Narain determined to get petcoke import banned

Kolkata, Aug 24 (IANS) Green activist Sunita Narain on Thursday said the Environment Pollution Control Authority, of which she is a member, is determined to get a ban on petcoke import as the country should not become a dumping ground for the fuel from the US and other countries.

"We have recommended a ban on petcoke import into India and we have recommended a ban on the use of petcoke in all industries other than cement," Narain said here at the 10th Environment and Energy Conclave.

The Supreme Court-appointed EPCA has pitched using India's own domestic petcoke in the cement industry.

"India generates about 10 to 12 mn tonnes of petcoke from its own refineries that should go into cement plants, and we should not become the dumping ground for petcoke from the US or Saudi Arabia which is a very dirty fuel," said Narain, Director-General of the Centre for Science and Environment.

Asked about the current status of the recommendations, she said the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has opposed it.

"The Ministry says there should be no ban, but there should be standards on furnace oil (FO) and emissions. We said 'fine' and gave to the court a list of industries which don't have standards."

The final hearing is scheduled for October 24 in the Supreme Court.

"At the last hearing, the Ministry has said they are in the process of setting the standard and they have taken time until October 24, but the court has said that all industries have been warned that by December 31 they have to meet the standards."

"I am quite clear that whether we get it through a direct ban or ban through standards we will get a ban, because there is no way you can clean up sulfur or NOX (nitrogen oxides) at particularly such high levels," she added.

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