28 February 2015
Dr. Saif Mohammed Al Ghais, CEO of Environment Protection and Development Authority (EPDA) in Ras Al Khaimah stated that the authority will begin starting tomorrow the implementation of field visits to the crushers, quarries, cement and ceramic tiles and marble factories to make sure they apply the new environmental standards adopted by the Ministry of Environment and Water, which are related to the rehabilitation of the sites of crushers and quarries and factories.
The new standards include the installation of devices to collect dust in the equipment, and the use of filters and water to reduce environment pollution, and covering crushers sites to prevent the spread of dust in the air.
Al Ghais stressed that the field visits aim to inspect 17 facilities, to monitor the extent of their commitment to the rehabilitation of the sites of crushers and quarries which use the blasting and drilling methods, explaining that the authority will monitor the air resulting from the work of the quarries in the emirate by linking air monitoring devices in quarries, and marble, ceramic and cement factories to the control room of EPDA’s building.
He continued that the authority prevents factories from the use of mobile crushers, because they expose mountainous areas to damage, and that crushers are required to use onsite tankers to reduce the spread of dust.