The Minister of the Environment announces that she will oblige refineries to publish air pollution measurements. “There are frequent very large overruns”

The Minister of the Environment, Diana Buzoianu, states that the data received following the monitoring of air quality in Ploiesti show that “very large” pollutant exceedances are frequently recorded. The refineries have the obligation to do their own air quality monitoring, transmitting the data to the Environmental Protection Agencies, but they do not have the obligation to publish this data. Therefore, Buzoianu announces that he will issue a ministerial order for the authorities to publish the air quality data received from the refineries, writes News.ro.

“From the stations we have, it is very clear that there are frequent exceedances, very large exceedances, we already have this data that confirms it every week. The next step, from my point of view, is transparency,” said Diana Buzoianu on Thursday.

She explained that the refineries are obliged to take measurements to monitor the air quality, but they are not obliged to publish these data, but only to transmit them to the environmental institutions.

“In the next period, I will prepare an order for all the data that is given to the APMs to be uploaded on the websites and then we will put them, transparently, on the website – most likely on the Ministry of Environment's website, if not, on the ANMAP website. Anyway, in a form in which everyone can have access. I repeat, the data already show that there are very large excesses, but the next step is to be transparent, so that people know”, said Diana Buzoianu.

She says that she does not want to discuss the closing of the industry, but about the adoption by the Romanian industry of the same technologies that have been adopted in other European countries, she gives as an example Austria, which has a refinery in Vienna.

“The refineries know they can't be closed and they use this blackmail”

“In short, (…) let's analyze what were the technologies that are put into practice in other states, where citizens can live near a refinery without being subjected every day to some smells that do not actually let them live in normal conditions. Now, of course, we have to understand that where there is an economic activity like refineries, obviously there will not be an absolutely fantastic smell at all times. But it is important to understand, if in other states there are technologies that have been put in practice, which limits people's discomfort and people's exposure to such smells”, said the Minister of the Environment, according to Agerpres.

Diana Buzoianu emphasized that imposing fines on refineries does not solve the problem of odors in the city because these economic operators know the reality, that they cannot be closed.

“After that we will have a very serious discussion with the refineries in this area, because I think that if we go ahead with the application of the fines, (…) the fines will be paid and the problem will remain. Because the reality is that these refineries know very clearly that they cannot be closed and they use this blackmail, after all, against an entire community, saying: yes, we will pay the fines and yes, we know that the next sanction that is applied by law will never be applied, so, unlucky for you, we will continue to poison you. (…) As a result, with all good will, we will identify the technical measures that can be implemented and I hope that from next year we will have a discussion as possible with these refineries, which must also understand that they have a responsibility and that they cannot blackmail entire communities indefinitely saying that, regardless of how they will do and how they will carry out the respective activities, it will never come to the suspension of the activity”. said the minister.