SEF Settha Palace Hotel

completed

- 2 - International Finance CorporationA Member of the World Bank GroupInternational Finance CorporationA Member of the World Bank GroupEnvironmental Review Summary (ERS)Project Name LAO PDR: SEF - Settha Palace HotelRegion AsiaSector Hotels and TourismProject No. 008258 May 7, 19971. This project is to rebuild and refurbish the former Settha Palace Hotel as a four-star international standard property with 43 rooms in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The project, located in the heart of the city on a 7,300 m2 site, involves the restoration of a colonial style building complex consisting of a two-story main building and three annex buildings, as well as development of new facilities, including a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, meeting room, and souvenir shop. Water supply and electricity needs will be supplied by the existing municipal systems.2. This is a Category B project according to IFC’s environmental review procedure because a limited number of specific environmental impacts may result. The review of this project consisted of IFC’s Technical and Environmental Department staff appraising technical and environmental information submitted by the project sponsor. The following potential environmental, safety and health impacts of the project were analyzed:· liquid effluent treatment and disposal;· solid waste management;· use of CFCs; and· fire protection and life safety.The sponsor has presented plans to address these issues and demonstrate that the proposed project will comply with the Government of Lao PDR laws and regulations and applicable World Bank requirements. The information about how these potential impacts are addressed by the sponsor is summarized in the paragraphs that follow.3. The liquid effluents generated include sanitary sewage, and greywater from kitchen and laundry operations. Sanitary sewage from a hotel of this size will be adequately treated by four septic tanks (two serving the main building and two others serving the annex buildings) discharging to percolation pits on the property. Kitchen wastewaters will pass through a grease trap prior to treatment in one of the septic tanks. Laundry greywaters will be separately collected and discharged to a percolation pit on the property. There will be no discharge of any of the above treated or untreated effluents from the site to the city drainage system. However, rainwater runoff will be discharged to local surface water channels and ditches around the periphery of the property. There is a reliable piped water supply available from the city, but one groundwater well may be developed to provide irrigation water for the gardens. This well will be located at least 25 m from any of the percolation pits.4. All solid wastes generated will be collected and properly disposed at designated off-site facilities.5. Central cooling and refrigeration systems will not use CFCs.6. Reasonable and adequate fire protection and life safety measures and designs are incorporated into the project structures. These include the provision of reliable, up-to-date fire protection and building alarm systems, affording means of egress by three outside fire escape staircases, minimizing fire load and finishing, the adherence to NFPA 101 “Life Safety Code”, and the structural separation of the kitchen from the main building. In addition, other high fire risk zones, such as the laundry and linen room, are detached from the main hotel building. Training in health and safety issues and emergency response will be integrated into the training program for hotel staff.7. Based on its review of available information regarding potential environmental impacts and proposed mitigation measures, IFC concludes that the sponsor’s proposed project will meet World Bank environmental, health and safety policies and guidelines and the Government of Lao PDR requirements.8. IFC will monitor ongoing compliance with World Bank environmental, health and safety policies and guidelines during the lifetime of the project by evaluating reports submitted annually to IFC by the sponsor and by conducting periodic site reviews during project supervision.L:\WPEU\STEPHEN\SETTHA.ERS