ARCELOR MITTAL Ostrava

ARCELOR MITTAL Ostrava

Where is the Arcelor Mittal Steel operation located in the Czech Republic

The locality where the operation can be found is a locality where the air quality has been deteriorated for a long time.

HISTORY • Ironworks have been operating since 1950 (NHKG) • Arcelor Mittal bought the ironworks in 2002 • At purchase, the production capacity was increased by 50% • The ironworks operations have been significant polluter at Ostravsko for a long time • The main pollution is with BaP, dust and arsenic

Link-up to the city The most affected areas of the city are Radvanice and Bartovice 30% of children suffer from asthma in this part of the city it is 8% of children in the whole country

Link-up to the city • Legal limits of air pollution in Radvanice and Bartovice were exceeded by 90% concerning arsenic, 500% concerning the dust and 800% concerning the benzo(a)pyrene • In inhabited areas of Radvanice and Bartovice, the ironworks participate in dust immission in 60% and arsenic and benzo(a)pyrene immission take dominant part, up to 92% (according to the study of the Technical University of Ostrava)

Development of AMO cause • Since 2002 people have been registering marked deterioration of air, the pediatrician have noticed increased valetudinarianism of children • since 2006 the publicity of the air problem in media have begun after series of winter seasons with extreme smog • Although more sources participate in air pollution at Ostravsko, people in Radvanice and Bartovice complain directly about AMO which is located in the near distance • The company tried to minimize its influence at first, eventually to point out the necessity to invest in the company development instead in ecology • Some of the recorded problems: • During the building of new coke ??, less appropriate technologies were used to save money (2007) • The problem grows as there is an effort to increase the production instead of investments to ecology • Punishment for not reporting of air-borne dust to IRZ in 2008

Iniciative of citizens and civil associations • Foundation of civil association Vzduch (mainly the inhabitants of Radvanice and Bartovice, the neighboring most affected area) • Involvement of other non-governmental organizations – Arnika, Ekologický právní servis (Ecological law service), Nebe nad Ostravou alliance • Interest of media about the air pollution issue rises • Annual list of factories that pollute the environment the most made

by Arnika prove to be very useful

Iniciative of citizens and civil associations Even the photodocumentation of citizens is help.

Foto: o.s.Vzduch

Iniciative of citizens and civil associations Requirements of civil associations • • •

• • •

to modernize and ecologize the operations to fit into environmental standards common in Western countries, respectively according to obligatory schedule, in AMO to accept its responsibility for unprecedented health load of inhabitants living in the near neighborhood of AMO operations to ensure independent monitoring of its operations influence on the air in the most affected areas, its evaluation and to regularly make the results and trends public.

to thoroughly také into account the environment condition in the region and to watch the total operation influence of the company on the environment by administration authorities in all administrative proceedings concerning the existing ArcelorMittal operations; to reevaluate the conditions of authorized permissions for ArcelorMittal operations to lower significantly the ArcelorMittal contribution to the total air pollution; to not allow the installation of new sources of air pollution in the area of ArcelorMittal company, until it will go along with the total decrease of the company negative influencene on the air condition in the region.

A complaint of inhabitants to ombudsman

Iniciative of citizens and civil associations There were weveral civil demonstrations against polluted air and against the AMO company itself.

Several days before forthcoming demonstration in April 2008 AMO reports that it will improve investments in new technologies for clearer production.

Foto: ntq.rajce.idnes.cz

2010 FOTO: AleĹĄ Honus, PrĂĄvo

Great repulsion of the company and some representatives of the city was aroused in 2011 by a British documentary „Exposure: The Factory“, which points out the influence of the AMO company on the air condition at Ostravkso and on health of inhabitants in near areas.

Iniciative of specialists • Involvement of pediatrician who persistently points out problematic high valetudinarianism (particularly respiratory illnesses, pneumonia) among children in Radvanice • Realization of the research by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic on the sample of inhabitants (samples blood, urine and saliva). By their analysis, it will be specified, what marks the air pollution leave in genetic information.The oxidizing damage of DNA is specified). • The research arouse repulsion in representatives of Ostrav city, some speaks about its discredit and disutility.

Authorities activities • The authorities begin to act after extensive publicity of the issue and protests of citizens. The main powers belong to regional authority and the Czech Environmental Inspectorate.

• Revision of some integrated permissions and tightening of emission limits (efforts of AMO to appeal against some ordered limits) • Regulation of other actions over the integrated permission framework (for example: clean-up the dust in outdoor areas to prevent secondary dustiness, watering the area and so on, covering of the vehicles transporting dusty materials, lowering of secondary emission emitted from the roof of the steel-plant).

