IFC Is Receiving Feedback from Stakeholders
on the Cumulative Impact Study (CIS) of Pulp Mills on the Rio Uruguay
Washington, DC, January 20, 2006.
-. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is continuing the consultation
process on the draft cumulative environmental and social impact study (CIS)
on two proposed pulp mill plants on the Rio Uruguay. Consistent with IFC’s
policy on public disclosure and consultation, the Corporation will undertake
several meetings with a number of stakeholders in Uruguay and Argentina
next week, as was indicated in December when the CIS was launched. Additional
meetings will follow.
IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, commissioned the CIS
as part of the evaluation process to determine whether to provide financing
to the Orion and CMB pulp mill plants in Uruguay. In addition, the Multilateral
Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), also a member of the World Bank Group,
is evaluating whether to provide political risk insurance to the Orion
plant.
IFC is committed to undertake a fair and open consultation process that
provides stakeholders with the opportunity to provide feedback on the CIS.
IFC has been receiving feedback from interested parties in Uruguay and
Argentina.
The World Bank Group acknowledges the substantive comments that have been
received from the government of Argentina. IFC will carefully review them
along with other feedback provided by stakeholders, as well as the reports
to be issued by the bi-national technical commission established by the
governments of Uruguay and Argentina.
The Cumulative Impact Study and the Consultation Process
The CIS was released on December 19,
2005, in draft form, opening a consultation period to receive feedback
from interested parties on the study's scope, methodology, and findings.
The consultation process will help determine whether there are any gaps
in the analysis undertaken to date and whether any additional modification
of the study may be required as a result. All comments will be carefully
reviewed by an expert panel specifically set up for this purpose. All comments
and written material provided will become a part of the public record and
will influence IFC and MIGA decision-making.
Neither IFC nor MIGA will make a decision on whether to proceed with funding
or guarantees until the consultation process is completed.
The Online Feedback Option
In order to facilitate feedback on the
CIS from the public and interested parties, IFC has also opened an online
submission mechanism via the Internet. The public and interested parties
can submit comments, analysis, and feedback on the CIS at the following
Web address: http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/lac.nsf/content/Uruguay_Pulp_Mills.
For more details on the consultation process and to obtain the full text
of the draft CIS, in English and Spanish, please visit: http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/lac.nsf/content/Uruguay_Pulp_Mills.
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