Fujairah quarry closed for environmental violations
Night-time inspection finds disruptive dust clouds
Dubai: Another quarry has been closed in Fujairah for violation of environmental measures and failure to reduce air pollution caused by large dust clouds, the Ministry of Environment and Water said.
Inspectors from the technical department conducted a surprise night-time inspection of nine quarries in the emirate this week and found one quarry in violation. It has been closed for seven days.
Health hazard
Despite regulations set by the Ministry for quarries in the UAE — located mainly in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah — to reduce air pollution after several neighbouring communities complained their health was being severely impacted, many have failed to oblige.
The quarry was found to be emitting too much dust due to the absence of filters or inadequate mechanisms.
The quarry will not resume operations until after being inspected ‘to determine the extent of rectification,' according to the ministry.
The move is in line with Cabinet decision No 20 of 2008 regarding the regulation of facilities operating in the field of stone crushing and quarries.
The ministry classifies quarries into three levels — green, yellow and red — according to their compliance with safety and preventive systems aiming to reduce dust pollution and suspended particles, as well as emissions of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone.
Gulf News reported earlier this year that dust emissions from quarries and cement factories in Ras Al Khaimah at least, had dropped by 16 per cent in 2009 to previous years.
Members of the Al Rahba tribe in RAK have demanded that the quarry next to their homes be shut down and the tribe be compensated for the serious damage they have suffered over the past few years. The Emiratis said the six to seven daily explosions that the quarry conducts have become unbearable.
The ministry's Technical Office collects data from several air pollution monitoring stations and quarries including the type of equipment used in manufacturing, daily production volume and regulations currently used to control and reduce dust and noise.
