English - Staatsolie

SRK Consulting 

Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page i 

1 INTRODUCTION 

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: 

EIA for the Staatsolie Refinery Expansion Project 

Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname N.V. (“Staatsolie”) 

has been exploring, producing and refining crude oil for 

the last 28 years. The refinery is about 5 km south of 

Paramaribo in the Wanica District of Suriname, South 

America, between the Suriname River and Sir Winston 

Churchill Road, where the Tout Lui Faut Canal enters the 

Suriname River. 

The refinery currently processes 7 000 barrels (bbl) 1 of 

oil per day and produces mainly diesel and fuel oil. 

Staatsolie want to increase the refinery’s production to 

process 15 000 bbl per day and to produce additional 

products such as gasoline. 

The project is intended to help Staatsolie to produce 

high quality products that can be used in Suriname and 

reduce the country’s dependence on supplies from 

other countries. 

SRK Consulting (Pty) Ltd (SRK) was appointed by 

Staatsolie as independent consultants to undertake an 

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project. 

CB&I Lummus are the engineering consultants for the 

basic design of the proposed expansion of the refinery. 

2 LEGAL FRAMEWORK 

2.1 Suriname legislation and guidelines 

The Nationaal Instituut voor Milieu en Ontwikkeling in 

Suriname (NIMOS) is responsible for the environmental 

permitting process in Suriname. 

There is currently no law in Suriname that states that an 

EIA is required for projects, however there is a draft 

Environmental Act (2002). NIMOS also published 

Guidelines for Environmental Assessment (EA) in 

Suriname and project developers are expected to 

comply with the guidelines. 

Other key laws that are relevant to the project include: 

• The Hindrance Act (Hinderwet, 1930, 1944, and 

1972), which controls industrial pollution through 

permit requirements; and 

1 A barrel is approximately 159 litres. 

• The draft Waste Act (2004), which regulates the 

treatment of waste materials, but has not been put 

into force. 

2.2 Staatsolie’s corporate policies 

Staatsolie has a Health, Safety and Environment Policy 

that is based on the following principles: 

• Prevention of incidents; 

• Compliance with all relevant legal requirements; 

• Continual improvement of health, safety and 

environmental performance; and 

• Prevention of environmental pollution. 

2.3 International best practice 

While undertaking the EIA, SRK was guided by 

international standards and best practice, including the 

World Bank Group’s Environmental Assessment 

Sourcebook, and the Performance Standards and 

relevant Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines of 

the International Finance Corporation (IFC). 

3 THE EIA AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS 

3.1 The EIA Process 

There are four phases in the EIA process, namely: 

• Screening to determine the level of detail that is 

required for the EIA. This was undertaken by 

Staatsolie in 2008 and it was agreed with NIMOS 

that a full, detailed EIA must be done; 

• Scoping to decide which issues must be 

investigated in the EIA; 

• Environmental Assessment to identify and assess 

the importance of the potential impacts of the 

project; and 

• Review by NIMOS to take a decision on whether the 

project should be allowed to continue. 

3.2 Specialist Studies 

Five specialist impact assessment studies were done for 

the EIA. Local and international specialists were 

involved: the specialist studies and the relevant 

specialists are indicated in Table 1. 

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Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page ii 

Table 1: EIA specialist studies and specialists. 

Specialist 

study / report 

Geology, Soils 

and Ecology 

Surface and 

Groundwater 

Specialist teams 

Dirk Noordam and Pieter Teunissen, 

independent consultants from Suriname 

Tony Rex, SRK United Kingdom 

Air Quality Victor von Reiche and Lucian Burger 

Airshed Planning Professionals, South Africa 

Noise Bora Arpacioglu, SRK Turkey 

Social Sue Reuther, SRK South Africa 

3.3 Public Consultation 

Public consultation is an important part of the EIA that 

runs throughout the process. During the Screening 

Phase of the EIA, Staatsolie advertised the proposed 

project and held meetings with the local communities. 

