Argentina

This executive summary presents the preliminary findings and recommendations resulting from the analysis of environmental and social issues belonging to the Norte G... Show More + rande Water Infrastructure Project, which is still ongoing. It also provides a description of: 1) the project and its key environmental and social aspects; 2) the studies of alternatives considered; 3) measures for the mitigation of impacts; 4) arrangements for the environmental and social assessment of future subprojects; 5) monitoring and evaluation of environmental management; 6) public disclosure and consultation of environmental and social instruments;7) compliance with national regulations; 8) institutional responsibilities; 9) safeguard policies triggered by the project; and 10) institutional capacity for the implementation of safeguard policies. Show Less -

The objective of the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project for Argentina is to improve the quality of life and the sanitation services in the Mata... Show More + nza-Riachuelo Basin, as well as to improve water quality of the main water courses crossing it. It would consist of four components: (i) sanitation; (ii) industrial pollution abatement; (iii) urban rehabilitation; and (iv) technical assistance and project management. There is a clear predominance of positive effects in relation to negatives with regards to this project. However, during construction phases of the project there are significant negative impacts from the quality of the air and odor, and the level of noise. The main sources of noise and vibration are as follows: hand tools; staff turnover, light vehicles; mobile equipment and machinery, backhoe, power generators. The project will also affect the quality of soils. Moreover, there will be a risk of disruption of the foundations of homes, equipment and public buildings and a disruption of existing ducts. Fauna and vegetable cover will also be disrupted by the project. Show Less -

The Argentina, Rosario Port Infrastructure Project will produce improvements to the rail and highway accesses to the City of Rosario, a major Argentinean port for t... Show More + he trans-shipment of grain and other rural products. The project will not only improve the efficiency of Rosario's transport network, but also reduce congestion and pollution within the urban core. The project will improve transport flows, eliminate traffic congestion in the affected areas, and enable an increase in the share of traffic transported to the port facilities by the railway. The project are the components include the following: improve efficiency of railway transportation to and from Rosario's port facilities, organize land transport accesses to port facilities located in the urban area of Rosario, reduce traffic congestion and decrease the rate of accidents in the city, and develop and implement measures to improve efficiency in the logistics chain. The project environmental impacts are to new rail rights-of-way (ROW) and to the expansion of roadways in both rural and urban areas. The project area is currently heavily developed with residential land-use, cattle ranching and high-value crops. The project potential impacts include: (i) re-routing of traffic during construction, (ii) disposal of construction waste; (iii) potential limitation in the access to housing and establishments during works; (iv) potential increase of accidents; (v) impact and potential interference on networks and adjacent infrastructure (phone lines, electricity wiring, water pipes and sewage mains, etc); and (vi) potential nuisance during construction (noise, dust, waste). The project social analysis are focused on local leaders, elected officials, community representatives, civil-society organizations, transport companies, agricultural producers and exporters, truck drivers, and road users, among others. Show Less -

The Uranium Mining Environmental Restitution Project consists on the Argentine National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEA) developing a comprehensive environmental re... Show More + stitution program covering nine closed uranium mining and mineral processing sites. This report is the executive summary of the environmental assessment carried out for the remediation of the ore processing plant site at Malargue is included. The concentration of radioactive contaminants in uranium mill tailings (the term used for all mining wastes in this report) is low, relative to other wastes arising from elsewhere in the nuclear fuel cycle, and consequently, exposure to humans presents little hazard unless it is extended over a long period of time. The principal hazards to humans arise from the possibility of inhaling radon gas and its daughter products, from inhaling dust particles containing radio nuclides, or from internal contamination resulting from ingestion of dissolved radium or uranium in water that reached the food chain. Consequently, evaluating theses pathways is of utmost importance for judging need for, and selecting alternatives for remediation of uranium mining/milling sites. One of the major issues at the Malargue site concerns the groundwater level: Presently the drainage system aims at depressing the water table and protecting the floor of the cell, preventing contact with and contamination of groundwater. The robustness of the model will be checked, taking into account the drainage system's performance and the case of extreme events. Other contamination sources associated with all or some of the sites, beside dust and radioactive gases, are ammonia and sulfuric acid-stored and used for heap leaching. Mine tunnels and unsealed shafts pose physical hazards. The closure plan will include managing liquid effluents and open-pit water; managing solid waste drums, and managing piles of unprocessed minerals, marginal ore, and solid precipitate. Since trees to be removed are in poor shape, selective deforestation has no impact on endangered flora or fauna. Impacts associated with extracting and hauling materials to quarries such as noise, vibrations, and dust settling into the water canal, will be monitored, and measures such as wetting to reduce dust, workers using protective gear, and emissions, noise, and contamination control will be employed. Impacts to soil and water from hazardous waste such as oil, filters and pneumatic fluids, will be minimized by adhering to regulations, properly constructing storage areas, briefing workers on proper waste management, and hiring a contractor specializing in waste transport and disposal. Show Less -

This is the environmental assessment executive summary for the Second Urban flood Prevention and Drainage Project, which is based on the Government's programs that ... Show More + include structural and non-structural measures, consolidating the provincial capacity to deal with periodic flooding, protecting important economic and social infrastructure, and, strengthening the legal framework to deal with flood risks. Main environmental issues associated with the project include potential adversity on natural habitats, especially in and around urban areas, and potential cumulative impacts from interference with ecological processes in the flood plains of the Parana, and Uruguay rivers. Major civil works around urban areas have the potential for localized impacts that need to be managed to avoid disturbances to local communities. Some civil works result in displacement of low income families living in high flood risk areas. The project has therefore been assigned a category A for environmental purposes. This report summarizes the findings of the ex-post evaluation of the environmental performance of the project; the screening, updating of environmental data sheets, and project specific environmental assessments for all 25 works included in the project; and, relevant environmental issues included in the Regional Environmental Assessment (REA) carried out for the project. Show Less -

The Urban Flood Prevention and Drainage Project is to assist the Government of the City of Buenos Aires in addressing the problems related to severe urban flooding ... Show More + by developing a cost effective approach to comprehensive urban drainage. The City of Buenos Aires frequently suffers from serious flooding that damages property, the economy, and affects the bulk of its population. The project comprises three components: (1) Risk Management Scheme, aimed at developing a strong institutional organization to face the flood risk; (2) Development of key defense facilities with construction of tunnels to discharge water in the Rio de la Plata and secondary drainage network; and (3) project implementation and auditing to cover the cost of project implementation and auditing. This note summarizes the findings o f many technical, social and environmental studies carried out during project preparation and details the concerns of negative environmental concerns as well as economic activity; traffic; cultural heritage; interference transport with road access; interference with service infrastructure; and labor. The following mitigating measures are included in the report: (i) avoid contamination of soil, water and air; (ii) avoid the destruction of natural vegetation; (iii) avoid soil erosion and sedimentation either in the Rio de la Plata or within the conducts; (iv) avoid the use of fire to eliminate wastes and other remaining materials; (v) dispose solid wastes in environmentally adequate sites; (vi) select technologies which meet adequate environmental quality criteria; (vii) adequately manipulate archaeological and paleontological materials and (viii) obey specific urban regulations in force. Show Less -