"Human rights groups declare solidarity with residents and workers in complaint to the IFC ombudsman against Titan Cement", 9 April 2015

The undersigned organizations declare their solidarity with residents and workers harmed by the Alexandria Portland Cement factory (Titan Cement) in the Wadi al-Qamar area of Alexandria, as they file a complaint against the company with the Office of Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, which finances Titan. The CAO is the accountability mechanism that considers complaints filed by individuals or local communities that sustain environmental and social damages in connection with projects funded by the IFC...

The complaint, filed by Wadi al-Qamar residents on April 8, details Titan’s violation of standards related to environmental protection and how pollution from the plant, which is adjacent to a residential area, harms local residents’ health, lives, and livelihood. The pollution has also affected neighbouring food industries that are older than the cement plant, thus expanding the damage and health risks to consumers of these foodstuffs in other areas. In addition, local residents have growing concerns about Titan’s intention to begin using coal at the plant, which will further increase pollution, as well as the risks of climate change. The residents have waged a legal battle against the company in which they have proven that Titan has violated several Egyptian laws and decrees.

The complaint also details Titan’s violations of worker’s rights...

[see January 2015 response by Titan to environmental and labour rights concerns about its operations in Alexandria]