Balfour Beatty has received a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) for the proposed Ilisu hydro project in Turkey.
UK Home Secretary Patricia Hewitt has said in answer to a question in the House of Commons that comments need to be submitted to the export-credit-guarantee-department by 7 September.
A team of independent international experts began preparing the report in 1997. The work was financed by a Swiss-led construction consortium, of which Balfour Beatty is a member, and is weighing up the potential for proceeding with the project.
The report identifies and details the main environmental and social challenges associated with the project and recommends appropriate action on the part of project proponents, the Turkish General Directorate of state Hydraulic Works (DSI) and other Turkish authorities. It sets clear benchmarks that need to be achieved before the project can move forward.
While Balfour Beatty is neither a promoter nor the proposer of the project, it is taking an active and responsible role in evaluating, with other parties, the environmental and social impacts of the project in order that appropriate decisions can be taken.
The executive summary of this report is on www.balfourbeatty.com/aboutus and on www.ecgd.gov.uk.