MinAmbiente ordered cessation of operations in Sidetur
Tuesday, 04 March 2008
The Ministry of Environment found in the company recuperating metal contravention of the Act provides that with respect to the emission of pollutants or powders. The release announced the completion of inspections "surprise" to companies both public and private.

Kristy Spitschka
Kristys@...

Photo Pablo Ruiz

The manager of operations Sidetur noted that since November production estimates were taken Regional coordination of the Ministry of People's Power for the Environment (Minamb) ordered to cease operations for three months, the Siderurgica del Turbio (Sidetur) , after an inspection in various areas of the company, which led to the identification contravention of the Act provides that with respect to the emission of pollutants or powders.

  According to the regional coordinator of Minamb Hugo Nunez, "the cessation of operations" was warned since September, when the inspection was conducted in the company and agreed with the directors of the metal recuperating grant a reasonable period of time to take the steps and implement the necessary corrective measures, such as buying a dust collector for an investment of $ 12 million.

  Acting under Article 111 of the Organic Law of the Environment, the regional coordinator noted that the company, a subsidiary of Siderurgica Venezolana (Sivensa), is responsible for implementing corrective to reduce and eliminate emissions of gaseous air pollutants .

  Holy Carrasco, Sidetur environmental engineer, explained that the dust collector on which the company was able to reduce by 75 percent the emissions, however, was installed 12 years, the date when the Industrial Zone Matanzas counted with fewer factories and pollutants.

  With investment to end this anomaly, the company hopes to overcome what smelter established in the regulations of the Environment since the new dust collector (of Italian origin) is a "high quality" and allow less than 10 milligrams per meter Cubic issued to the environment, as opposed to what the regulations require that translates into a minimum of 15 milligrams per cubic metre.

Delivery guaranteed 

  The operations manager of the company, John Ucar, stressed that neither the supply of the raw material for the domestic market, labor or liabilities of more than 150 employees will be affected, the product of "making forecasts since November" .

  Considers that an average of two to three months waiting revive the operations of Siderurgica del Turbio, which has 48 years to serve the country.

  Ucar said that since 1999 it had this problem with the dust collectors, but were not taken the appropriate corrective measures in view of the lack of cash flow, so this measure makes Sidetur the first company that suffers a partial closure on the 2008.

Inspections to public and private 

  The regional coordinator's office said, with regard to environmental pollution in the Matanzas industrial zone, "we know that there is a serious environmental problem, but nobody had done anything about it."

  He stressed that is collecting statistics from the Venezuelan state-owned enterprises as well as private ones in terms of environmental impact, while stressed that Sidetur will not be the first or the last company to cease operations because "inspections are planned and unscheduled. "

  In this regard, Nunez said having the second company to which he or she applies the law, but reserved the name "for security reasons".

  The coordinator of Minamb noted that the night will also be on the itinerary for "surprise" to those companies that are dedicated to burn pollutants at night.

  As for the situation of businesses in the Corporación Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) drew ignore some situations as if Carbonorca (Crushing and compaction), but assured that inspect, in particular, the pioneer of aluminum already has two Orders Closing of the lines I and II, "although there is commitment to the president of Mibam in adapting."

  Cambalache not escape from these inspections, so advanced that "we are already doing taps technicians, see if this month we have the place for a landfill," said Nunez. 

  Plans and actions

  The crystallization of the "giant" and the complete rehabilitation Caroní River, south of Bolivar state, are some of the plans that the regional coordinator of the Ministry of Environment intends to undertake an immediate order to ensure a better environment.

  The civil servant, Hugo Nunez, pointed out that there is very little culture in terms of preservation of the environment, it stressed that "apply the law".

  He reported that the new venue being built by the side of the Club Ítalo Venezuelan (Toro Muerto) will be paralyzed because it does not have an environmental impact study. Until defining actions, ensures that not lifted the closure which could occur this week.