Illegal refineries operate in Kurdistan, ignore environmental regulations: Official
Illegal oil refineries in the Kurdistan Region are failing to abide by environmental standards and regulations, a Kurdish official revealed on Tuesday, warning investigations would be carried out against them.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Illegal oil refineries in the Kurdistan Region are failing to abide by environmental standards and regulations, a Kurdish official revealed on Tuesday, warning investigations would be carried out against them.
“We have had two meetings with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) ministries over the shutting down of illegal refineries in Kurdistan, currently operating outside of the legal framework,” Hallo Askari, the Kurdistan Region’s head of Environmental Protection and Improvement Board, said during a press conference held in Erbil.
“The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources issued 21 environmental standards for refineries to follow, which many have failed to observe and implement,” Askari noted.
He mentioned that in their last meeting with the Kurdistan Region’s council of ministers, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani ordered the closure of all the illegal refineries currently operating in the Kurdish semi-autonomous region.
The refineries in question were established over the past few years and were permitted to operate to fulfill the daily energy needs of the Kurdistan Region, namely gasoline and diesel, since officially licensed refineries could not fully meet the demand. The KRG, however, has declared it would shut down the illegal refineries as their additional output was no longer required.
Askari told reporters the KRG has decided to allow only 28 refineries in total to operate in the Kurdistan Region, with a special committee to oversee their production and ensure all the regulations and standards, including environmental, are respected and implemented.
He warned that any refinery failing to abide by the rules would be investigated and shut down.
The Kurdish official also called on the Interior Ministry and concerned parties to help the Board in identifying and closing refineries that ignore environmental and health regulations.
During the presser, Askari held up pictures of environmental damage and pollution caused to the Kurdistan Region’s landscape as a result of the activities of illegal refineries.
Previously, Erbil Mayor, Nabaz Abdulhamid, told Kurdistan 24 they had shut down 57 illegal refineries that were not following environmental regulations in Kurdistan.
Editing by Nadia Riva