During the Scoping Phase, SRK compiled an initial list of 

stakeholders, advertised the project and released a 

Background Information Document. Meetings were 

also held with authorities to discuss the Study Plan 

compiled by SRK. 

The Draft EIA Report has been made available for public 

comment and this Non-technical Summary in both 

English and Dutch has been sent to all stakeholders on 

the list. Public consultation meetings will be held to 

SPCS 

site 

Existing 

refinery 

site 

discuss the EIA Report and all stakeholders are invited 

to comment on the Draft EIA Report (see the end of this 

document for information on how to take part). 

3.4 Interaction with the Design Team 

There have been ongoing discussions between the EIA 

team and Staatsolie’s design and engineering team 

throughout the EIA process. It was therefore possible to 

limit the potential impacts of the project by changing 

the design of the expanded refinery. 

4 SITE AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

4.1 The Refinery Site 

The Staatsolie refinery is in a semi-urban area and is 

about 27 ha in size (excluding the 9 ha expansion area 

next to it) (see Figure 1). Houses in Dijkveld are on the 

other side of the Tout Lui Faut Canal. There are 

industrial businesses on both sides of the refinery along 

the Suriname River and undeveloped land to the south 

and southwest. 

Crude oil is pumped to the refinery via pipeline and 

products are taken away by ship using a jetty on the 

Suriname River and by truck (road). 

Proposed 

expansion 

Figure 1: Google Earth image showing the existing Staatsolie refinery site and proposed expansion area. 

FOUD/dalc 398251_Staatsolie_Draft EIR_Non-technical Summary FINAL.doc November 2009 

area


Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page iii 

At the existing refinery, crude oil is stored in special 

tanks on the site. The crude oil is then distilled into 

diesel, heavy vacuum gasoil and vacuum residue. The 

vacuum residue is turned into asphalt bitumen and the 

remaining product is blended with the heavy vacuum 

gasoil to produce fuel oil. The refinery consists of two 

main processing units, storage facilities and utilities. 

The refinery products are exported by pipeline, truck 

and ships from the jetty. 

4.2 The Proposed Expanded Refinery 

New processing units, utilities and storage facilities will 

be built to expand the existing refinery; mostly on the 9 

Existing Site 

ha expansion area, but also on the existing refinery site 

(see Figure 1 and Figure 2). 

The expanded refinery will involve a more complex 

crude oil refining process and will need several new 

processing units to: 

• Separate the crude oil into intermediate products 

(e.g. through distillation); 

• Convert heavy intermediate products into lighter 

products (e.g. through hydrocracking and 

visbreaking); and 

• Upgrade intermediate products to meet the 

required end product specifications (e.g. through 

catalytic reforming). 

Proposed Expansion Area 

Figure 2: Existing and proposed refinery layout. Green shading indicates new units. 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page iv 

The expanded refinery will also require new wastewater 

treatment facilities, a new (higher) flare, expanded 

storage facilities for crude oil and products, and 

additional utilities. The proposed layout of the 

expanded refinery is shown in Figure 2. 

The new expanded refinery will produce premium 

diesel, gasoline (RON 95) fuel oil, asphalt bitumen and 

sulphuric acid, which will be exported from the refinery 

by ship (from the existing jetty), truck and pipeline. 

Staatsolie has committed to strict standards for air 

emissions, noise and wastewater quality for the 

proposed expanded refinery. These standards are 

based on international guidelines and standards such as 

those of the European Community, World Health 

Organisation, World Bank/IFC and the Netherlands. 

A 14 megawatt (MW) power plant (with two 7 MW 

engines) managed by the Staatsolie Power Company 

Suriname (SPCS) is located on the north-western part of 

the refinery site. The power plant became fully 

operational in August/September 2009; before that it 

was only run every now and then. The plant provides 

power to the national grid. 

5 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

5.1 Biophysical Environment 

Suriname has a typical tropical climate with high rainfall 

and high temperatures. Most rain falls during the long 

and short rainy seasons, which are separated by long 

and short dry seasons. 

