Environmental Information Checklist Form

Environmental Checklist

Overview

The following are a series of questions to help the interested entity to determine if it will meet the environmental and occupational health and safety safeguards where relevant needed for project eligibility. Where the firm does not appear to meet these criteria or requires clarification in determining the status assistance can be provided by contacting the Jamaica Business Fund (JBF).

Please note that the JBF through the FCGP can provide technical assistance to obtain environmental and health safety compliance is necessary. Firms are therefore encouraged not to regard this requirement as a barrier but to seek the assistance of the project. Managing environmental risks will strengthen your organization and open up opportunities for growth and provide a competitive advantage.

Checklist

1. FCGP is funded by the World Bank; entities that fall in the following categories will not be eligible for project support. See listing below.

World Bank Exclusion List

The following project activities are not eligible for financing under Project Component 3:

• Those that are illegal under Jamaica country laws, regulations or ratified international conventions and agreements
• Projects that would be classified as Category A under the World Bank OP/BP 4.01
• Projects that would involve significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitats or natural habitats
• Projects that would involve significant impacts on physical cultural resources
• Projects that would involve the purchase, use or management of significant quantities of pesticides
• Forest commercial harvesting that includes areas of critical forest or related critical habitat or industrial-scale projects, including plantations, that do not have independent forest certification
• Community or small-scale harvesting forest projects by small-scale landholders or local communities that do not adhere to forest management standards consistent with requirements for a forest certification system (World Bank OP 4.36, Para. 10) or have an acceptable time-bound action plan to achieve such standards
• Projects that would directly or indirectly involve the construction of a dam greater than 10 meters in height or the use of water from a dam greater than 10 meters in height
• Projects on international waterways (in Jamaica, any bay, gulf, strait, or channel recognized as a necessary channel of communication between the open sea and other states).
• Weapons and munitions
• Alcoholic beverages (excluding wine and beer)
• Tobacco
• Gambling, casinos and equivalent enterprises
• Wildlife or wildlife products regulated under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
• Radioactive materials
• Unbounded asbestos fibers
• Commercial logging operations or the purchase of logging equipment for use in primary tropical moist forest
• Polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs, a class of synthetic organic chemicals)
• Pharmaceuticals subject to international phase outs or bans
• Pesticides/herbicides subject to international phase outs or bans
• Ozone depleting substances subject to international phase out
• Drift net fishing in the marine environment using nets in excess of 2.5 km. in length
• Transboundary trade in waste or waste products, except for non-hazardous waste destined for recycling
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
• Non-compliance with workers fundamental principles and rights at work
• Significant degradation of a National Park or similar protected area
• Real estate speculation
• Land acquisition that would involve involuntary resettlement or land acquisition in which there is not a willing seller

This does not apply to companies for which the operations/activities related to these criteria comprise less than 10 percent of company’s total annual revenue

This does not apply to companies for which the operations/activities related to these criteria comprise less than 10 percent of company’s total annual revenue

This does not apply to companies for which the operations/activities related to these criteria comprise less than 10 percent of company’s total annual revenue

www.cites.org

This does not apply to the purchase of medical equipment, quality control (measurement) equipment and any equipment where it can be demonstrated that the radioactive source is to be trivial and/or adequately shielded

This does not apply to the purchase and use of bonded asbestos cement sheeting where the asbestos content is <20%.

Primary forest is defined as relatively intact forest that has been essentially unmodified by human activity for the previous 60 to 80 years; and Tropical moist forest is generally defined as forest in areas that receive not less than 100 mm of rain in any month for two out of three years and have an annual mean temperature of 24⁰ C or higher.

Pharmaceutical products subject to phase outs or bans in United Nations, Banned Products: Consolidated List of Products Whose Consumption and/or Sale Have Been Banned, Withdrawn, Severely Restricted or not Approved by Governments. (Last version 2001, www.who.int/medicines/library/qsm/edm-qsm-2001-3/edm-qsm-2001_3.pdf)

Pesticides and herbicides subject to phase outs or bans included in both the Rotterdam Convention (www.pic.int) and the Stockholm Convention (www.pops.int).

