Qushtapa Mayor sets deadline for licensed refineries, shuts down illegal operations

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Bezhar Mullah Kheder, the mayor of Qushtapa, announced on Monday that licensed refineries have 10 days to rectify all deficiencies, while unlicensed refineries will be closed immediately.

"We closed three refineries last month. However, after yesterday's meeting in Erbil, a massive campaign was launched to close refineries that do not meet the requirements," Kheder told Kurdistan 24.

The campaign, decided last night, includes seven points. "Today, we formed a broad committee involving the Erbil office of the Board of Environmental Protection and Improvement, the General Directorate of Health in Erbil, and other relevant directorates in the Qushtapa township governor's office. We will visit all the refineries in the field," Kheder explained.

Kheder emphasized, “The legal, licensed refineries have 10 days to address all their deficiencies. Those without licenses will be closed today.”

He cited an example of a liquid bitumen factory, stating, "This factory has a license and has implemented most guidelines, but we have instructed them to stop operations from 12 o'clock until they comply with all guidelines. They will be allowed to resume work once they have completed all instructions."

On Sunday, to protect Erbil's environment, the governor of Erbil issued a directive to close non-licensed and illegal refineries, which have been a significant concern for citizens and environmentalists due to the unpleasant odors they emit.

Read More: Erbil Governor issues stricter environmental protection guidelines to curb pollution

The governor announced the closure of 138 illegal refineries, identifying them as the primary source of environmental pollution in the city. These actions are part of the Kurdistan Regional Government's ongoing efforts to protect the environment.