Mopco Plant Case Study: The Gap

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III. MOPCO Plant Case Study: The Gap Criteria Environmental Dimension ➢ Efficient use of water and energy resources Social Dimension ➢ Effective public participation ➢ Stimulate employment Economic Dimension ➢ Generate income ➢ Reduced Costs ➢ Support the transfer of skills and technologies The methodology used in this case study depends on both primary and secondary sources. Interviews were conducted with the former Head of Central Department for EIA in the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) in Cairo, as well as a member of the scientific committee that was formed to investigate and write a report on Agrium and MOPCO expansions. This research paper also depended on formal reports, a detailed study on petrochemical plants in Damietta, …show more content…

In MOPCO’s case, the plant was built against the will and interests of the people. From their viewpoint, this plant polluted their environment, had an adverse impact on their livelihood without offering them with any other alternatives, and has not realized any national market needs. Moreover, MOPCO constructed their plant without any consultation with the Local People’s Council (LPC) in Damietta. MOPCO also extended a gas line to its plants despite the fact that the LPC has refused its request and that many citizens in whose lands the gas-line pathway was dug have filed lawsuits against the company (EIPR, 2014). This attitude of MOPCO and the dissatisfaction and anger of the Damietta people reflect the ineffective public participation. According to the interviews conducted with both the former Head of the EIA department in the EEAA and the member of the Mansoura University committee, Agrium and MOPCO depended on their relation with the Ministry of Petroleum as one of the sovereign ministries and did not invest in involving and communicating with the people. Furthermore, in regards to stimulating employment opportunities, MOPCO depended on employing qualified engineers with high salaries from Alexandria and Suez and not from Damietta. In their opinion, MOPCO should have considered attracting and investing in training people from Damietta. Besides MOPCO is not labor intensive and does not offer benefit or value on the local or the national level, which could justify the burdens of the degradation and ineffective use of natural environmental resources caused by the

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