concept EIA-rapport - Staatsolie

SRK Consulting: Project No: 439414 Staatsolie Pipeline EIA – Draft EIA Report Page 3
2 Regulatory and policy framework and EIA process
2.1 Introduction
Suriname is governed in terms of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of Suriname. A supervisory
body – The Council of State – has the power to veto legislation which it deems to be in violation of
the Constitution. The Suriname legal system is a civil law system, reflecting the country’s Dutch
heritage, although local issues are mainly resolved based on traditional custom. The quality of policy
formulation and administration is uneven.
Suriname does not have an approved national environmental policy and there is no legislation
dealing specifically with environmental management. However, environmental legislation is currently
being developed and guidelines for environmental assessment have been released. The EIA
process for the proposed pipeline project will comply with the guidelines and other relevant existing
legislation.
In addition to national regulatory requirements of Suriname, the EIA process will be guided by
international best practice, notably standards and guidelines such as those prescribed by the World
Bank Group for Bank-funded private sector development projects 2 . The World Bank Group
standards and guidelines include environmental and social guidelines and standards that relate to
the implementation and scope of the EIA process. Where applicable, the application of the standards
and guidelines will be modified to reflect the scale of the project and other relevant factors.
Staatsolie also has corporate standards and management policies that are relevant to the project
and the EIA process, notably its Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Policy and Management
System.
The legislative, regulatory and institutional requirements guiding the proposed EIA process as
described above are discussed in more detail below. Note that other requirements may pertain to the
proposed project, but identification and interpretation of these is beyond the brief of this study. As
such, the list provided below is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive, and serves to highlight
key environmental legislation and obligations only.
The key regulatory requirements pertaining to the proposed expansion project and the environmental
assessment thereof include the following:
• Suriname legislation, regulations and guidelines;
• Corporate environmental policies and standards of Staatsolie; and
• International best practice standards, such as the guidelines of the World Bank Group.
2.2 Suriname legal requirements
2.2.1 Legal requirements regarding Environmental Assessment
NIMOS, the technical division of the Ministry of Labour, Technological Development and
Environment (Ministerie van Arbeid, Technologische Ontwikkeling en Milieu - ATM), is responsible
for the development of national environmental legislation and administers the environmental
permitting process in Suriname.
2 The World Bank Group standards are applied as best practice guidelines and not as an investment
requirement.
REUT/DALC 439414_StaatsoliePipelineEIA_Draft EIA Report_Final June 2012