About us
| Community advisory panel in Albox – Holcim Spain |
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Stakeholder comment As a representative of the center for environmental studies for the Almanzora River and a member of the NGO Ecologistas en Acción, Martín Berbel Granados has taken the role of CAP secretary: “The Albox CAP is an important tool for ‘greening’ the town through educational projects. We will also ensure transparency of its operation.” |
Description
In 2003, Holcim Spain opened the waste pre-treatment platform of its alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) subsidiary Energis in Albox, Andalusia. As a new industrial activity to town, local management decided to establish a community advisory panel (CAP) from the beginning.
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Objectives The CAP includes the mayor of Albox, other local authorities, representatives of environmental and community groups, and Energis management. Its objective is to inform and involve all relevant stakeholders regarding plant operations through active and direct dialogue. |
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Activities The CAP sees its role as being a proactive company-community mediator. This extends to the development of an external coordination plan in the event of an accident, where CAP members have defined roles and follow public alert protocols. In a spirit of transparency, the CAP has also promoted public access to all company documents relevant to safety and environment. These are available from the Town Hall and include impact assessments, emissions data, safety reports and hazardous waste declarations. The community was most concerned about plant safety and the AFR process itself. During 2004-2005, three accident simulations were undertaken involving plant employees and local emergency services. These resulted in recommendations to improve the plant’s emergency responses, which alleviated community concerns. Opening the plant’s doors to the community also helped. On November 4, 2005, more than 100 guests toured the facilities. They were particularly interested in the areas of the plant where waste is collected and classified as well as the laboratories where waste samples are analyzed before being used. |
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Results After the plant had been operating for more than a year, plant employees and panel members assessed progress. They concluded that the CAP’s role was well perceived, but the company could improve its community relations by differentiating the plant from its immediate neighbor, a landfill, and by communicating more about CAP activities and the value they have brought to the community. There was also a request to focus CSR activities on educational priorities, including environmental, waste and recycling issues. |
