In 2007, the Egyptian Fertilizers Company (EFC), located in the Free Industrial Zone of Ain Sokhna, was planning to establish an industrial wastewater treatment facility at its premises, which was intended to produce water of quality suitable for irrigation.
Environics was commissioned to prepare the EIA required for this project and completed the major part of it; however, EFC changed the design of the treatment facility, which Chemonics Egypt was contracted to develop. Additionally, some internal alterations at the top management level of the company put the activities on hold, until the project resumed in 2009. Along the two years, Environics undertook several tasks to prepare the final EIA.
The tasks included:
– Conducting the baseline studies, which covered hydrogeology, examination of surrounding activities, meteorology, and ecology.
– Joining several meetings and site visits with Chemonics Egypt and EFC to provide feedback on the proposed design of the treatment facility.
– Preparation of an overall plantation scheme and economic feasibility study for the area surrounding EFC premises, as well as the greenery inside it.
– Preparation of the required Form B EIA study for the final project, which was the upgrading of the existing industrial wastewater treatment ponds for use of treated water in irrigation.