Environmental & Social Risk Assessment. Sudati was not required, as per the applicable Brazilian regulations, to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for the existing MDF facility in 2009. A simplified E&S assessment (“Estudo Ambiental Simplificado – EAS”) as per the Santa Catarina state’ regulatory requirements was prepared. The latest environmental license, covering the facility, energy substation, transmission line, potable water and wastewater treatment plants was secured in 2019 and is valid until 2023. The license defines specific management plans and programs for wastewater treatment, air emissions, solid waste, among others.
For the proposed expansion, Sudati developed a new EAS which was submitted to the Santa Catarina state Environmental Agency – “Instituto de Meio Ambiente” (IMA) and recently approved (disclosed herewith). The study included a brief description of the proposed project, E&S baseline and Project’s area of influence, assessment of the key E&S risks and impacts, and mitigation measures to be implemented. The study presented the expansion plan, including production flowchart, estimation of atmospheric emissions, effluents, and waste generation. The performance-based requirements of this assessment did not include IFC Performance Standards (PSs) and applicable WBG EHS General and Sector-Specific Guidelines.
Based on IFC’s review of the EAS, Sudati will be required to amend this study to cover the following issues: (a) community risks (associated with transport of wood products and hazardous waste); (b) final design of air pollution control systems for all the stacks in the new production line and the boilers with their guaranteed emission values, (c) impacts of air emissions on communities and sensitive receptors through quantitative assessment of atmospheric emissions, including dispersion modeling, mitigation measures and monitoring frequency, particularly for those pollutants found in sludge from the evaporator which will be used as fuel for the boiler, (d) assessment of rainwater drainage and earthworks project, including assessment of soil quality and disposal sites (dumping ground); (e) assessment of impacts to natural habitat at the plant’s site (to be conducted by a qualified ecologist, including terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems); and (f) cumulative impact assessment from the proposed expansion, considering the existing facility and the proposed expansion plan and its supply chain (ESAP#1).
E&S Management System. The E&S Management System (ESMS) at the existing MDF facility is under development. Sudati has implemented stand-alone management procedures and plans for E&S aspects of its operations, such as potable water, wastewater, solid waste, quality control of boilers, cooling towers, and chemical handling. Sudati is certified for Quality at its MDF and Medium Density Particle Board (MDP) wood panels facility by the “Programa Brasileiro de Qualidade e Produtividade do Habitat – PBQPH”, issued in August 2022. Going forward, for the construction activities, Sudati will develop specific procedures for overseeing the contractor’s performance in relation to environmental, social, labor and working conditions, and OHS aspects, including contractor selection requirements/qualifications, monitoring procedures, and actions to be taken for non-compliance. (ESAP#2). For operational phase, Sudati will develop and implement a plant-level ESMS for its MDF production plant, including the proposed expansion. The ESMS will incorporate the following elements: (i) E&S policy; (ii) identification of E&S risks and impacts; (iii) E&S management plans/programs at production plant, owned/leased forest plantations, and wood sourcing operations, including (but not limited to): a) solid waste and hazardous materials aligned with Brazilian legal requirements and WBG EHS Guidelines, including storage areas; b) pesticide use and management; c) heavy vehicles transporting wood and hazardous products to the MDF facility; d) Land Acquisition Procedures; (iv) organizational capacity/competency; (v) emergency preparedness and response, including socialization with nearby community; (vi) stakeholder engagement and community grievance mechanism; (vii) Security Management Plan (SMP), including rules of engagement, appropriate conduct toward workers and community, and training requirements; (viii) Supplier Code covering PS2 and PS6 requirements (ref. ESAP#9); and, (ix) E&S monitoring and reporting procedures, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
EHS organizational structure and competency. The E&S aspects at the MDF facility are currently managed by the General Manager and supported by an EHS supervisor, responsible for EHS aspects. Two safety technicians, four firefighters and five environmental technicians are also at the facility. Sudati has recently hired a senior forestry expert to design and manage its wood supply and one forestry professional. Going forward, Sudati will strengthen the EHS and wood sourcing unit at its MDF plant, including formalizing E&S roles and responsibilities for the effective development and implementation of the ESMS and the traceability/risk screening system of its owned and leased plantations, and third-party wood suppliers. Sudati will add one EHS officer for managing the forestry/supply chain issues and one E&S professional responsible for the development and implementation of the E&S management system at the production plant (ESAP#3).
EHS Training. Permanent and temporary employees at the MDF facility receive EHS training during induction, which includes incident reporting, emergency response procedures, hazard communication, injury prevention and use of PPE, first aid, fire prevention, chemical handling, and hygiene. In 2022, training on work safety and work permit system (e.g., confined space, work at height, hot work) was provided. As part of the development of its plant-level ESMS, Sudati will implement an E&S training program on updated EHS policies, SOPs Manual, management plans, including worker's grievance mechanisms and emergency response, and KPIs for E&S monitoring and reporting (ref. ESAP#2).
Emergency Preparedness and Response. Sudati has established an emergency preparedness and response (EPR) system for its existing MDF plant to respond to accidents and emergencies, such as fire, explosions, significant OHS events. Sudati is supported by the Santa Catarina fire department. At site, Sudati has fire extinguishers, fire hydrants, emergency lighting system, fire alarm system, and emergency exits and exit signs. Sudati has yet to undertake emergency evacuation drills. Although the MDF facility is within an industrial area and the nearest residential area is at 800 meters distance, Sudati will update its emergency preparedness and response plan to include offsite emergency scenarios, such as hazardous materials spill (i.e., during transportation). Depending on site-specific conditions and emergencies scenarios that could affect nearby communities, the emergency preparedness plan will include procedures for awareness training and drills, in coordination with local government emergency authorities. The EPR Plan will be socialized with the potential affected nearby community. As part of EPR update, Sudati will develop a risk identification matrix for emergency scenarios for the proposed expansion (construction and operation phases), including its owned/leased plantations for risk of forest fires. Its staff/contractors will be trained on the EPR, including bi-annual drills (ref. ESAP#2).
EHS Monitoring and Review. Sudati has environmental monitoring programs for wastewater quality and point source air emissions which are implemented twice a year, as per IMA regulatory requirements. Going forward, Sudati will further strengthen its monitoring procedures and KPIs to measure the implementation effectiveness of the ESMS and associated mitigation measures, including procedures related to energy/water usage and efficiency, GHG emissions and hazardous materials management in line with applicable and relevant sections of the WBG EHS Guidelines. (ref. ESAP#2)