This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at La industria química de Huelva mejora su comportamiento medioambiental

The AIQB presents its 8th memory environmental

The chemical industry of Huelva improves its environmental performance

Drafting QU01/08/2005

Industry members of the Association of chemical industries and basic of Huelva (AIQB) increased in 2004 by 210 percent its investment in the environmental field over 2003, allocating in total EUR 66 million, the largest annual amount in its history.

The President and CEO of the Association of chemical industries and basic, Jesús Contreras, and Juan Manuel Díaz del Valle respectively, were responsible for presenting this new memory, during a ceremony on this occasion was attended with the presence of the Director general of prevention and quality environment of the Junta de AndalucíaHope Caro, among others.

As it became clear Díaz of the Valley in his speech, memory described in 2004 as "a year of efforts and results, up first thing in the substantial past investments, and the second in the improvement of the environmental impact retrieved".

With regard to the environmental results, he stressed that in the chapter on emissions into the atmosphere in 2004 there are cuts of 10 percent in particles and 14 per cent in sulphur dioxide, the latter which was achieved a reduction of 47 per cent between 1997 and 2004 substance.

As for water discharges to the RIA of Huelva, reducing materialized by 14 per cent in relation to the year 2003, mainly due to a decline in rainfall and the implementation of new processes of reuse of effluents.

On the basis of 1997, there is a permanent reduction of the presence of polluting substances in the liquid spills, to the extent that the presence of phosphates and fluorides have been reduced by a 93 and 94 per cent, respectively, in relation to the reference year.

Memory marks 2004 as a year of efforts and results

Also referred Díaz del Valle to the evolution of the seven years of operation of the project of reorganization of phosphogypsum waste, concluding that "it has been one of the great achievements of the Plan checker of liquid discharges to the RIA of Huelva" and that stacking of fosfoyesos ponds are for the moment "a way of reducing the" "pollution of the waters of Huelva".

In addition, the report indicates that "concentrations of radon in the environment of the rafts are typical of the coastal areas, which is why the increase in the levels of radon that can generate the rafts is not detectable and radiological impact on the despicable people".

Finally, a chapter devoted to the quality of the air, which underlines that, according to data of the Ministry of the environment, in 2004 Huelva was the Andalusian capital with a greater percentage of global skills good or acceptable about the quality of the air is included in the memory, with 87.7 percent.

In 2004 there are cuts of 10 percent in particle emitted into the atmosphere

Compliance with legislation

ETS effort - stated in the environmental memory - enabled, not only strict compliance with current legislation, but in many cases has advanced the implementation of legislative values which will enter into force within a few years. In addition, this effort has increased even more with an important job of management to comply with the rules of the European Union. These works are intended to:

Obtaining and renewing of the UNE-EN-ISO 14,000 certificates.
The realization of environmental statements by the European EMAS regulation.
Comply with the recommendations made following the studies of the CSIC.
Carry out studies and investments to the signature of voluntary agreements.
The authorization of emission of greenhouse gases.
Manage the application for the allocation of emission rights.
Finally get, before October of 2007, the integrated environmental authorization (AAI) as a final act to the enforcement of the law 16/2002 of 1 July, for the prevention and integrated pollution Control (IPPC).

And all this effort, the report concludes, is carried out in a difficult context for the chemical and basic industry, "which has to compete in foreign markets with international prices but with administrative requirements and local cost overruns, including the new tax of environmental taxation".

Despite all this effort, there has been one of the most important objectives of the Association that is for society to know all these achievements. "It is this last point to which should give to businesses and Governments".

The first, so look for new avenues to transmit to society the environmental improvements that are achieved year after year. And administrations, because they are the voices more authorized to support the efforts that they are doing business and turn them into appropriate signals so that they clearly reach the society".