[10] Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) are chemical compounds which react with and deplete stratospheric ozone, resulting in the widely publicized ‘ozone holes’. The Montreal Protocol lists ODSs and their target reduction and phase out dates. The chemical compounds regulated by the Montreal Protocol includes aerosols, refrigerants, foam blowing agents, solvents, and fire protection agents. (www.unep.org/ozone/montreal.shtml).

Define by the Basel Convention (www.basel.int).

Defined by the International Convention on the reduction and elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (September 1999) and presently include the pesticides aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, and toxaphene, as well as the industrial chemical chlorobenzene (www.pops.int)

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work means (i) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; (ii) prohibition of all forms of forced or compulsory labor; (iii) prohibition of child labor, including without limitation the prohibition of persons under 18 from working in hazardous conditions (which includes construction activities), persons under 18 from working at night, and that persons under 18 be found fit to work via medical examinations; (iv) elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, where discrimination is defined as any distinction, exclusion or preference based on race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction, or social origin. (International Labor Organization: www.ilo.org)

In addition to in-country designated areas, other areas include: natural World Heritage Sites (defined by World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/nwhc/pages/doc/main.htm.), United Nations List of National Parks and Protected Areas, designated wetlands of international importance (defined by RAMSAR Convention, www.ramsar.org), or selected areas (e.g., strict nature reserves/wilderness areas, natural parks, natural monuments or habitat/species management areas) defined by IUCN (International Conservation Union, www.iucn.org).

2. The following categories of operations are required to have an environmental permit or an environmental licence. Does your firm fall in any of these categories?

Prescribed Categories for NEPA Permits.  Black = 1996 Regulations Blue = New in 2015 Regulations

1. Power Generation

 Power generation plants using hydrocarbons or nuclear reaction above 1 MW

 Power generation plants using renewable over 200 kW

2. Power Transmission

 Electrical transmission lines and substations greater than 69 kV

3. Pipelines and Conveyors

 Underground cables, pipelines and other such infrastructure with length more than 20 m or diameter or

more than 10 cm, for the transport of gas, oil or chemicals

 Water pipelines more than 1 km long

 Construction of conveyors more than 500 m long

4. Marine Development

 Port and Harbour Development

 Shipyards and Boatyards

 Drydocks and Marinas

 In‐water Hull Cleaning Operations

5. Air Transport

 Construction or expansion of airfields, runways, or aerodromes

6. Roads, Railways, and Telecommunications

 Construction of new highways, arterial roads, or bridges

 Major road improvement projects (e.g. widening, drainage, slope stabilization)

 Construction of railways, tramways, and cable car lines

 Construction of telecommunications towers

7. Water Works

 Modification of waterways for diversions or river training

 Dredging of rivers or beaches (except mining & quarrying)

 Reclamation of riverine areas

 Canals, dykes, aqueducts, levees, check dams, retaining walls, reservoirs, or dams

 Water treatment and storage facilities

8. Site Modification Projects

 Modification, clearance, or restoration of wetlands

 Construction on sand dunes, or modification, clearance, or removal of sand from dunes

 Construction of structures or rooms over sea, rivers or ponds

 Clear cutting of forested areas and clearing of trees on slopes greater than20o

 Clearing 6 hectares or more of vegetation (excluding agricultural holdings already under production)

9-12. Subdivisions, Housing Construction, and Hotels

 Subdivisions of 10 lots or more

 Construction of 10 houses or more

 Hotels or resort complexes with 10 rooms or more 

13. Recreation and Entertainment

 Establishment and operation of Eco‐tourism and nature based projects

 Golf course construction and operation

 Stadia and sports facilities over 3000 seats

 Establishment of theme parks

 Establishment of trails for motorized and non‐motorized activities

14. Service Sector

 Office and commercial complexes of 5,000 square metres or greater

 Cemeteries, mausoleum, columbaria, or crematoria

 Hospitals or medical facilities of more than 10 beds or 1000 square metres

 Dry cleaning facilities

 Veterinary clinics that board animals

 Schools and education institutions (excepting early childhood education)

