TEHRAN – The department of environment (DOE) of Semnan province is cracking down on polluting industries as 2 units in the province have been identified for failing to control their pollutant emissions, provincial DOE chief has announced.

“We randomly monitor the industrial units without any prior coordination, so night-time monitoring conducted and the amount of pollutants produced by the industries measured above the standards,” Mehr quoted Javad Shah-Hosseini as saying on Sunday.

According to the fifth five-year national development plan (2016-2021), in order to reduce air pollution, all major manufacturing, industrial and construction units are obliged to sample and measure the amount of emissions they generate and inform the DOE, he explained.

“Units whose activities cause excessive pollution above environmental standards and lead to environmental degradation must, after receiving a warning, take the necessary measures to eliminate pollution.”

Industries that have refrained from meeting the necessary standards within the specified deadline and continue polluting will be introduced to the judicial system, he noted.

Two industrial units that had received notices but took no positive measures for reducing their pollutants were introduced to judicial authorities, he concluded.

DOE has been authorized to shut down pollutant industries worsening the effects of air pollution in metropolises of the country. The right was granted to DOE by Majlis (the Iranian parliament) following the approval of the general outlines of the clean air bill on October 23, 2016.

Under the law the DOE is tasked with identifying industrial units emitting pollution above standard levels and issue warnings, levy fines, and or even shut them down temporarily or permanently.

FB/MG