In the area around the refinery site, daytime winds 

usually blow from the east and night-time winds from 

the north-east. Conditions are calmer at night than 

during the day. The existing refinery emits several 

different types of pollutants into the air, including 

hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which is responsible for the 

smell that can sometimes be smelled around the 

refinery. However, the air quality specialist study found 

that the levels of all of these pollutants are well below 

the relevant international health standards and 

therefore do not pose any health risk for the 

surrounding communities. The study further showed 

that the SPCS power plant emits very similar pollutants 

(but not H2S) to the refinery and actually emits more of 

some of these pollutants than the refinery does. 

The refinery is located on poorly drained clay soils 

deposited by the Suriname River. These soils are not 

really suitably for agricultural crops or livestock. A soil 

investigation in early 2009 found evidence of oil 

pollution on the proposed expansion area, which 

resulted from a spill at the refinery several years ago. 

Noise levels in the areas surrounding the refinery site 

are below the IFC’s guidelines levels for residential, 

commercial and industrial areas, although, , since the 

power plant started working continuously in 

August/September 2009, night-time noise levels in the 

Dijkveld residential area are close to the relevant 

guideline level. 

The refinery is located on the lower stretches of the 

Suriname River (see Figure 3), which flows in a generally 

north-south direction. 

Figure 3: The refinery site as seen from the Suriname 

River. (Photo by T. Rex.) 

The Tout Lui Faut Canal releases effluent (wastewater) 

and stormwater (rain water) into the Suriname River 

just downstream of the refinery site. Groundwater is 

abstracted from an existing borehole on the refinery 

site from a deep-lying aquifer. There is also very 

shallow groundwater on the refinery site, but this is not 

used. 

Very little natural vegetation and/or habitat remains in 

the vicinity of the refinery and secondary growth of low 

marsh forest occurs in small patches. Until recently, the 

proposed expansion area was covered with such 

secofndary forest, but this was cleared recently. There 

are no plant species that are important for conservation 

in the study area. 

Terrestrial (land-based) animals that may occur along 

the lower Suriname River are those that commonly live 

close to humans, such as opossums, bats, monkeys, 

sloths, rodents, snakes, lizards and birds. No species of 

concern are expected to occur in the area. 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page v 

No fish species of concern are known to occur in this 

stretch of the Suriname River. The Suriname river 

dolphin occurs as far upstream as Paranam and the 

vulnerable West Indian Manatee may also occur in the 

Suriname River. The endangered Giant river otter is 

known to occur in Suriname but is not expected to live 

in the study area (although they may visit the area). 

The vulnerable Yellow-spotted sideneck turtle may also 

occur in the study area. 

5.2 Socio-economic Environment 

The Staatsolie refinery site is located in the Ressort 

Houttuin in the district of Wanica. The local 

communities near the refinery are Dijkveld and Tout Lui 

Faut. Part of Dijkveld falls within Ressort Livorno in the 

Para District. 

Ressort Houttuin is home to about 13 000 people, with 

more people living in Dijkveld than other parts of the 

ressort. 

Historically, Ressort Houttuin was a rural farming area 

where vegetables, fruits and livestock were farmed. 

Local commercial activity is increasing, especially near 

the refinery site where there are several existing and 

planned commercial and light industrial developments 

(see Figure 4). Most people from the Dijkveld area grow 

LEGEND: 

Commercial area 

Secondary marsh forest 

River side vegetation 

Abandoned / fallow land 

and scattered small-scale 

agriculture and grazing 

Residential areas 

Agriculture 

Industry, workshops and 

warehouses 

Sand mining 

vegetables and fruit and keep livestock in their yards. 

There is also a commercial farm near to the refinery 

where fruit (mostly West Indian cherry) is grown. 

About 16 – 20 local commercial fishermen (with 12 

small boats) fish in the Suriname River and have their 

base near the sluice gate on the Tout Lui Faut Canal. 

