Egypt - Alexandria Development Project : integrated environmental and social impact assessment (IESIA)

This report presents the main findings of the Environmental and Social Assessment conducted for the Alexandria Growth Pole Project (AGPP). The environmental and social assessment aims to examine environmental, social, economic, physical, and biological impacts in areas possibly affected by the project, and proposes mitigation measures, and environmental management and monitoring plans. Some expected adverse environmental issues regard industrial effluents and sludge causing groundwater and water body pollution, health risks from discharging and reusing treated effluents in irrigation or fish farming, agriculture pollution, solid waste generation, disease transmission through infectious waste sharps and contaminated water, chemical and toxic threats through chemical and pharmaceutical exposure for medical centers, noise, dust, safety, odors, insects and increased incidence of waterborne diseases, excavation of potentially contaminated surface sediments, demolition leftovers, drainage canal clogging, damage to archaeological sites, and cross contamination to sewage and water lines. Among the social impacts that may arise are those concerning under-representation of groups vulnerable to risks, inequitably distributed employment opportunities, and encroachment on private property. The report's matrix of mitigation measures include the following: collecting and disposing of wastes; demolition and excavated materials at the landfill; restricting surface runoff; suppressing dust with water spraying and enclosures; banning on-site waste burning; limiting the hours of construction; analyzing the sediments pollution dredged from lakes and drains; drafting an employment plan ensuring access and training; maintaining ditches; developing resettlement plans if needed; using chance finds procedures; carefully selecting sites; effluent treatment to control quality; adhering to sludge disposal plan; covering equipment and areas likely to cause odors as well as vehicles transporting sludge; monitoring parasites and educating residents and government about disease control; monitoring groundwater quality; disposing of solid wastes and providing bins for waste collection; building noise and public safety barriers; building pedestrian bridges to give residents access to separated areas; using signs to control traffic and establishing an emergency plan in case of road accidents and emergencies; improving employee skill-sets; training medical staff on handling and disposing of medical wastes; providing protective clothing and practicing good hygiene; vaccinating health workers and segregating medical wastes and incinerating it in designated area; and shipping medical waste to sanitary landfills.