Quarries in RAK and Fujairah violate standards

Dubai: Quarries in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah were found to be violating environmental standards by the Minister of Environment and Water on Sunday.

Operations at one quarry came to a halt during the visit of Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, after the company claimed it was the end of its working day.

Bin Fahd ordered operations to resume and found their equipment was primitive and in violation of the environmental standards set by the ministry, especially with regards to dust, noise and transportation. All violations were documented and will be followed up by the federal and local authorities.

The spot inspections were carried out to verify quarries' compliance with Cabinet decision No. 20 (2008) which regulates their activities, and ministerial decision No. 492 (2008) regarding environmental guidelines.

There were obvious violations by some quarries as some of them had the required safety systems and filters to reduce dust pollution, but did not operate them at all times or only in the presence of supervisors.

Some quarries paid no attention to health, and some companies had no equipment to limit dust emissions. A schedule will be drawn up to give violating companies time to amend their status. Deserted quarries will also have to be cleared as lot of waste has been left in their wake.

An environmental expert is currently gathering information on the quarries' equipment, daily production and proximity to residential areas, as well as information on the air during peak production hours.

Earlier this year , hundreds of Ras Al Khaimah residents protested against the activities of a quarry blaming it for turning their neighbourhood into a dustland.

According to environmentalists, quarrying and cement factories are also having a serious environmental impact on the mountainous regions which are being dug up to provide the thriving construction sector with building materials.

World Wildlife Fund (EWS-WWF UAE) researcher Christophe Tourenq, based in Fujairah said quarrying was an unnecessary pressure on the eco-system.

With inputs from Dina Aboul Hosn