The government employs about half of the local 

(employed) population and many local people travel to 

Paramaribo for work every day. About 50 people 

residing in Ressort Houttuin and Dijkveld are employed 

by the Staatsolie refinery (about 30% of refinery 

workers). Approximately 115 people living in the 

District Wanica are employed at the company’s 

Saramacca Operations. 

There is one main policlinic and a smaller health post in 

Ressort Houttuin, both run by the Regionale 

Gezondheidsdienst (RGD). Ressort Houttuin has one 

junior secondary school and five primary schools, two of 

which are located in the Dijkveld area. 

Most households in Ressort Houttuin have electricity, 

telephones and water, but many also collect rainwater 

to reduce costs. Waste is collected from households in 

Houttuin and taken to the waste disposal site at 

Ornamibo in Ressort Domburg. 

Figure 4: Land use and vegetation in the vicinity of the refinery site. (Adapted from Noordam & Teunissen, 2009) 

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N


Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page vi 

The two regionally important roads in the area, Martin 

Luther King Road and Sir Winston Churchill Road, are 

surfaced. Martin Luther King Road is in bad condition in 

the Houttuin area. Traffic levels on both roads are 

slowly increasing and are high during morning and 

evening rush hour. The important ressort-level roads 

running in a south-west/north-east direction are also 

surfaced, but most of the smaller roads in the area are 

not. Flooding is a problem on these roads in the rainy 

season. 

The Suriname River is used by all major cargo vessels 

travelling to the Port of Paramaribo and further 

upstream. There are many small quays and jetties, 

which are used by industries located on the riverbank 

(mostly on the western bank), as well as passenger and 

fishing boats. 

There is an increasing need for housing in Ressort 

Houttuin and several housing projects are planned or 

currently underway. As a result, Houttuin is slowly 

losing its farming character and is becoming more 

urban. Most new and planned housing and industrial 

developments in Ressort Houttuin are to the south of 

the Staatsolie refinery, along Sir Winston Churchill Road 

and Martin Luther King Road. 

6 IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND OVERVIEW OF 

MANAGEMENT PLANS 

A summary of the potential impacts and their 

significance and the key findings of the impact 

assessment are discussed below and summarised in 

Table 2. 

6.1 Biophysical Impact Assessment 

Key observations with regard to the potential 

biophysical impacts of the planned project activities are: 

• Potential contamination of soil resources, changes 

to the landscape and limitations imposed on land 

uses around the refinery site during the 

construction and operation phases are all assessed 

to be insignificant or of very low to low significance. 

A large, accidental release of pollutants (e.g. an oil 

spill) could result in soil contamination of medium 

significance, but would be of very low significance if 

mitigation measures are implemented. 

• The noise impact on surrounding communities 

during the construction phase (mainly because of 

construction vehicles and piling) is assessed be of 

very low significance. 

The refinery expansion project (and SPCS power 

plant) will result in a reduction in noise levels in the 

residential areas to the west of the refinery site, 

due to the fact that new refinery units will be 

placed on the southern side of the existing refinery 

(i.e. futher away from the residential area) and 

some existing refinery units will be moth-balled. 

Noise levels in the undeveloped and industrial areas 

to the south of the refinery site will increase 

slightly. 

However, the noise level changes will not be 

noticeable to the average person and the resultant 

noise levels will be below the international 

standards adopted for the project. The impact of 

noise on surrounding communities during the 

operation phase is therefore assessed to be 

insignificant. 

• Air pollutants emitted from the refinery (and SPCS 

power plant) include sulphur dioxide [SO2], carbon 

monoxide [CO], nitrogen oxides [NOX], particulates, 

carcinogenic compounds (i.e. benzene), volatile 

organic compounds (VOCs) and hydrogen sulphide 

(H2S). 

The emissions of most of these pollutants will 

increase with the refinery expansion project, but no 

exceedances of the adopted air concentration 

standards are predicted with the exception of H2S. 

H2S emissions (i.e. odours) will reduce, but they will 

still slightly exceed the odour threshold standard. 