• A new legislation – in the case of smog situation, the industrial factories at Ostravsko have to lower the production (thereby emissions).

AMO activities Key ones: • The construction of a new dust-removing technology in 2011 (dust removal of the operation iron ore sintering, the so-called north agglomeration) • Minus 270 tons of dust annualy • Desulfurization of coking plant PR activites to improve the company image, greenwashing: • Tree outplanting • A street sweeper in affected city areas (it does not solve the influence of emission from iron-work directly, only the secondary dust in the streets, it is ineffective in winter during smog situations) • In 2011, the Ministry of the Environmen offered mutlimillion amounts for investment in new clearer technologies by the means of grant program. AMO also plans to use these money for investment.

• Some decrease of emission limits in integrated permissions are valid until 2014, 2015. We will se the results.

Situation in picture 2008

Foto: VladimĂ­r Burda

Total decrease of dust emissions recorded in IRZ from 2004 to 2012

Snížení 1 221 002 t/rok - na - 439 980 t/rok

Future of ecologization of operation

In 2012, AMO decreased the dust emmissions by 85 tons more than previous year.

It decreased its influence on the environment to historical minimmum of 584 tons, which is more than the amount at the beginning of AMO involvement in ironworks.

For other ecologic investments European grants for ecologization of industry will be used.

Planned investments over 2,6 billions will decrease the dust or nitrogen oxides emmissions.

Connection of active organizations worth it

-Due to connection of NNO dealing with air quality at Ostravsko, systematic pressure on state institutions and AMO company was created.

- Organizations are prompting together action plans of MSK for improving the air successfully. They are prompting novelization and new related legislation.

- They are monitoring development and participate in Integrated Permission IPPC proceedings for AMO operating.

- They associate and inform citizens by the means of informative campaigns and happenings.

- Due to collective work and intervention, it goes well to keep public interest in the problem.

ČHMU (Czech Hydrometeorological Institute) air monitoring, promotion in media and announcing of smog situations.

IRZ Public registry of pollution ČIŽP Control activity MSK permission processes

AMO

ARNIKA -Commentaries of the situation -Analysis of the data from registry and their promotion in media.

-Giving impulsions for activity

-Participation in permission processes IPPC – EIA Prompting of action plans

Emissions and immissions

EMISSIONS: All substances which are emitted from the source.

IMMISSIONS: are ground concentrations of those substances (up to about 1,8 m).

They are getting into the environment from distant sources of air pollution.

Immissions are crucial for evaluation and human health.

Emissions limits Emissions limits are the highest acceptable amounts of polluting substance emitted to the air from the source of pollution expressed as a weight or volume concentration of polluting substance in waste fumes; or a weight flow of polluting substance per unit of time; or a weight amount of polluting substance outspread on unit of prodcution.

GOVERNMENTAL REGGULATION no. 352 Sb., Emission limits and other condition for operating the burning stationary sources of air pollution.

Limits for individual sources differs.

Immissions limits

Immissions limits They are constituted by the air protection law 201/2012 Sb. and by the way of assessment and evaluating of the level of pollution ordinance, Extension of public informing and the level of pollution and during smog situations are dealt with in 330/2012 Sb. law.

Immissions limits Polluting substance

Duration of averaging

Boundary for assessment [µg.m-3]

Immission limit [µg.m-3] LV

Low LAT

Upper UAT

—

—

350 max. 24 per year

24 hours

50 max. 3 per year

75 max. 3x za rok

125 max. 3 per year

1 hour

100 max. 18 per year

140 max. 18x za rok

200 max. 18 per year

Calendar year

26

32

40

24 hours

25 max. 35 per year

35 max. 35x za rok

50 max. 35 per year

Calendary year

20

28

40

PM2,5

Calendary year

12

17

25

Pb

Calendary year

0,25

0,35

0,5

CO

Maximal dalily 8 hours gliding average

5 000

7 000

10 000

Benzen

Calendary year

2

3,5

5

1 hour SO2

NO2

PM10

Important steps to reformation -Publicity of the problem in media.

-Receiving of relevant data about the influence of activity, both on human helath and ecosystems.

-Involvement of public -Connection of organizations active in this issue. Establishment of common basis.

-Cooperation with specialists.

-Active participation in proceedings and permission processes. Prompting and suggestions of legislation alternations.

-Active monitoring of situation and data collection.

-Environmental education, lectures at schools and for general public.

- And last but not least the determination and inexhaustible patience.

Thank you for your attention jan.nezhyba@arnika.org