The sponsor has presented plans to address these impacts to ensure that the proposed project will upon implementation of the specific agreed measures, comply with the environmental and social requirements - the host country laws and regulations and the World Bank/IFC environment and social policies and the environmental, health and safety guidelines. The information about how these potential impacts will be addressed by the sponsor/project is summarized in the paragraphs that follow. [Further information is provided in the attached documentation.]
- New site selection, acquisition and planning.
ISCH acquired the site in Tegucigalpa for the proposed Metromall in 2003 in an auction process. The site had been vacant for at least 20 years, except for use, ending around 2000, to provide temporary shelter for those made homeless by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Save for this temporary use, no persons lived on or derived income from the site for many years before its acquisition by ISCH.
Land for the ongoing Multiplaza development in San Salvador has been owned by ISCH for at least five years, was acquired on a willing buyer/willing seller basis and its acquisition by ISCH did not cause economic or physical resettlement of any persons.
ISCH will develop a formal land acquisition policy to reflect its current land acquisition practices, that is that it will only acquire land on a willing buyer – willing seller basis, and will not acquire land if this requires involuntary resettlement or economic displacement of land users, unless resettlement procedures meeting the requirements of the country of operation, IFC and international best practice are first employed.
Mall development follows the planning requirements of the country in question, which differ. Environmental assessment typically includes consideration of additional traffic to be generated by the mall, together with measures to control dust and noise and provision of sanitation facilities during construction, control of erosion, and post-construction landscaping. Environmental management plans are developed and compliance is reviewed and documented throughout construction, and at a post-completion meeting.
- Life and Fire Safety.
ISCH, through its in-house design team and through contracting with appropriately qualified professionals designs its new properties to the NFPA life and fire safety requirements and Californian seismic codes. Fire protection is provided by smoke alarms, and a combination of sprinklers, hydrants and hoses and portable extinguishers. All systems are checked and emergency drills are held regularly. The design of the majority of the malls offers clear access to points of egress: however in some larger properties the best exit route is not necessarily clear and emergency exist signage is not prominent.
ISCH will undertake a review of its exit signage at all malls and will upgrade this signage as required. In addition, any new properties will be subject to post-completion inspection to confirm that construction was in accordance with the approved design, recognized fire protection standards and IFC’s Life and Fire Safety guidelines.
- Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety management.
In recent months ISCH has commissioned OHS audits of its properties in El Salvador, and has upgraded its facilities as recommended by these audits. In addition, an OHS management committee was established which has defined OHS requirements to mall management, compliance with these requirements are checked by the country manager on a regular basis and an external consultant is retained to provide supporting annual audits.
This management system will be extended to cover the company’s operations in Honduras and Nicaragua.
OHS during construction is a contractual requirement of ISCH’s contractors who have to provide an OHS plan. This typically includes obligatory use of safety shoes and helmets in construction zones, and high visibility jackets in traffic areas and harnesses or restraining belts for those working at height. Despite these requirements, some failings in OHS housekeeping could be observed at a construction site: ISCH’s site supervision will be strengthened in this area.
- Water use, treatment and disposal.
Water is used in the malls for sanitary/domestic uses, in food court tenants’ kitchens, for general washing and in some cases for irrigation of garden areas. Water used by ISCH’s tenants is submetered and consumption not further controlled by ISCH. However in common areas, ISCH has installed water-saving measures such as percussion-action faucets.
IFC and ISCH have agreed that with respect to the shopping malls of ISCH in El Salvador:
- the characteristics of properties’ effluents will be analyzed in sufficient detail to permit definitive treatment technology recommendations, and
- the recommendations from the analysis will be revaluated in light of the Government’s National Waste Water Treatment Plan. ISCH is committed to make all necessary contributions as required by the Government in this context.
- Solid waste treatment and disposal.
ISCH provides solid waste management services to its clients. Where markets exist, paper, card and plastic are recycled. Non-recyclable wastes are removed from the mall sites by authorized contractors who transfer and dispose of the waste matter at government authorized landfill sites.
- Refrigerant selection.
Malls’ common areas typically employ natural ventilation, though air conditioning is provided in food courts and cinemas and in individual tenants’ premises. HCFC and increasing HFC refrigerants are used in these systems.