The potential impact of a reduction in air quality 

and impaired human health is assessed to be of low 

significance, while the reduced odour emissions are 

considered to be a positive impact of low 

significance. Air quality in the vicinity of the 

refinery is not expected to adversely affect 

vegetation and crops and the impact is assessed to 

be of very low significance. 

• Impacts on surface water resources such as 

increased sedimentation and turbidity in the 

Suriname River (from construction activities) and 

contamination of the Suriname River by stormwater 

runoff (due to leaks and spills of contaminants on 

the refinery site) would be insignificant or of very 

low to low significance with mitigation. 

The impact of the discharge of treated wastewater 

from the expanded refinery to the Suriname River 

would have a low positive significance, due to 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page vii 

improved wastewater treatment and strict effluent 

quality standards that Staatsolie will implement. 

• Only the shallow, localised groundwater on the 

refinery site may be affected by the proposed 

activities; the deeper, underlying aquifer from 

which water is abstracted will not be affected. The 

potential contamination of groundwater resources 

during the construction and operation phases is 

assessed to be insignificant with mitigation. 

• Very little natural vegetation/habitat or noteworthy 

terrestrial fauna occurs in the area. The potential 

impact on vegetation, terrestrial habitat and 

terrestrial fauna is assessed to be of very low 

significance with mitigation. 

• The potential impact on aquatic ecology in the 

Suriname River, through exposure to increased 

turbidity/sedimentation and pollutants, is assessed 

to be of very low significance with mitigation. 

6.2 Socio-economic and Transportation Impact 

Assessment 

• Positive socio-economic impacts of the proposed 

refinery expansion project include the generation of 

(limited) employment opportunities (especially 

during construction), which is assessed to be of low 

positive significance. The project’s contribution to 

the economy of Suriname (through investment as 

well as reducing the country’s dependence on 

imported fuels) is assessed to be of very high 

positive significance. 

Other potential socio-economic effects include 

impacts on the livelihoods, quality of life and social 

fabric of surrounding communities (through effects 

on agricultural activities and nuisance impacts and 

an influx of construction workers from outside the 

area). These impacts are assessed to be of very low 

significance with mitigation. 

• Transportation impacts of the expansion project 

include additional traffic on the local road network 

during construction as well as additional river traffic 

on the Suriname River during both construction and 

operations. The impact of this additional traffic on 

other road and river users is assessed to be of very 

low and low significance, respectively. 

6.3 Cumulative Effects 

The existing refinery and the SPCS power plant are the 

main activities that, with the refinery expansion project, 

will have cumulative effects on the environment. 

The existing power plant significantly affects air quality 

and noise levels in the area around the refinery site and 

the possible future expansion of the power plant may 

further reduce the quality of the environment. 

However, concentrations of pollutants emitted by the 

refinery and the expanded power plant will not exceed 

the relevant health standards. 

6.4 Overview of Management Plans 

SRK has compiled the following draft management plans 

for the proposed Refinery Expansion Project: 

• Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan 

(EMMP), which sets out the approach that will be 

followed during the construction and operations 

phases to manage possible negative impacts and 

improve possible benefits; and 

• Conceptual Closure Plan (CCP), which sets out the 

technical and financial responsibilities that 

Staatsolie will have when the refinery is closed. 

In addition, a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) and a 

Framework Emergency Response Plan (ERP) will be 

compiled. The QRA looks at the possible risks to the 

local communities (society) that may exist because of 

the expanded refinery and evaluates these risks against 

international standards. 

7 CONCLUSIONS 

The EIA has identified and assessed the potential 

impacts of the proposed refinery expansion project. 

During the EIA the design team had the opportunity to 

incorporate environmental considerations into the 

design at an early stage, to avoid significant 

environmental impacts. SRK believes that through 

effective implementation of the recommended 

management measures, any remaining negative impacts 

can be further reduced to acceptable levels. Staatsolie 

will need to make sure that the expanded refinery is 

operated to high standards to keep environmental 

impacts to a minimum. This will require commitment, 

persistence and ongoing monitoring of performance. 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page viii 

8 WAY FORWARD 

The Draft EIA Report and the Draft EMMP are now 

available for people to read and comment on. All 

comments received will be used to finalise the reports 

before they are submitted to NIMOS to use in their 

decision-making. 

