Aerodom has presented plans to address these issues and to demonstrate that the project will, upon implementation of the Company’s Environmental Action Plans for each airport and the measures described below, comply with applicable Dominican environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and IFC/World Bank policies and guidelines. The information about how these potential impacts will be addressed by the sponsor/project is summarized in the paragraphs that follow.
- Environmental, Health and Safety Management
Aerodom has developed and is implementing a sophisticated EHS management system consistent with the ISO 14001 international standard. A written corporate EHS policy has been established, and, since 2001, one of the five, senior-most Directors of the Company has been assigned responsibility for environment, health and safety, as well as for community relations. Aerodom’s EHS program aims to meet best international practice as part of the Company’s legal operating framework, and the standards the Company uses to guide its operating activities include the requirements of the Dominican General Law of Environment and Natural Resources and the General Health Law, relevant World Bank guidelines, US FAA guidance, API specifications, ILO guidelines, US OSHA guidelines, ICAO, IATA, and NFPA codes. Relying on extensive environmental assessments conducted since 1999, specific Environmental and Social Plans and Programs have been developed for each airport. Corporate EHS staff frequently inspect both construction and operation activities and audits compliance with these Plans and Programs. Through robust recordkeeping and document control procedures, corrective actions are addressed in a timely fashion. In addition and to support the monitoring program, an environmental quality laboratory is being established at AILA. Finally, the EHS program ensures that all employees whose work has significant impact on the environment receive adequate training, and are aware of their roles and responsibilities.
- Construction Impacts
The potential environmental impacts from remaining construction renovation and expansion activities at AILA, AIGL, AISA, and AILI include fugitive dusts, soil erosion, noise, waste management, and additional vehicle traffic movement. EPC contractors and subcontractors are expected to control these to acceptable levels through application of standard construction environmental controls and mitigation measures, which are incorporated into the specific airport Environmental Action Plans and EPC contract documents.
In addition, Aerodom will address the impacts caused by developing and operating the two borrow pits/quarries on the mountain east of the AISA airport site. Specifically, Aerodom will ensure that the quarry sites used to supply rock fill for the airport construction are appropriately closed and reclaimed. That is, the land will be restored to its prior use; adverse effects on adjacent water resources will be prevented; erosion will be prevented through planting of native vegetation; and final grading for closure will ensure that stormwater runoff does not accumulate and become stagnant. In this regard, and as required by Aerodom, the EPC contractor has prepared closure and reclamation plans that incorporate these features.
- New Airport Siting and Land Acquisition
The Dominican Government sited and initiated construction of AILI at an undeveloped location 10 km northwest of Santo Domingo in the sector of Higuero in 1999. Uninhabited and predominantly rural, the land was owned by a State agency, and was developed without the need to acquire property or to resettle any residents. The Government’s EIA determined the location to be the most feasible alternative owing to its topographic features and because there are no significant populated areas nearby.
Notwithstanding, and less than 2 km from the airport is the Duquesa municipal garbage dump, which is the principal disposal site for municipal waste generated by the Province of Santo Domingo. Opened in 1998 and originally intended to be closed prior to the airport’s operation, the continued operation of the open dump attracts numerous birds to the area that could pose safety hazards to aircraft. Local municipal officials recently announced their intention to upgrade the operation to a modern sanitary landfill, including the daily covering of waste to minimize the infringement by birds and other animals.
The Dominican Government also chose the site for the new Samana International Airport (AISA) on the north coast of the Samana peninsula after it was determined that expansion of the existing airport at Arroyo Barril would entail significant adverse environmental and economic impacts on nearby communities, as well as impose serious operational constraints. Approximately 83 landowners were involved in the land acquisition legal transactions managed by an agency of the Dominican Government (SEOPC). There were no houses or dwellings on the site (it was used for small-scale rice production and cattle grazing), and no resettlement was necessary. All landholders have agreed to the compensation prices offered by the SEOPC consistent with national law. All remaining outstanding payments to landowners are expected to be completed by September 2004.
- Fuel/Hazardous Materials Storage and Handling, including Emergency Response
The principal hazardous materials handled at the airports are aviation fuel and diesel fuel used for onsite power generation and airport equipment. Aviation fuel is currently stored only at AILA and AIGL, and will also be stored at AISA when it begins operations. No fueling takes place at AILI, AIMM, and AIAB. At AILA and AIGL, there are aviation fuel tank farms operated by contractors (Shell, Esso, and Texaco) per agreements originally executed with the Dominican Government. Diesel fuel for airport equipment is stored in smaller quantities in both above ground and underground storage tanks at all of the airports.
Since assuming responsibility for the airports, Aerodom has developed a comprehensive set of storage tank standards and specifications that address the full range of environmental and health and safety risk management issues raised by underground (UST) and above ground (AST) storage of fuel and other hazardous materials. These standards essentially call for best practices to be adopted and applied, including the phase out of USTs (with some exceptions), and address design and construction details (e.g., materials of construction, ventilation, piping, cathodic protection), secondary containment, prevention of leaks, spills and overflows, and safety and fire prevention. Aerodom will ensure all fuel storage activities, conducted on airport property, including those of its contractors and tenants, will comply with these standards.
Aerodom, in coordination with its aviation fuel contractors and local government authorities, has developed emergency response plans and procedures, which include provisions for responding to fuel spills, fires, and explosions for all of its airports. Appropriate emergency equipment is provided, including fire fighting equipment, spill clean-up equipment, and personnel are trained in how to properly respond. Critical components of the plans are tested on a regular basis. At AILA and AIGL where aviation fuel is being stored, Aerodom is conducting independent fire safety audits, and will ensure that any deficiencies identified will be corrected by the contractors involved.
