LAEC for closure of Cochin Chemicals Staff Reporter Unit found wanting in pollution-control measures
KOCHI: The Local Area Environmental Committee (LAEC), appointed by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Waste, has recommended the closure of Edayar-based Cochin Chemicals until the company is able to contain pollution and establish an effluent treatment facility. A statement issued by Chairman of the LAEC P.K. Ibrahim here on Sunday said that the unit was found wanting in pollution-containing measures and that it should be directed to remove the sludge accumulated on its premises and adjacent land. The unit should also be asked to set up secured landfill for disposal of hazardous waste before it is allowed to reopen, said the statement. Cochin Chemicals produces Enviro Floc, said the statement. The company uses ferrous chloride as raw material and has authorisation under the Hazardous Waste (Management And Handling) Rules 1989 valid for five years from March 30, 2002. `Conditions flouted' According to the LAEC, the unit has no hazardous waste disposal facility and no water consent under the Water (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Act 1974. "The unit was found not complying with any of the conditions of authorisation issued under the Hazardous Waste (Management And Handling) Rules 1989," said the LAEC statement. The Committee recommended the closure of Cochin Chemicals on the basis of its findings during four inspections of the company between early February and late September this year with officials of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, said the statement. It said that the Committee found the effluent treatment plant (ETP) of the company idle and neglected and that the ETP was overgrown with weeds and the pump was rusted. The team had taken samples of the earth soaked by a leakage in the ETP pipeline, said the statement. It said that during the inspections there were no processing activities at the plant. However, the team found on one of its visits to the plant that two tanker lorries were loaded with hot ferrous chloride. Emission of fumes from the top vent of the tanker lorries was noticed and the lorries displayed a licence to carry hydrochloric acid. On enquiries, it was found that the waste ferrous chloride had come from CMRL and it was highly acidic and contained pollutants like zinc, lead, cadmium, nickel, chromium and manganese. Effluent discharge The LAEC team had detected two holes at the bottom of the compound wall of the unit used apparently to discharge effluents illegally into the adjacent plot and ultimately into the Periyar, said the Committee's statement. It also claimed that the sludge from the ferrous chloride tankers was discharged from the company premises into the neighbouring compound.
