Environmental compliance is not limited to the private sector: the provisions of the Environment Law's regulations apply to "any natural or legal person, public or private". Government and municipal projects, from roads, parks and public buildings to government hospitals and water facilities, are subject to the same environmental permits and conditions whenever they have an environmental impact. At the same time, government bodies have specific obligations under the Waste Management Law and in strategic environmental assessment. This page summarizes the environmental framework for government projects and bodies.

Government projects and the environmental permit

The Implementing Regulation for Environmental Permits defines a "person" as any natural or legal person, public or private, and an "activity" as any project, facility or works expected to have environmental effects. So a government project with an environmental impact follows the same path: the classification form, then the environmental construction permit with an environmental management plan or EIA study depending on the category, then the operating permit. The regulation requires environmental assessment to be considered in feasibility studies and preliminary designs, which fits the stages of preparing and tendering government projects.

Strategic environmental assessment

The regulation defines a strategic environmental assessment study as a study to identify, estimate and assess the environmental effects that may result from policies, strategies, plans and programs at the level of sectors and regions that government bodies propose to allocate to a development or human use, in order to integrate environmental considerations alongside economic and social ones. In other words, the environmental dimension of government work starts at the planning level, not just the project level.

Waste: an explicit obligation on government bodies

Article 12 of the Waste Management Law states that residential and commercial compounds and government administrative bodies must contract with a licensed service provider, as set by the regulation. The law also requires service providers contracted with government bodies to submit periodic reports to the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN), and each competent authority to prepare executive waste management plans consistent with MWAN's comprehensive strategic plan.

Operating government facilities

  • Hospitals and health centers: medical waste through licensed carriers, generators and cooling systems.
  • Water and wastewater facilities: treated wastewater standards and sludge management.
  • Government workshops and warehouses: oils, hazardous materials and maintenance waste.
  • Roads and infrastructure projects: dust, noise and construction waste requirements during works.
  • Parks and open sites: vegetation and rehabilitation of degraded sites.

Construction sites: the contractor's obligations

On government projects the contractor applies environmental requirements every day: covering, spraying and stabilizing haul routes under the Air Quality Regulation, keeping to construction hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for works exceeding noise limits, and transporting construction waste through licensed carriers to approved sites. It is therefore best to include the environmental management plan and documentation requirements in tender documents and execution contracts.

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How Abak Green helps government bodies and projects

We prepare environmental management plans and compliance reports for government and municipal projects, manage permit files and EIA studies through approval, and prepare waste management and rehabilitation plans, supported by ABAK Engineering Consulting's experience with government projects. Contact us about your project.