UAE ministry suspends 14 crusher and quarry operators

Dubai - The Ministry of Environment and Water on Saturday said it has suspended the permission to operate of 14 crusher and quarry operators in various emirates for violating relevant regulations until such time as they adhere to these regulations.

Saif Mohammed Al Shara, Assistant Under Secretary of the External Audit Sector at the Ministry, explained: “Based on Cabinet Resolution No. 20 of 2008, the plants in violation will cease operations from one to three months and cannot resume work at the end of the period unless they meet the necessary standards. The plants will also be closed permanently if they are found to be in violation for a third time.”

He said the decision follows an evaluation of all crushers and quarries in the country for their compliance with installation, management and operation regulations.

The suspension is also in line the UAE Vision 2021 and the directives for creating a sustainable environment for future generations based on state laws on the regulation of crushers and quarries.

Al Shara said that the decision had been prompted by the non-compliance of these facilities with Ministerial Resolution No. 567 of 2014. The resolution seeks to regulate the UAE’s industrial facilities at quarrying and crusher sites and to ensure that their management and activities follow environmentally-responsible standards that mitigate the negative effects on the environment and protect the public health of residents.

He noted that the Ministry’s External Audit Sector conducts an annual evaluation of the activities of crusher and quarry operators during which it holds a series of scheduled and unannounced field visits to check the facilities’ compliance with federal environmental laws. The evaluation includes the preparation of reports supported by images, evidence and measurements that serve as the basis for taking the appropriate decisions, in coordination with the competent local authorities. This audit process is based on Cabinet Resolution No. 20 of 2008, which regulates the operations of crushers and quarries and the transportation of their products, as well as Cabinet Resolution No. 24 of 2011 which regulates the activities of plants operating in the cement industry.

The Assistant Under-Secretary added that the violations were due to non-compliance by the management of the companies concerned with the required maintenance of equipment and dust collectors, in addition to the recorded dispersal of industrial waste, dust and fumes that threaten to damage the environment and put the health of nearby residents at risk.

Al Shara’ pointed out that the regulation places the facilities in four categories: A, B, C and D. Facilities placed in Category D, the lowest, will cease activities until they meet all environmental requirements in the regulations. Only when their classification has been raised to another category will they be allowed to resume activities.

For facilities classified under Category C, Al Shara said that the ministry will submit detailed reports to the competent local authorities throughout the emirates so that they may notify these facilities of the necessary measures they have to implement. If, after inspection, they are again classified in Category C, the company will be at risk of closure.

Recently, the External Audit Sector deployed drones to monitor quarry and crusher operators to ensure that regulations are being observed and that the best practices are being followed. This initiative was in line with the UAE government’s commitment to a sustainable environment with a fully-integrated infrastructure and to strengthening its leadership of innovation at the international level.