A public consultation meeting will be held to present 

and discuss the findings of the EIA with interested and 

affected parties. Details are as follows: 

SRK Consulting in South Africa: 

Contact person: Danélle Fourie 

Contact details: 

Postnet Suite #206, Private Bag X18, 

Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa 

Tel: + 27 21 659 3060 

Fax: +27 21 685 7105 

E-mail: dfourie@srk.co.za 

Venue: Staatsolie Refinery, Tout Lui Faut 

Date: Saturday 28 November 2009 

Time: 14h00 – 16h30 

Further details can be obtained from the contact 

persons. 

In order for comments to be included in the Final EIA 

Report and/or the Final EMMP, they must reach the 

contact person(s) no later than 14 December 2009. 

If you have any questions about the project or would like to comment on the reports, please contact: 

SRK Consulting in Suriname: 

Contact person: Henna Guicherit 

Contact details: 

Henck Arronstraat 116A, 

Paramaribo, 

Suriname 

Tel/Fax: + 597 520916 

E-mail: hguicherit@sr.net 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page ix 

Table 2: Summary of potential impacts of the proposed refinery expansion project. 

Potential negative impacts are shaded in orange, benefits are shaded in green. White indicates a neutral impact. 

# Impact Significance rating Key mitigation/optimisation measures 

BIOPHYSICAL IMPACTS 

G1 

G2 

Potential contamination of soil resources 

as a result of small leaks and spills 

Potential contamination of soil resources 

as a result of a large, accidental release 

during the operations phase 

Altered landscape (visual quality and 

sense of place) 

Before mitigation/ 

optimisation 

After mitigation/ 

optimisation 

Low Insignificant 

Medium Very Low 

Low Low 

G3 Impact on land use Low Low 

Undertake regular maintenance of vehicles and machinery to identify and repair minor leaks. 

Develop (or maintain and adapt) procedures for the safe transport, handling and storage of potential 

pollutants. 

Use spill prevention measures such as drip trays during refuelling, bunds around storage tanks, etc. to 

capture spills and contain any leaks. 

Ensure all on site staff are trained in the use of spill prevention measures. 

Clean up any spills (including existing spills) immediately, through containment and removal of free 

product and appropriate rehabilitation or disposal of contaminated soils. 

Ensure adequate spill response measures are included in the Emergency Response Plan. 

Regularly inspect and maintain all equipment to prevent equipment failures. 

Ensure all on site staff are trained in the requirements of the Emergency Response Plan. 

Avoid overloading of storage tanks and vehicles during refuelling and ensure all drivers observe the rules 

of the road. 

Clean up any spills immediately, through containment and removal of free product and appropriate 

rehabilitation or disposal of contaminated soils. 

Establish or retain as much vegetation as possible around the perimeter of the expanded refinery to act 

as a visual screen between project activities and nearby visual receptors. 

Implement mitigation measures to reduce the potential air quality impacts. 

Establish or retain as much vegetation as possible around the perimeter of the expanded refinery to act 

as a visual screen between project activities and nearby visual receptors. 

Implement mitigation measures to reduce the potential noise and air quality impacts. 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page x 


AQ1 

Reduction in air quality and impaired 

human health due to operations phase 

emissions 


optimisation 


optimisation 

Medium Low 

AQ2 Reduced odour emissions Low Low n/a 

AQ3 

Impacts on vegetation caused by poor air 

quality 

Very Low n/a n/a 

N1 Noise during the construction phase Low Very Low 

N2 Noise during the operations phase Insignificant Insignificant 

WR1 

Potential increased turbidity and 

sedimentation in the Suriname River 

during the construction phase. 

Insignificant Insignificant 

Ensure that the boiler stack height is 15m+ (as assumed in emissions modeling). 

