Danger of a major accident in Satu Mare, warns the Environmental Guard, which discovered thousands of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate
Hazardous substances improperly stored. Photo: National Environmental Guard
The National Environmental Guard warns of a “danger of a major accident” in Satu Mare, where thousands of tons of improperly stored calcium ammonium nitrate were detected. The firefighters were notified and several sanctions were applied. The general commissioner of the National Environmental Guard, Andrei Corlan, announces that checks will be made throughout the country.
“Danger of a major accident in Satu Mare due to improperly stored dangerous substances! We have fined the operators and notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. The improper storage of calcium ammonium nitrate, especially in the vicinity of flammable substances such as fuels or oils, is the “recipe” for a borderline situation that can quickly degenerate into a tragedy of great proportions,” the National Guard announced on Tuesday Medium, in a Facebook post.
Sanctions applied
The commissioners ordered 12 compliance measures for two operators from Satu Mare, because they do not respect the Environmental Authorizations.
The fines applied amount to 200,000 lei, and the commissioners notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations “to prevent any major accident in the area”.
“What our commissioners discovered in Satu Mare is an alarming example. You can't play with dangerous substances such as ammonium nitrate. Public announcement that we are initiating controls throughout the country at fuel depots. We will carefully check the way operators store and handle dangerous substances and make sure they comply with environmental notices and legislation,” said Andrei Corlan, the general commissioner of the National Environmental Guard.
According to the Environmental Guard, in this case it is about thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate that entered an inappropriate storage environment. “We must understand that the rules clearly show that such a dangerous substance must be completely isolated from any kind of contamination, but also protected from the sun. All these rules have one goal, to avoid an explosion of proportions, which can cause a real tragedy.”
Thus, the commissioners of the National Environmental Guard applied sanctions and proposed the suspension of the environmental permits for the two companies, which are part of the same group.
