The sponsor has presented plans to address these impacts to ensure that the proposed project will, upon implementation of the specific measures agreed, comply with applicable Brazilian laws and regulations and World Bank/IFC requirements. The information about how these potential impacts will be addressed by the sponsor/project is summarized in the paragraphs that follow.
SYNTEKO
Synteko is one of the Brazilian leaders in the production of synthetic resins (urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde) used to manufacture domestic and commercial cleaning products and adhesives and has three plants, Araucaria, Uberaba, and Gravatai. The proposed project consists in installing a new resin plant in Uberaba, Minas Gerais State, and implementing a three-year expansion and renovation program of its existing resin, adhesives and floor wax facilities. Specifics about the environmental improvements are explained below.
Araucaria
This is a new 200,000-m2 plant located in Araucaria, Parana. As part of the project, Araucaria anticipates doubling its capacity with the new paraffin emulsion project, which will be a closed system. The air emissions from the absorption tower will be controlled. The formaldehyde emitted in the absorption tower will be converted through a catalyst to CO2 and H2O by the year 2002. The energy generated during such conversion will be used to produce vapor. Three new generators will be also installed as part of the project along with the needed noise controls to ensure compliance with applicable World Bank (WB) guidelines.
The process and domestic WWTP will be upgrade to operate as a continuous operation by March 2001 and it will have enough capacity to treat the wastewaters from the new paraffin emulsion plant. This plant will operate in compliance with the applicable WB guidelines. The wastewaters generated in the phenolic resins area will continue to be treated and reused in the operation.
Currently, the resin residues and the wastewater sludge are stored in drums and hauled by a contractor to a cement plant for final destruction. In the near future, Araucaria will place both of these residues in on-site drying beds to decompose the organics and will then disinfect the processed sludge prior releasing it to the environment. The supplier regenerates the catalysts used.
Araucaria has installed double containment in the existing fuel and raw materials areas and will ensure that the new paraffin emulsion tanks will also have double containment. Synteko is preparing to certify this plant as an ISO 14000 plant.
Araucaria has an occupational health specialized physician and a safety engineer in house. The plant has risk prevention programs, noise monitoring program, training programs, etc. Their employees will continue to be provided with and required to use personal protective equipment. The treated wastewater is used for the fire prevention system. The State of Parana recognized Araucaria as the overall best plant in the area.
For Araucaria, Synteko will submit the following information by March 2001 but no later than Board approval:
· VOC stack concentrations results from the formaldehyde absorption tower and abatement measures, if needed;
· Coliform concentrations and proposed disinfecting actions for the sludge from the wastewater treatment plant;
· Copy of noise reduction measures (similar to those implemented at Gravatai);
· Health and Safety program (By July 2001).
Uberaba
As part of the project, this plant, located in Uberaba City in Minas Gerais state, will built a new industrial site. The urea will be transported by closed conveyor. The silo will have fabric filter to reduce emissions to the atmosphere. The raw materials and fuels storage areas will have double containment walls. The plant will have a wastewater treatment plant. The site will have circular fire prevention system and the treated waters will be used for fire prevention system. The overflow will go to the municipal discharge system.
The sludge from the WWTP will be initially disposed in a municipal authorized landfill. Later on, it will be placed in on-site drying beds, to decompose the organic material, and it will be disinfected prior to being released. Catalysts will be regenerated by the supplier.
The construction site exhibits excellent housekeeping and employee safety. It appears that the contractor building the plant has strict management and safety measures. The sponsor will develop hazard assessment, prevention, emergency response, and occupational health and safety plans acceptable to IFC will be ready prior project completion.
Synteko has engaged a very proactive activity in the nearby communities to integrate the new plant in the area. The project is being designed in accordance to the World Bank guidelines.
Gravatai
This plant is located in Gravatai in Rio Grande Do Sul. As part of the project the capacity of the plant will increase to approximately 45,000 ton/yr. Synteko will install a new reactor and replace the current resin formulation from phenolic resins to urea formaldehyde (UFC) resins, which will significantly reduce the amount of process water used. As part of the project, Synteko will install bag filters to control the emissions from the raw materials silos.
With the new UFC system and the enclosing of the urea storage area, Gravatai anticipates reducing significantly the high nitrogen concentrations in their wastewaters. The existing on-site wastewater treatment plant which operate to achieve the applicable World Bank guidelines.
The current coal and the 4-ton/h fuel oil boilers will be closed down and replaced with a new natural gas boiler. This boiler will have low NOx burners to ensure low emissions to the atmosphere. There will also operate the existing 6-ton/hr-fuel oil boiler, which will be used as back up.
