Residents of Atyrau continue to demand answers for the foul odor and dirty air they have been complaining about. In early September, elevated hydrogen sulfide concentrations were recorded at certain monitoring posts. The Ministry of Ecology named the main sources of pollution and announced an unscheduled inspection, reports infohub.kz.
The city is seeing hydrogen sulfide exceedances. The ministry explained that hydrogen sulfide concentrations in the city rise when winds are weak and at night, when pollutants disperse less effectively.
Among the main sources of pollution, officials named the Atyrau Refinery, sewage facilities of the Atyrau Oblysy Su Arnasy municipal enterprise, the Kvadrat evaporation site, heating boilers, and the thermal power plant.
On September 8, the Atyrau Region Ecology Department launched an unscheduled inspection of atmospheric air quality.
Large enterprises have automated monitoring systems installed. They transmit emissions data to the National Data Bank on the State of the Environment and Natural Resources.
"The introduction of best available techniques, automated monitoring systems at enterprises, and compliance with current legislation will help reduce atmospheric air pollution," the Ministry of Ecology said.
The agency also announced measures to cut emissions and modernize systems.
The day before, Atyrau Region Akim Bolat Akchulakov held an emergency staff meeting, where he officially acknowledged that the environmental situation in the oil capital had become critical. The regional head ordered inspections of the plants.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote about how the Atyrau Refinery was fined 520 million tenge for January emissions.