 Transportation centres for more than 10 vehicles

15. Mining and Quarrying

 Bauxite, Peat, Sand, Minerals, including aggregate, construction and industrial materials

 Exploration and prospecting for extraction of non‐renewable resources or artifacts

16. Ore and Mineral Processing

 Bauxite, Peat, Sand, Minerals, including aggregate, construction and industrial materials

 Ferrous metals, Non‐ferrous metals, Metal plating, Foundry operations

 Construction and Operation of cement and lime production

 Construction and Operation of solar salt

17. Chemical

 Facilities for manufacture or storage of hazardous and toxic chemicals

 Facilities for production, refining and distribution of hydrocarbons and petroleum compounds

 Manufacturing of soap and detergent, edible oils and fats, pesticides, and paint

 Construction and operation of chemical plants other than those listed above

18. Manufacturing

 Construction materials including blocks and bricks

 Batching and crushing plants (mobiles and fixed)

 Containers and packaging materials

 Manufacturing of textiles, dyes and pigments

 Pulp, paper and wood processing

 Construction and Operation of Recycling Plant

 Manufacturing of rubber, tar and bitumen, polymers, fertilizers

19. Agro‐Industry & Food Processing

 Construction and Operation of slaughterhouses and abattoirs

 Processing plants for food, fish and meats

 Agro‐Processing facilities (coffee, citrus, cocoa, sugar cane)

 Aquaculture facilities and ponds for intensive fish farming

 Bottling facilities and boxing plants

 Construction and Operation of tanneries

20. Project Site Office

 Constructing of site office outside project footprint

21. Waste Processing & Disposal

 Solid Waste Treatment Facility (incinerator, landfill, recycling)

 Hazardous Waste Storage, Treatment, or Disposal Facility

 Agricultural Waste processing facility

 Scrap Metal storage and processing (including vehicles)

 Waste‐to‐Energy facilities

 Non‐discharging wastewater treatment plants

22. Biological Resources or Diversity

 Importation or Introduction of species

 Introduction of GMOs (except as food or feed)

 Operation of a pet store or zoo

Note: If your entity falls any of the above listed categories a permit or licence may be required. JBF will provide further guidance if required.  

3. Does the existing enterprise have a NRCA Permit or Licence?
4. Are the permit conditions being met?
5. Has NRCA/NEPA taken any enforcement action against the entity?
6. Has the enforcement action been withdrawal or appropriately resolved?
7. Is the entity operating in an area that is zoned under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) for that type of activity?
8. Is the entity registered under the Factories Act?
9. Is occupational health and safety adequately addressed in the company’s day to day operations, and are the following routinely included and accomplished:
   • identification of hazardous tasks and training as required;
   • use of personal protective equipment (dust masks, hard hats, work boots, etc.) as required;
   • first aid and emergency plans;
   • supervision and enforcement of rules and regulations regarding health and safety;
   • road safety, safe ingress and egress to the property for delivery and equipment; and
   • accident and incident reporting, investigation and resolution?
10. Have there been any complaints from the community regarding any aspect of the entity’s operation?
11. Have these complaints (if any) been resolved?
12. Additional social safeguards screening information:
    • Will the sub project activities reduce other people’s access to their economic resources, like land, pasture, water, public services or other resources that they depend on?
    • Will the project result in resettlement of individuals or families or require the acquisition of land (public or private, temporarily or permanently) for its development?
    • Will the project result in the temporary or permanent loss of crops, fruit trees and household infra-structure (such as granaries, outside toilets and kitchens, etc.)?
    • Might the project adversely affect vulnerable people and underserved groups (e.g., elderly poor pensioners, physically challenged, women, particularly head of households or widows, etc.) living in the area?