

Expected effects of reef reclamation

4.1.1 Short-term effects

The destruction of coral reef is likely tohave similar effects to severe stormdamage. The rezult of drilling, filling and

consolidation of coral reef provide new

substrata for colonisation of marineorganisms, produce coral fragments and

erode corals to provide a source of rubbleand finer sediments.

New surfaces for colonisation often

undergo a succession of dominance bydifferent algae, 'W'alsh (1983) reported a

succession from green to red to brown

algae, which after nine months resulted

in exposed substrata that resembled pre-

storm or pre-disturbed conditions.Explanation of this algae succession is

usudly attributed to nutrient enrichmentof waters from surface run-off or fromdisturbed sediments. Such a succession ofalgae as a result of reef reclamation could

temporarily attract and concentrate large

numbers of exploitable herbivorous reef

fish (Acanthurids: surgeonfish, Scarids:

parrotfish) from surrounding areas to

feed. A succession of algae, particularlyred algae, could lead to an outbreak ofciguatera.

The producdon of coral fragments couldresult in a shift in coral communitystnrcture by providing a new habitat fororganisms not normally found in thearea.

derived from the construction phase

associated with excavation and gatheringof fill, and those associated withconsolidation and placement of fill forthe seawall.

4.1.2 Long-term and/orpermanent effects

4.1 .2.1 Alternative communitystructures

One of the more obvious biologicaleffecm that could occur as a result of reefdisturbance would be for communitiesnot to return to their original conditionsafter the impact has passed. The present

or existing community structure is a

result of "who got there first" rather than

the results of biological interactions, orreal differences in requirements ofcommunities. Shifts in communitystnrcture are expected to occur if atemporary disturbance allows one of anumber of "stable states" to take over.

Human impacts as well as naturaldisturbances are potentially importantsources of the kinds of disruptions thatmight shift the structure of coralcommunities to alternative forms. Thereis some evidence that larye-scale shifts incommunity structure can occur as a

result of natural disturbance. However,the implication is that some forms ofpollution and/or disturbance on coralreefs which may apparently have

insignificant immediate effects, may also

have significant long-term effects oncommunity structure by precipitating a

shift between alternative stable states.

This kind of shift could arise in the newseawall construction. The provision ofnewly exposed surfaces as a direct resultof construction could become colonised

t3

by algae, corals or invenebrates notpresently dominant, resulting in changesin associared fauna such as fish. Similareffects could occur if the reef slopehabitar were affecred by short-rermsedimentation as a result of the seawallconstruction. Such shifts in habitatstnrcture could have a great impact onthe associated fisheries.

Kaly and Jones (tllo), in their review ofliterature on long term and/orpermanent effects of blasring channels,reponed several studies have concludedthat structural complexity of rhe habitatas well as proportion of live coral coverwere important. determinanm of thediversity and numbers of fish presenr.The studies also concluded that the deathof corals is likely to cause a significantdecrease in the number of species of fishand individuals associated with a reef. Agood indication of rhe "health" of coralreefs is the richness of (bumerfly fish)Chaetodontid. Orher indicators includePomacentrids, Scarids and Acanrhurids(damsels, parrot fish, surgeon fish), or theabundance of the enrire fish communiwin general.

The seawall itself may provide a newkind of habirat, thus increasing the localdiversity of fish and inverrebrates. Thisnew habitat then would be acceptable forreef organisms to colonise.

4.1.2.2 Ciguatera

An increase in fish poisoning, such as

ciguatera, has been linked with humanactivities and other forms of disturbanceon coral reefs. The consumprion of fishcontaining ciguatoxin results in acutedigestive, neurological and cardiovascularresponses in humans, and sometimesdeath. It is therefore of great imponanceto include a considerarion of ciguarera inthis assessment of human impact on thecoral reef systems under srudy.

