Environmental & Social Review Summary
Project Number
7522
Company Name
Telefonica Celular de Bolivia S.A.
Date ESRS Disclosed
Feb 5, 2010
Country
Bolivia
Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Last Updated Date
Dec 31, 2016
Environmental Category
B - Limited
Status
Completed
Previous Events
Approved : Jun 27, 1996
Signed : Mar 18, 1997
Invested : Jul 10, 1997
Sector
Mobile Telephony
Industry
Telecommunications and Technology
Department
TMT, Venture Capital & Funds
Project Description
Environmental Review Summary (ERS)
Project Name Bolivia-Telecel
Region Latin America
Sector Telecommunications
Project No. 007522
1. This project involves the expansion of Telecel’s cellular telephone service in Bolivia. The plan is to increase the capacity of the company’s network from about 7,500 to 57,000 subscribers by the end of 1998, and to increase the number of cell sites from 8 to about 40 by year end 1998. Cell sites would be established in rural as well as urban areas, primarily in and adjacent to the main cities of La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.
2. This is a category B project according to IFC''s environmental review procedure because specific impacts may result which can be avoided or mitigated by adhering to generally recognized performance standards, guidelines or design criteria. The review of this project consisted of appraising technical and environmental information submitted by the project sponsor. The following key environmental, health and safety issues that were considered in this projects include:
· right-of-way alignment;
· development of sensitive or previously undisturbed land;
· land reclamation;
· tower site selection;
· solid and liquid wastes disposal;
· PCBs;
· fire prevention; and
· general employee safety and training.
Telecel has submitted a report addressing the environmental, health and safety issues listed above. Information contained in this report plan is summarized below.
3. As this is a wireless technology, ROW impacts are minimal. All new tower sites are selected to minimize or eliminate impacts on sensitive areas, cultural resources, agricultural land and commercial areas. Telecel has a policy of selecting only those sites which have existing access to the national grid. No new right-of-way construction is currently underway. For any new ROW, including construction of access roads, (traversing environmentally sensitive areas) that may be established in the future (but which are part of the proposed project), Telecel has committed to providing IFC with a right-of-way impact mitigation plan for clearance by IFC prior to implementation of the respective plan. These plans must address the following issues: information must be provided detailing what environmentally sensitive areas will be traversed (e.g., forest, national park etc.); what the environmental impacts will be; and how these impacts will be mitigated.
4. Construction of access roads is not anticipated as part of the project. However, in 1995 Telecel did construct a 1.2 km long access road. Care was taken to ensure minimum clearance of vegetation in alignment, maintenance of drainage regimes, and proper waste disposal. While no new road construction is anticipated, Telecel, as stated above, will provide a ROW alignment and impact mitigation plan. No construction facilities including microwave towers, or access roads will be installed in National Parks, preserves or other Government of Bolivia protected areas.
5. Sewage disposal in urban areas will be via municipal systems. In the case of rural cell sites, septic systems will be installed. Other solid waste includes waste from construction and spent batteries. Batteries will be returned to suppliers for recycling or proper disposal. As cell sites will be manufactured from prefab components, waste will be minimal. General construction waste will be disposed of at designated city disposal sites, e.g., at Llojeta in La Paz.
6. No equipment containing PCB’s will be installed by Telecel. There are existing PCB-based transformers at Telecel’s installations, these are owned and maintained by the government electricity board. Regular safety checks are conducted to monitor for transformer leakage.
7. Telecel maintains CFC and Halon based fire extinguishing equipment. This equipment will be phased-out in the next 12 months, but in any case in accordance with Bolivia’s obligations under the Montreal Protocol. All cell sites are also equipped with smoke detectors.
8. The company’s worker health and safety plan involves the provision of training, personal protective equipment, and emergency response preparedness. The sponsor will annually submit to IFC a monitoring report outlining the environmental performance of the project.
9. Based on the information provided regarding the potential environmental impacts and proposed mitigation measures associated with this project, IFC''s Environment Division concludes that this project is being designed and will be managed so as to ensure compliance with applicable World Bank environmental, health and safety policies and guidelines, and host country requirements.
lb/bolivia/telcel.ers
Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures
Broad Community Support
Related SII
