Background Information | Espaņol |
With the release of the draft cumulative impact study in December 2005, the World Bank Group proposed a process for consultation on the document, as follows.
The draft CIS was made available for public review, comment, and possible modification for a period of 60 days. During this period the study was available online in both Spanish and English, and an online consultation mechanism was created to allow stakeholders to offer their comments on the proposed project.
During the initial disclosure period, the governments of Uruguay and Argentina also provided feedback on the draft cumulative study. In February 2005, the World Bank Group convened two public review sessions to enable stakeholders to provide comments and concerns on the draft CIS; these were held in Uruguay and Argentina. IFC and MIGA experts and representatives of the teams working on the projects, as well as company representatives, were present to hear comments and concerns from interested parties. The meetings were facilitated by an independent third party who defined the structure and format to ensure a focused dialogue and a fair process. An independent panel of experts was selected to analyze all comments and feedback received during the initial 60-day period.
In July 2006, an independent Canadian environmental consulting firm, EcoMetrix, was selected by IFC to review and revise the draft cumulative impact study. The revision process included further analysis, based on additional and updated information. The goal was to address the findings and recommendations of the independent expert panel, whose report, which took into account all stakeholder feedback and previous environmental documentation, was made public in April 2006.
The final CIS was made available in English on October 12, 2006, and in Spanish on October 14, 2006.