Reef becomes toxic in a pattern,spreading our from the centre ofdi$urbance, firsr appearing in

herbivorous fish and later the carnivores.txicity of fish is not enrirely dependenron species, but on rhe association ofparticular individuals of fish with toxicareas of reef. Larger fish of a species,particularly higher carnivores, are morelikely to be toxic and have higherconcentrations of the toxin. Srudies havereported that toxic areas may be able to"recover" and become non-toxic withtime, i.e. years.

It was first suggested rhat the toxicity infish was caused by an algae which wasthe first to grow on n€w subsrata. Later,poisoning is attributed to a dinoflagellateGambierdiscss toxicus which lived underthe surface mucous layer of. algae and waseaten by fish. The "hosc" algae carryingthe toxic dinoflagellate included red,green or brown forms with the finelybranching rypes harbouring rhe greatesrnumber of. G. toxicus cells.

A panicular study on colonisarion ofG.toxicus on new substrata, noted in KalyandJones (1990), indicated thatcolonisation by the dinoflagellares maytake up to eight to nine monrhs.However, another complicating factorregarding the problem of ciguarera onreefs is that not all popularions of G.toxicus are toxic according to laboratorycultures.

4.1.2.3 Alteration of sedimentaryregimes and current flow

The potential for permanently alteringthe flow of water across the reef andhence sedimentation requiresconsideration in relation to new seawallconstruction. The presence of the seawallcloser to the mid-dde area of the reefmight act to facilitare rhe movements ofimportant food fish over rhe reef crest. Itmay also improve the supply of fresh .nutrients to organisms within some areaaround the seawall.

Negative effects of the seawall could alsobe expected. The new seawall could alter

4.2

Atmostberk Radiation and Cloud Sution in Nauru

present patterns of deposition and

erosion to unconsolidated areas of reef, as

well as to the coral cays that support thevillage communities of Yarren. Changes

in water flow could influence the types of

corals that would survive in the altered

habitat. Permanent changes in themovement and deposition of sediments

could affect coral growth.

14

Expected effects of ARCS site construction

Vhile the most important environmentaleffects of most water-related developmentprojects are in the long term, the short-

term effects during the constructionphase must also be carefully considered'

Since the Nauru Government has conrolover approving an appropriate design forthe seawall improvement and theoversight of the construction techniques,

the following points should be

considered by DIDI in guiding theseawall improvement process.

4.2.1 Construction work

Construction work on both thereclamation area and the seawall willresult in the formation of plumes ofsuspended sediment around the adjacent

reef area during high tide. The coastal

waters at Yarren at present are apParently

clear of siltation and/ or suspended

sedimenmtion.

The vicinity of the constructed seawall

will be affected sufficiently by increased

turbidiry and deposited sediments to inmrn affect marine biota and productivity,in most cases causing total loss ofphotosynthetic activitl'. This will have

further implications for the coastal

environment food chain. The impact inthe context of biotic and fisheryresources in this part of the reef is notconsidered significant, although localfishermen will be forced to fish elsewhere

during the construction. However, there

is currently very little reef fishing activityin this area compared with orher areas

along the coa$. The coastal waters

around the project site are not considered

to be a significant spawning or nurseryarea.

Disturbed sediments will have a moresignificant impact on recreationalresources in areas west of the project site(normal current movement assisted bythe south-easrcrly winds are towards thewest), reducing the quality of nearshorewaters for contact and non-cont'.rct

recreation during the constructionperiod.

All seawall constnrction works should be

carried our during low tides to helprestrict the spreading of sedimentationplumes at the project site.

4.2.2 Water pollution

This project has the potential to cause

water pollution through several sources

including:

' run-off during construction and

quarrying for fill material;

' sanitary wastewater during construction

and operation of the ARCS site,

including oil spills from the operation ofthe diesel generator; and

. wastewater from instrumentationcleanings and so fonh.

The impacts from run-off, sanitary oilyand other wastewater can be avoided byproviding appropriate measures forcollecting and disposal of wastewater.

Quarrying at "Topside" and transport ofquarried materials dso have the potentialfor water pollution by dust, but this isnot expected to be significant at theproposed constnrction sires.

