Summary of the Request

The Requesters allege potential impacts on their safety; health; the environment and the cultural heritage of the city of La Plata linked to the Project construction works. The Requesters specifically describe:

- Possible risks to their safety and physical integrity caused by the construction of a road-return over a gas line main pipe that supplies the city of La Plata. They allege that the changes to the automobile flow linked to the Project could cause gas leaks and, consequently, a possible accident. Likewise, the Requesters warn that the Project includes plans to cut the pedestrian crossing to three primary schools, a kindergarten, a first aid room and a police station putting at risk the community that transits and resides in that area.

- Possible environmental impacts caused by excessive deforestation, which would increase air pollution and could cause flooding in low-lying areas of the city.

- Possible impacts to the National Historical Public Heritage, by modifying the planned layout of the city.

In reference to non-compliance with the Operational Policies, the Requesters allege that the environmental impact study is incomplete since it does not include all the social, legal and environmental aspects of the Project. Also, they mention that the Project did not include any risk mitigation plans.

Finally, the Request alleges a lack of relevant information about the Project and deficient public consultations with the impacted population.

Recent actions

On March 9rd, 2020, the Consultation Phase Report was distributed to the Board of Executive Directors for their consideration by short procedure. The Board gave its non-objection to the document on March 16th, 2020. The Report concluded that despite having carried out a first round of structured dialogue with some progress in terms of access to information and the potential preparation of a complementary study; some contextual, procedural and relational elements were detected that would hinder the continuation of a dispute resolution process. Likewise, as discussions of the objective and scope of the two phases of the Mechanism deepened, and following a process of internal deliberation, the Requesters decided to terminate the processing of the complaint through the MICI.

Past actions

On June 18, 2019, MICI granted the Requesters a maximum period of 10 business days to submit the information required to continue processing the Request (paragraph 20 of the MICI Policy). The deadline is July 2, 2019.

On June 24, 2019, MICI notified the Requesters and Bank Management of the registration of the Request.

On August 23, MICI determined that the Request was eligible because it met all the eligibility criteria established in the MICI Policy.  Based on the eligibility analysis, the following issues are excluded from a MICI  process: i) allegations of corruption since its consideration corresponds to the Bank's Office of Institutional Integrity (OII); and ii) allegations regarding compliance with national norms for being subject to an active judicial process. 

This determination of eligibility is not an assessment of the merits of the Request or of the issues contained therein. 

The Request was transferred to the Consultation Phase as per the decision of the Requesters.

On October 11, 2019 MICI published the Consultation Phase Assessment Report. The document determines that conditions are favorable for initiating a dispute resolution process facilitated by MICI which was initiated in November 2019.