- Air Emissions
The diesel oil-fired onsite power generators located at each airport are the principal fixed point source of air emissions. These engines are of recent design by reputable international manufacturers, are well-maintained, and appear to be performing within the manufacturers emission specifications. The overall emission loadings from these sources to the air sheds in which the airports are located are relatively insignificant, particularly in the urbanized areas of Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata. Notwithstanding, Aerodom monitors ambient air quality at all of its airports to verify that the impact of its operations is minimal.
- Potable Water Supply
At the existing airports, water is supplied through connection to the local municipal systems. Because sufficient volumes need to be available for fire fighting, Aerodom provides additional reservoir storage capacity on its properties, and this stored water is chlorinated to maintain the required levels of chlorine residual in the distributed water. Quality will be monitored going forward to ensure compliance with Dominican and World Health Organization drinking water standards. In those instances where water is not suitable for drinking, Aerodom will provide bottled water to satisfy drinking water needs. Water sourced from municipal systems will remain available for non-potable uses – sinks, toilets, washing, etc. Water for the new airports will be supplied by onsite groundwater wells, and this raw water will be treated as necessary to ensure compliance with standards.
- Stormwater Drainage and Effluent Discharges
Existing airports have stormwater drainage systems sufficient to manage storm-generated flows of surface water runoff from the runways, aprons, car parks, and maintenance and ground handling areas of the properties. Runoff drains through systems of outlet works comprising collectors, canals, ponds, culverts, and natural drainage ways before eventually reaching natural surface waters. Appropriate drainage facilities are being built at the new airports. Aerodom regularly inspects drainage works, and cleans and dredges them to remove the sediment that periodically accumulates.
All sanitary wastewaters generated by existing airports are currently treated by septic tank and drainfield systems. As part of the expansion programs at AILA and AIGL, Aerodom will replace these systems with new wastewater treatment plants of sufficient capacity to accommodate projected sewage flows, and the effluents will discharge to local surface waters. In addition, wastewater treatment plants will be installed at the new AISA and AILI airports. Treated effluent from the plants will comply with the limits established by Dominican law and IFC/World Bank guidelines.
- Solid and Liquid Waste Management
Since assuming control of the formerly government operated airports, Aerodom has removed and remediated illegal waste dumps on its properties, most notably at AILA and AIGL. Currently, solid wastes generated at the existing airports are collected by licensed contractors and disposed at off-site municipal landfills. Going forward and in keeping with international best practice, Aerodom will install dedicated incineration units at airports handling international air traffic for the segregated management of wastes from these flights. Emissions from these incinerator units will meet Dominican and IFC/World Bank guideline limits.
Oily wastewaters and stormwaters contaminated with leaked or spilled oil are collected and treated by oil/water separators. Removed oils and other small amounts of hazardous liquids generated by maintenance activities are stored in drums and periodically collected by commercial recycling contractors.
- Bird Hazards to Aircraft
Like at most airports, bird strikes pose a potential hazard, particularly at AILI owing to the nearby location of the Duquesa municipal dump. Aerodom has evaluated these risks and has implemented control measures at all existing airports sufficient to minimize the problem. Aerodom will not assume operational responsibility for AILI until the Duquesa dump has been rehabilitated and the bird hazard adequately addressed.
- Aircraft Noise
Aerodom has assessed aircraft noise impacts on surrounding communities for all of the airports using the Integrated Noise Model (INM) developed by the US FAA. Except for a residential community comprised primarily of illegal settlers just outside the AILA property immediately to the west of the runway, noise modeling shows that ambient noise limits are not exceeded. There are no known sensitive receptors in the community adjacent to AILA, nor has Aerodom received any complaints from the people living there. It appears that most of these residents settled here after the airport originally began operations. Aerodom has provided the noise modeling results to the appropriate local authorities, and conducted public consultations with the community on the issue.
Aerodom will annually generate noise contours based on current and forecasted operations at all airports, and collect reliable information to validate contours (air traffic logs, actual ambient noise levels measured at specific locations and airports) to confirm impacts are within acceptable limits. In addition, the Company will continue, as necessary, to adjust aircraft run-up procedures to minimize noise to certain locations near the airports, as well as install vegetative screens to reduce noise impacts.
- Employee Health and Safety, including Fire and Life Safety
Aerodom is developing and implementing a comprehensive occupational health and safety program and management system at all of its airports consistent with ILO and ICAO standards and the BS 8800 management system standard. Program elements include procedures for high-risk work activities, inspections, accident investigation, injury and illness monitoring and measuring, safe work practices and hazards training, medical evaluations, procurement guidelines, design and construction practices, and emergency response.
Buildings are being constructed to NFPA fire and life safety standards, and include provisions for safe egress, fire detection and alarm systems, and fire suppression systems.
- Community Development
Aerodom has active community relations programs at all of the airports it operates and is developing. Environmental assessments of the existing airports (AILA, AIGL, AIMM, and AIAB) were made available locally to the public in 2000. The Dominican Government conducted public consultations and disclosure for the AILI airport in 1999. As part of the AISA EIA process, Aerodom conducted extensive public consultation and disclosure – social surveys of community residents, public hearings (May 2001) – so as to take community views into account in establishing various environmental and social mitigation measures for the project. The greater Samana community voiced widespread support for the airport project, primarily due to its economic development impacts.
Aerodom also takes the view that their airports are integral parts of the neighboring communities in which they operate, and has engaged in numerous social activities and programs focusing on community development in the areas of health, education, environmental management, and sports. Examples include support for an orphanage of handicapped children, donations of blood analysis equipment for a regional hospital diagnostics lab, medicines and medical supplies to rural clinics, and educational materials and supplies for schools.