4.3

I'

Expected effects of operation of the ARCS site

4.2.3 Air pollution

The likely sources of air emissions duringconstruction will include:

. dust from traffic, site clearing andconstruction activity;

. emissions from vehicles bringingmaterials to the site and fromconstruction equipment;

' emissions from rhe burning of waste

materials; and

r dust from quarrying.

These emissions are expecred to result indegradation of air quality primarily inthe working environment, affectingconstruction employees and nearbyhouseholds. Dust and other emissions

4.3.1 Atmospheric radiation andcloud studyThe ARCS will be operating avariety ofscientific instruments to record anddocument atmospheric radiation andcloud data for approximately 10 years. Asthe site is within the aerodromeboundary some acrivities (such as setringoff weather balloons) may have to bescheduled so that they do not cause

disruption to airline flights.

The instruments employed on site havethe potential for occupationd hazardsand therefore training and education oflocal employees is vital. In particular,employees should be well caurioned onthe use of Micro-pulse LIDARs (MPL$.The MPL is an eye-safe radar sysremduring normal operation but the MPLDaily Operating Procedure cautioned toavoid directly viewing the transmitterbeam for an exrcnded period of time(more than several seconds). lf the sidepanels are removed from the MPLTransmitter/Receiver module, or if thefibre optic cable is disconnected from thelaser head, the system is no longer eye-safe.

from the quarry and aggregate at"Topside" are unlikely to spreadsufficiently to affect homes and otherproperties around the project sires. Dustwill be generated within the quarryworking areas and measures will need tobe taken to protect workers.

Dust and emissions from trucks carryingmaterials between the site and "Topside",particularly quarried rock and aggregate,are expected to generate dust nuisance tocommunities along their roures. Inparticular, if the road via the govemmenrquarters at Menen is used, the residentsalong that road will be highlyinconvenienced by noise and dust duringthe entire construction period due totheir close proximity to the road.

The fpllowing warning should be clearlydisplayed next to the MPL insrrumenr:

The Specta-Plrysics Model 7300 laser

diode tnodule employd in the MPL is a

Class IV High Pouer Laser The laserradiation is in the near-infrared spectralrange (800nm) and is not visible n the

human eye. Do not look into the end ofthefbrc optic cable uhen the diode

modale is "On". Tbe Model 7950 laser

head and the Model 7955 frequencydoubler employed in tbe MPLTi.ansmitter/Receioer head are classified

as Class 11[-b Higb Pouter l-aser. Tlte

output bearn from eacb is, by definition,a safety hazard. Awid direct aieuing oftbe beam or its specular reflection,

The back-up generaror may be operatedfrom time to time. The electrical powergrid in Nauru uses 240 volts so properconverters should be employed. Thenoise from the generator will be miriimalto the nearest household as compared tothe noise from aeroplanes landing andmking-off at the airstrip close by.Nevertheless, since the generator will belocated at the boundary of an adjacent

ifit*toEbaia $adbtiat and CXoad. Swian in Na**

household, a is recornmended lthat nsiseat ttre face of the power eontdine:'doesnot ereeed 6odBA. This is a commonlyaccepted standard in New 7*aLand'forindrrstrid'eoncerns adjarent o resideotidp.roperty. For condn-uous noise'prodletion of 45dBA i.s the accepted.

*andard at the boundary for noise

poduced at nighr.

4,"9.,2 fucus of h:umanaalivltiesIt is inevitable that once the ARCS sire is

completed human activities will become

more focused in the alea, that is swside

the feqced ARCS qrea. fhele U tikelytobe a losalised increase in foot andvchicrilartraffic ta rlre area b employeeqr€creationerc and fisherner. There is alsolikely to be the additional eftsts ofvehicle waffic, of soise and solid r*aste

ftom users of tlug trea.

The seE*allwill oee'qore Fe@itional use

by the pneral public and by fisherrnenencouraged by,th. "deeper" seawdloffuing ercollenr vantege fishing pointsfor recr,exional line casting.

