Azomures facing shutdown

Chemical plant Azomures may be closed down in the next three weeks, should the drought continue, as Mures river is close to its lowest levels ever, stated Dan Stefanescu, head of the Territorial Environment Agency. According to Stefanescu, the Romanian Waters Regie Autonome has sent a warning to the Mures Territorial Environment Agency. “As compared to its normal 37 cubic metres/second level, Mures has now reached a level of ten cubic metres/second, at Glodeni. There will be serious trouble in case the river flows go down below seven metres/second, but we will initiate a restriction programme, which could go as far as shutting down the main economic units, consumers and polluters,” Stefanescu specified, naming Agroflip and Azomures. Agroflip has two control ponds that are especially designed for such situations and that can function for a month, but the case of Azomures is much more serious. “We will have to take steps to gradually reduce the plant’s activities and we may even have to shut it down,” Stefanescu stated. ZF