[Reader-list] BANGLADESH: Phulbari Coal Project: critique of environment plans sets off alarms

[Shambhu Rahmat]

Phulbari Coal Project: critique of environment plans sets off alarms
UK-based GCM Resources' ESIA of Bangladesh coal mine offers no comfort
11 December 2008 | Washington, DC
http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.10979.aspx

The Phulbari Coal Project threatens numerous dangers and potential
damages, ranging from the degradation of a major agricultural region
in Bangladesh to pollution of the world's largest wetlands. The
project's Summary Environmental Impact Assessment, and its full
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment are replete with vague
assurances, issuing many promises of future mitigation measures.

A report commissioned by Bank Information Center titled "Phulbari
Coal: A Parlous Project" written by Roger Moody of Nostromo Research,
UK makes the case that the integrated Phulbari coal mine, coal
rail-river transport and coastal coal offloading project in Bangladesh
is of such dimensions that it would prove highly challenging to
implement in any country. It poses not only numerous
socio-environmental problems, but also demands a highly sophisticated
degree of regulatory adhesion, long-term monitoring and component
implementation. The Asian Development Bank, which was actively
considering funding the project until civil society organizations drew
attention to its ill-prepared environment and social plans, would do
well to support the development of a less controversial energy
alternative for the country.

BIC's objective in commissioning this report was to provide
Bangladeshi and international civil society organizations with user
friendly expert critiques of the environmental and social assessments
prepared by GCM/Asia Energy.  A critique of GCM/Asia Energy's
Involuntary Resettlement Plan for the Project was also commissioned by
BIC and ispublicly available on its website.

Summary of key points of Report:

The Phulbari Coal Project threatens numerous dangers and potential
damages.  These include the degradation of a major agricultural region
in Bangladesh at a time of soaring food prices; pollution of the
world's largest wetlands; and a significant contribution to adverse
global climate change.
The project's Environmental and Social Impact Assessment is full of
vague assurances. It makes many promises of future mitigation measures
that are inadequately defined and will almost certainly not be
thoroughly implemented.
The managing company, GCM Resources plc (Asia Energy), clearly has
insufficient practical experience of a project of this magnitude.
Both the "Precautionary Principle" and that of "Inter-generational
Equity" will be severely compromised if the mine proceeds according to
its present design.
The mine will profoundly affect both the quantity and quality of water
available in the area of the mine footprint.
The likelihood of uncontrolled acid rock drainage has - by the project
proponents own admission - not been adequately assessed; nor has the
risk of a serious seismic event in the mine area.
The project will cause a significant increase in emissions of airborne
particulate matter with a direct impact on peoples' health
There is little evidence that project managers have the capacity to
ensure that  proposed rehabilitation measures will actually work

READ THE FULL REPORT:

Phulbari: A Parlous Project, prepared by Nostromo Research, November
12, 2008 (Acrobat pdf, 368 KB)
http://www.bicusa.org/admin/Document.100695.aspx