The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government has instructed Erbil’s security committees to close any refineries that do not comply with environmental guidelines and to arrest their owners.
By order of Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Ministry of Interior, the Security Council, the Police, the Sub-District Committee, Erbil Governorate, and the Environmental Departments have been tasked with launching a campaign to monitor refineries within the borders of Erbil Governorate.
According to the government’s decision, any refinery that fails to adhere to environmental guidelines will be closed, and its owner will be arrested.
Dilshad Hussein, Director of Erbil’s Environmental Department, announced that under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the Ministry of Interior, these campaigns will continue to target and shut down illegal refineries.
The committee will work in several stages to improve Erbil’s air quality and restore it to normal levels. Refineries will be required to operate within the legal and environmental framework set by the Kurdistan Regional Government.
The illegal refineries in Erbil have caused significant air pollution. By order of the Erbil Governor, 138 illegal refineries will be shut down.
To mitigate the risks and improve the city’s air quality, four air quality monitoring stations will be established in Erbil.
Some refineries have not yet been closed and continue to operate. They have been given 24 hours to relocate their necessary equipment. A decision has also been made to block the roads to factories that lack proper doors and walls.
Omid Khoshnaw, Erbil’s Governor, stated, “For a better and safer environment in Erbil, we held a comprehensive meeting at the Erbil Governorate with all relevant environmental and health authorities. During this meeting, seven key decisions were made, which will be implemented starting today.”
One of these decisions specifically addresses illegal refineries. The Erbil Governor emphasized, “All 138 refineries must be closed. We urge their owners to shut them down immediately; otherwise, further legal action will be taken.”