76

5

I7

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

One of the initial objectives of this srudy'was to determine the likely impacm rhesite construction and operation of theAtmospheric Radiation and CloudStation would have on the Nauruenvironment. This report finds that theoperation of ARCS will require saferyprecautions on the use of someequipment and therefore a propedyscheduled education and trainingprograrnme for the opemtors shouldprecede the actual operarion oftheARCS. The ARM Program has anestablished training and safetyprogramme for all operators that wasdeveloped for and is being used at thefirst ARCS site in PNG. Theseprogrammes will be tailored for theNauru ARCS and implemented prior tooperations.

The most important environmental effectof the construction of the site, as

discussed in the earlier secrion, is rhelong-term effects ir may cause to themarine environment. Therefore, thefollowing considerations are offered:

(a) It is recommended that the seawallconstruction starts from and includes thewestern end of the poorly constructedseawall behind the last house to the pillbox area. This will provide propershoreline protection of the new seawall at

its western end.

(b) Shoreline protection works should forma major component of this reclamationproject.

(c) The seawall construction should be

securely pinned to the reef and boulderscemented together to withstand thepounding waves.

Construction should be carried outduring low tide to avoid the spreading of

sedimentation. Sediment screens shouldbe used whenever working during hightides.

(d) Landscaping will improve the visualimpact of the fenced-in complex.Consideration should be given toplanting tall trees (where they do norobstruct the ARCS activity) within andoutside the fenced compound. Theproject also should replace the picnictables by creating a recreation area on a

new site to be designated by government.

(e) The unpaved road through Menenfrom"Topside", although providing shortcutaccess for transponing aggregate andconstruction material to the iite, shouldnot be used. The road is unsuitable forlarge haulage trucks and houses alongthis road are built too close to the road.

The vibrations from the trucks togetherwith the dust spills from their load willadversely affect the buildings and theiroccuPants.

(f) The Fisheries Division should monitorthe possible outbreak of ciguaterapoisoning and advise the public of fishspecies that are affected.

(g) The whole of Nauru's l9-kilometrecoastline has been heavily encroached

upon by human activity. An imponantconsideration was given (Onorio, 1996)

to the setting aside of a permanenrreserye to compensate for the loss of reefecosystems due to seven reef-blastingp

that have taken place on Nauru'scoastline. [t is recommended that such areserve be established as a matter ofurgency.

(h) It will provide good public relations ifthe ARCS run guided tours of the site so

the Nauru public will better understandand appreciate the relevancc of theproject.

6

Atmosphric Rdbtion and Cloud Sution in Nasru

REFERENCES

ARM 1995, Tropical tYestern Pacrfic

Locale: ARI'I /TW/A RCS/Education,Tropical Western Pacific Program Office,I.os Alamos National Laboratory NewMexico, USA.

ARM 1996, ARCS Equipnzent Notebook,

ARCS Development Program, Sandia

Nationd Laboratory, New Mexico, USA.

Helen Bogdan and Associates 1990,

Naaru 1990: An Enoircnrnenul Challmge

for Aus*alia and the Pacifi.c, HelenBogdan and Associates, Melbourne,Australia.

KalS U. L. andJones, G.P. L990,The

Construction of Boat Channek across CoralReefs: An Assessrnmt of Ecological Impau,Ministry of Externd Relations and Trade,New Zealand.

Onorio, K. 1996, EIA of Deaeloprnent ofBoat Harbours at Anibarc and GabahNauru, South Pacific RegionalEnvinrnment Programme, Apia, Samoa.

Tebano, T. 1991, A Preliminary Survey onCignztera Fkh Poisoningon Nauru Island,lnstitute of Marine Resources, Universityof the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.

US Department of Energy 1996, Science

Planfor rhe Atmoryheric RadiationMeasure'mm t Prograrn (A RM), USDepartment of Commerce, TechnologyAdministration, National TechnicalInformation Service, Springfield, USA.

\(alsh, \tr J. 1983, 'stability of a coralreef fish community following a

catastrophic storm', in Coral Reefs,

2:49-63.

I8