By Egufe Yafugborhi

INDORAMA Nigeria, domestic producers of polymer and fertilizers, has dismissed insinuations that emissions from its Eleme plants contribute to the hazardous soot ravaging Rivers state.

Aside the severe air pollution posed by artisanal refineries, stakeholders have pointed to hydrocarbon flares, smoking vehicle, plants equipments, factories and indiscriminate burning of tires among other factors aggravating the soot over Rivers with some accusing fingers also pointed as Indorama.

Worried by the insinuations, Indorama yesterday took media heads in Rivers on a tour of their facility with the Head of Corporate Communications of Indorama, Dr Jossy Nkwocha, saying more stakeholders including NGOs, heads of government departments will be further invited.

At the end of the tour of the Indorama fertiliser and petrochemical operations, Nkwocha said, “Indorama has not been officially accused of emitting soot, but because there has been some insinuations, we have decided to open our operations to third party verification. We are an open book, doing things openly.

“This is to show that Indorama operations do not emit soot whatsoever; we have a closed system, and it doesn’t allow any extraneous gas to escape. Soot can only occur in these facilities when combustion is incomplete. Because we operate a close system, combustion is always complete.”

Plant engineer, Charles Osuji who was tour guide on the facility visit explained that Indorama has three international standards certifications, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, validating our strict compliance to best global practices, including safety standards aside winning five safety awards and Sword of Honour of the British Safety Council based on operational audits.

“Besides we are constantly under operational monitoring and audit by various industry regulators, including the Ministry of Environment, Department of Petroleum and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.

“In deliberate self audit, we regularly measure the ambient air quality in six locations within the company complex and four locations in the host communities, all to ensure we operate with approved safe limits. All of these affirm Indorama does not emit soot”, Osuji explained.