The raw materials and fuels will continue to be stored in a designated area and will maintain the double containment walls to prevent soil contamination from accidental leaks or spills.
Gravatai has an occupational health specialized physician and a safety engineer in house and has developed risk maps, risk prevention, noise monitoring, and training programs. Their employees will continue to be provided with and required to use personal protective equipment and the good housekeeping conditions of the plant will be maintained. The treated wastewater is used for the fire prevention system. This plant is working towards obtaining the ISO 14000 certification.
For Gravatai, Synteko will submit the following information by March 2001 but no later than Board approval:
· Formaldehyde stack emission concentrations results reported as VOCs and abatement measures, as needed;
· Workplace monitoring testing results for organics used (xylene, formaldehyde, etc.);
· Solid residues characterization results;
· Plan for Management and Disposal of the solid residues generated;
· Emergency response plan;
· Copy of the coliform concentration monitoring results for the treated wastewaters;
· Copy of the UFC plant specifications for release of gases to the atmosphere.
Synteko will ensure that the workplace noise levels as well as workplace dust and vapor concentrations at all three plants comply with the applicable World Bank guidelines.
APOLO
The Company was established in 1938. It produces steel pipes and special order steel products. Today, Apolo has two steel pipe plants, Lorena steel pipe plant in Lorena, Sao Paulo state and Pavuna located in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The proposed project consists in installing a new steel pipeline in replacement of an old one and increase its production capacity at Lorena and upgrading the operations at Pavuna.
Lorena
This plant located in Lorena County in the State of Sao Paulo expects to increase its pipe production capacity from 24,000 tn/yr to 140,000 tn/yr.
The water/oil emulsion used for tube testing is sold for recycling. The domestic and industrial wastewater generated is treated in an oxidation lagoon built in Lorena premises by a subcontractor along with wastewaters from other nearby industries. The treated wastewater is discharged to a nearby stream.
The sludge generated in the treatment of the wastewater will be placed in two drying beds and finally disposed within the plant premises. By July 2001, the sponsor will present the proposed actions and implementation schedule, as needed, to disinfect the sludge before final disposal and ensure safe coliform levels in the dried sludge before final disposal.
The cooling fluid used in the process is recirculated. The iron deposits accumulated in the tank are collected and sold for reuse. The solid residues generated (i.e., scrap) are sold for reuse.
As part of the project, Apolo will maintain the roads at the plant premises to minimize dust generation, will maintain the good housekeeping practices currently used and will ensure that the workplace noise levels as well as workplace dust concentrations comply with the applicable World Bank guidelines. The employees will continue to be provided with and required to use personal protection equipment in the areas where the noise levels are greater than the acceptable levels. The sponsor is upgrading the fire system (i.e. extinguishers, hydrants, water ring around the plant, etc.) and developing a rigorous fire prevention and safety training program. The risk prevention plan also to be developed will be based on Pavuna plant’s plans and will be submitted to IFC by July 2001.
Pavuna
This steel pipe producing plant is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, near the city of Rio de Janeiro. The pipes produced at Pavuna are galvanized, and undergo several cleaning steps (i.e., degreasing, prickling, and remotion of Zn deposits) which use water, acidic bath, and generate air emissions.
The drinking and process water is obtained from the municipal water supply and the wastewater generated is treated. The emulsion oil/water generated is used in a closed system. The oil is removed and collected for reuse and the water is recirculated back into the process. The wastewater generated is treated in an on-site wastewater treatment system where the wastewaters are neutralized and the solids are precipitated. The sludge generated is currently stored. By September 2001, Pavuna will submit to IFC the proposed environmentally sound alternatives that will allow reusing the treated wastewater and the generated sludge.
Pavuna will implement air pollution control measures before those emissions are released to the atmosphere by July 2002. As part of these measures, Pavuna will install (i) a particulate collection system to collect the zinc particulates generated during the cleaning of the tubes; (ii) a vapor extraction system in the prickling line tanks area to reduce the acidic vapor concentrations to acceptable levels, and (iii) a control system to reduce the NH3 air emissions generated during the reaction between the ammonium chloride and zinc.
Pavuna has developed comprehensive contingency and risk prevention plans. As part of the project, Pavuna will implement rigorous health and safety programs, the employees will undergo periodic medical examinations and periodic safety monitoring as well as housekeeping audits will be conducted. Pavuna will also upgrade, as needed the fire prevention system, will maintain a trained fire brigade available at all times, and will conduct fire drills and fire safety-training sessions.
Pavuna will implement measures to ensure that the workplace noise levels as well as workplace dust and vapors concentrations comply with the applicable World Bank guidelines by July 2002.
