Frissewind.nu and Greenpeace Netherlands have launched an online platform with which the toxic emissions of Tata Steel can be monitored. In this way they want to stop the pollution of the steel factory.
Via the website Spot the Poison Cloud people can watch if brown, yellow or black clouds of smoke escape from the various factories on the Tata Steel site. When such a toxic cloud is spotted, it can easily be reported. Greenpeace collects all reports and passes them on to the North Sea Canal Area Environment Agency, which is responsible for enforcement at Tata Steel.
Better supervision
The website is an addition to the current camera surveillance that the Environment Agency recently installed. Although Tata Steel has tried to have the camera declared illegal through summary proceedings, the judge ruled that it can remain. Nevertheless, according to the organization behind the website, there are also snags to the camera policy of the Environment Agency. For example, the camera only monitors one factory (coke factory 2), the images are not public and it is unclear whether the images are continuously monitored.
The three cameras of the new online platform, on the other hand, can monitor several factories on the site, including coke factory 1 and 2. Faiza Oulahsen of Greenpeace Netherlands hopes for better supervision and a more complex overview of the amount of toxic clouds emitted by Tata Steel. People can watch live via the website, but also look back 12 hours quickly.
Black toxic clouds
According to Frissewind.nu and Greenpeace Netherlands, the black and colored toxic clouds are full of carcinogenic PAHs. This is a group of organic substances that are created by incomplete combustion. For example, they are formed by burning wood stoves and are contained in cigarette smoke.
According to the measurements of the RIVM, the amount of PAHs in the vicinity of the Tata Steel emissions is many times higher than Tata Steel itself states. As a result, local residents are much more likely to develop lung cancer than the national average. It is mainly the coking plants that cause high PAH emissions.
Jaap Venniker of Frisse Wind.nu: “It is bizarre that we are doing the work that the government should be doing. You assume that the government protects the health of its citizens. We will not give up until the pollution stops and I can see my children and all other children in IJmond grow up in a healthy environment.”
Together with local residents, Greenpeace suddenly joined forces to stop the pollution of the steel factory. In addition to the website launched today, Toxic Tata Tours are also being organized and a demonstration is planned for June 24.
Faiza Oulahsen: “The health of local residents must come first, which means that Tata Steel must close the most sickening parts. If the government cannot effectively enforce after decades of pollution, we will do it together with Frisse Wind.nu and many supporters.”