Gov't to pursue efforts to solve environment problems in Fuheis
Jordan Times
Jul. 1, 2007
AMMAN -- Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Saturday said the government will pursue efforts to solve environmental problems in Fuheis, mainly caused by the presence of the Jordan Cement Factories Company (JCFC) in the city.
During a meeting yesterday with Vice Chairman of the French La Farge Company Eric Meuriot, the premier voiced hope that La Farge would work out drastic solutions for the environmental problems and stabilise cement prices.
He expressed the government's readiness to cooperate with the company, the main JCFC stakeholder, in examining alternative solutions and assisting in their implementation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Bakhit also referred to the benefits that would result from providing the industrial sector with Egyptian gas at preferential prices, saying the government was working to ensure the availability of natural gas for this sector.
Meuriot briefed the prime minister on conditions related to the company's work, underlining the need for more cooperation with the concerned authorities to ease pressure on the company and meet customer requirements.
Fuheis residents have staged several demonstrations over the past few years in protest against the factory's harmful effects on the environment and their health.
During a demonstration held in November last year, protesters called on the company to implement measures to minimise the impact on the environment, including proper sealing for loaded trucks and a more controlled use of dynamite.
They also called for the facility to be "gradually relocated" to another site.
In January 2005, the company announced it would implement a master plan to tackle pollution, according to which loading trucks would enter and exit the factory premises from a different location, away from inhabited areas.
Two years ago, the JCFC installed a $3.5 million dust filter to reduce emissions and company officials then said the filter was part of their efforts to address the environmental concerns of the town's residents.
The filter, which replaced the old and ineffective de-dusting system, utilises advanced technology to reduce dust emissions and has a competence rate of more than 98 per cent.
But residents remained sceptical about the benefit of the filter, saying the factory remained a major source of pollution to their town.
The five-decade-old cement factory is located within a stone's throw from the centre of the town, which has around 25,000 residents.