Displaying items by tag: Pollution

India: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has complained about a terminal operated by UltraTech Cement at Peth Naygaon near Pune. Local residents petitioned the pollution board with claims that the trucks to the unit have been carrying raw and packaged cement without any cover, according to the Pune Mirrow newspaper. Following a study the pollution board then made an official complaint under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. Local police are investigating the matter.

Egypt: Khaled Fahmy, the Minister of Environment, has recognised the work by subsidiaries of Suez Cement to reduce air pollution and so called ‘black cloud’ periods. The minister presented certificates of appreciation to the manager of Helwan cement plant, Ahmad Ragae, the manager of Tourah cement plant, Omar Khorshid, the manager of the Environment Department at Helwan cement plant, Ragheb Hammouda and the manager of Environment Department at the Tourah cement plant, Badry Ibrahim.

India: The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has recommended that Jammu & Kashmir Cements’ plant at Khrew, Pampore for causing ‘major pollution.’ However, the state government has given the state-owned cement producer time to stay open while it installs dust control upgrades, according to the Kashmir Monitor newspaper. The company employs around 1000 workers and the government is concerned about the disruption that shutting the plant would cause.

US: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined the Nevada Cement Company US$0.5m for violating the Clean Air Act. According to a legal complaint the cement producer made ‘major’ modifications to its plant in Fernley, Nevada that led to significant increased emissions of NO_x, without first obtaining a permit required by the Clean Air Act and without installing necessary pollution control equipment. Nevada Cement has agreed to install new air pollution control technology replace a heavy-duty diesel truck and a diesel railcar mover at the facility with clean emissions vehicles.

Ireland: The Environmental Protection Authority is investigating Irish Cement’s plant in Limerick following an alleged ‘blowout’ of dust from the plant in early April 2017 that effected parts of Limerick city. The cement producer said that it had repaired a clinker conveyor following an inspection, according to the Irish Examiner newspaper. Previously Irish Cement admitted to dust emissions in 2015 that led to it compensating local residents with free car washes. The company is also appealing to the government to allow it to burn alternative fuels at the site despite local opposition.

Tanzania: January Makamba, the Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office, Union and Environment, has ordered that the Moshi Cement plant close whilst it implements the recommendations of the National Environment Management Council (NEMC). Following a visit by the council the management of the plant were asked to observe the Environment Management Act of 2004, according to the Daily News newspaper. Recommendations the plant has been asked to take action on include reducing dust emissions at the site.

India: Redecam Group and Isgec Heavy Engineering have started a joint venture called Isgec Redecam Enviro Solutions in Noida, Delhi. The new company will provide for flue gas treatment systems for the cement, power and metals industries.

“Air pollution is one of the major environmental issues India and the rest of Asia face today and it is a serious problem with the major sources being industrial emission and biomass burning, vehicle emissions and traffic congestion. In the effort to reduce the country’s air pollution, Redecam and Isgec aim to build a strong business in Asia, drawing upon Redecam’s global expertise combined with the skills and knowledge of Isgec, a strong partner headquartered in India,” said Barry Downing, chief executive officer of Redecam Group.

Italy’s Redecam Group is an engineering company that serves the air pollution control industry around the world. India’s Isgec Heavy Engineering is a general engineering company with references in the cement, chemical, textile, power, oil, gas and sugar industries.

Fiji: The Fiji Fish Marketing Group, a fish exporter, is taking legal action against two cement producers for transporting and offloading clinker. Pacific Cement and Tengy Cement Fiji with RPA Group Fiji, a transport company, have been accused of causing damage to the Fiji Fish Marketing Group’s property and its personnel, according to the Fiji times newspaper. Tengy Cement Fiji operates a cement plant in Lami near to the island capital Suva.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement says that all of cement plants in Pakistan are operating as normal. The plants are not facing any unscheduled shutdown and sales and cement dispatches are progressing as per the company’s regular routine.

The cement producer made its comments in response to a news story in the Nation newspaper alleging that a district authority had shut down Lucky Cement’s Pezu plant near Darru Pezu in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in early January 2017 due to breaches of environmental regulations.

Amendment: This story was amended following comment from Lucky Cement.

Vietnam: Ha Tien is to close its cement grinding plant in the Thu Duc district of Ho Chi Minh City following failed attempts to move the plant. The cement producer was ordered to cease all operations at the plant by 31 December 2016, according to Vietnam News. The plant reduced its production capacity to 1Mt/yr from 1.7Mt/yr in 2015 following accusations of air pollution. Ha Tien attempted to move the plant to District 9 in 2016 but the proposal was turned down by city planners.