Use low sulphur fuels if monitoring identifies any stack or ambient concentration exceedances for SO2. 

Ensure that all significant sour gas streams are routed to the sulphur recovery unit as planned and do 

not combust in furnaces, boilers or flares. 

Install low NOX burners when burner sets are replaced in existing plant. 

Consider the installation of multi-cyclones, fabric filters or scrubbers to control soot emissions or 

alternative technologies requiring less soot blowing. Alternatively, restrict soot blowing to periods of 

good dispersion potential. 

Use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and refinery fuel gas (RFG) firing, and distillate oil for start-up. Fuel oil 

should only be fired if RFG supply is inadequate. 

Implement an initial air quality monitoring campaign to compare modelled predictions against 

measured data. 

Schedule noise-generating construction activities, in particular piling activities, during business hours to 

avoid after hours noise impacts. 

Ensure adequate maintenance of construction vehicles and machinery to minimise excessive noise 

generation. 

Investigate and respond to complaints about excessive noise. 

Establish land zoning in the wider area around the refinery especially for the areas to the south of the 

expanded refinery (in cooperation with the local authorities) for the establishment of an industrial area 

in which residential activities (and other sensitive receptors such as schools and hospitals) will not be 

allowed. 

Consider the establishment of a natural acoustic shield by planting or encouraging the growth of dense 

trees and underbrush in the green belt around the refinery site, concentrating on the area to the south 

of the refinery site. 

Schedule noise-generating activities that are unrelated to the continuous operation of the refinery, e.g. 

repairs/maintenance, loading/unloading of materials, etc., during business hours. 

Implement a noise monitoring programme to validate the noise impact assessment and identify any 

unforeseen noise issues. 

Implement good management practices during the construction phase. 

Restrict the footprint of construction activities and vehicle movements, including laydown areas. 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page xi 


WR2 

WR3 

Potential contamination of the Suriname 

River through stormwater discharge 

during the construction phase. 


River through stormwater discharge 

during the operations phase. 

Potential impact of treated wastewater 

discharge on water quality in the 

Suriname River during the operations 

phase. 


optimisation 


optimisation 

Very Low Insignificant 

Low Very Low 

Low Low 

Comply with Project standards for stormwater discharge. 

Contain contaminated stormwater runoff and all wastewater generated from construction areas and 

treat prior to discharge as far as practical. 

Regularly clean and maintain containment facilities to maximise settlement capacity. 

Undertake regular maintenance of construction vehicles and machinery to identify and repair minor 

leaks. 


pollutants. 

Locate hazardous material storage facilities, especially fuel storage, as far as practically possible from 

the Suriname River. 

Design and construct hazardous material storage facilities, especially fuel storage, with suitable 

impermeable materials and a minimum 110% bund containment capacity. 

Use spill prevention measures such as drip trays, bunds around storage tanks, etc. to capture spills 

during refuelling and other handling of potential pollutants. 



disposal of contaminated soils. 

Comply with Project standards for stormwater discharge. 

Maintain the oil-water separator on a regular basis. 


pollutants. 



Design and construct hazardous material storage facilities with suitable impermeable materials and a 

minimum 110% containment capacity. 



disposal of contaminated soils. 

Implement an ongoing and comprehensive water and effluent quality monitoring programme with 

regular reporting of monitoring results to NIMOS. 

Comply with World Bank standards for refinery process effluent quality. 

Formalise the policy on the new WWTW effluent standards to ensure that they are adopted. 

Implement an adequate monitoring programme to monitor effluent quality with appropriate responses 

(e.g. WWTW shutdown protocols) if any non-compliances are recorded. 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page xii 


WR4 

WR5 

TE1 


River through a large, uncontrolled 

release of pollutants during the 

operations phase. 

Potential contamination of groundwater 

resources 

Potential contamination of vegetation / 

habitat 


optimisation 


optimisation 

Low Very Low 

Low Insignificant 

Low Very Low 

TE2 Potential impact on terrestrial fauna. Very Low Very Low 

AE1 

AE2 

Potential loss of aquatic diversity due to 

increased sedimentation / turbidity during 

the construction phase 


toxicological effects as result of small 

continuous releases of pollutants 


toxicological effects as result of large, 

accidental release of pollutants 

Ensure adequate spill response measures are included in the Emergency Response Plan. 

Ensure adequate spill containment and response equipment are available, including oil booms and oil 

spill dispersants. 

Regularly maintain all equipment to prevent failures of pipelines, etc. 

Ensure all on site staff are trained in the requirements of the Emergency Response Plan and in the use of 

spill containment and response equipment. 

Ensure all safety precautions are taken during loading and off-loading of potential contaminants. 


pollutants. 



Design and construct hazardous material storage facilities with suitable impermeable materials and a 

minimum 110% containment capacity. 



rehabilitation or disposal of contaminated soils. 

Implement an ongoing and comprehensive water and effluent quality monitoring programme with 

regular reporting of monitoring results to NIMOS. 

Limit the footprint of construction activities, including laydown areas. 

Implement mitigation measures to reduce the potential impact of soil and water contamination. 

Implement mitigation measures to reduce the potential impact on air quality. 

Limit the footprint of construction activities, including laydown areas. 

Implement mitigation measures to limit the potential contamination of vegetation/habitat. 

Implement mitigation measures to minimise noise impacts. 

Very Low Very Low Implement mitigation measures to reduce the potential impacts on surface water quality. 

Low Very Low Implement mitigation measures to reduce the potential impact of soil and water contamination. 

Low Very Low Implement mitigation measures to reduce the potential impact of soil and water contamination. 



Staatsolie Refinery Draft EIA Report: Non-technical Summary Page xiii 


SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS 

SE1 

SE2 

SE3 

Employment generation during the 

construction phase 

Employment generation during the 

operations phase 

Impact on livelihoods and quality of life of 

local communities 

Impact of migrant construction workers 

on local communities 


optimisation 


optimisation 

Low Low 

Low Low 

Low Very Low 

Medium Low 

Maximise the employment of local (Surinamese) workers and ensure that this policy is formalised in 

Staatsolie human resources guidelines and contractors’ agreements. 

Work closely with the local community before and during the project to identify and communicate 

required skills and resources that the local community could provide. 

Implement labour-intensive rather than capital-intensive work methods wherever possible. 

Purchase resources from Surinamese sources wherever possible. 

Give preference to Surinamese nationals when filling vacancies. Ensure that this policy is formalised in 

Staatsolie human resources guidelines and contractors’ agreements. 

Implement labour-intensive rather than capital-intensive work methods wherever possible. 

Purchase resources from Surinamese sources, where possible. 

Implement mitigation measures to reduce noise and air quality impacts. 

Implement mitigation measures to reduce impacts on water resources and aquatic ecology. 

Develop a company policy on interaction between migrant construction workers and the host 

communities. 

Provide construction workers living in camps with an induction and clear guidance on community 

interaction. 

Implement a communication mechanism that allows local communities to raise issues and concerns to 

Staatsolie. 

Consider providing workers living in construction camps with regular and cheap / free access (transport) 

to recreation and entertainment opportunities. 

Run HIV/AIDS community awareness workshops. 

SE4 Impact on Surinamese economy Very High Very High Preferentially procure resources from Surinamese sources, where practicable. 

T1 

T2 

Impact of construction phase traffic on 

the local road network 

Impact of increased river traffic on other 

users of the Suriname River 

Very Low Very Low 

Low Low 

As far as possible, time the transportation of construction workers and materials to and from site to not 

coincide with peak traffic hours. 

Maximise the occupancy rate of buses to minimise the number of required vehicles. 

Encourage management personnel to carpool when driving to and from the refinery site. 

Ensure that all safety measures are observed and that drivers comply with the rules of the road. 

Ensure compliance with international and national (MAS) safety standards and procedures for barge and 

tanker operations.

English - Staatsolie

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