UAE: Salem Al Shehi, a member of the Federal National Council, has called for stricter measures to mitigate emissions from cement plants and other industrial production units. The representative from Ras Al Khaimah has suggested that these sites be fitted with filters and be constantly monitored, according to the Gulf News newspaper. He cited the concerns of residents living close to industrial sites in Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ghail, Naseem, Suhaila and Al Manama.
Local legislation requires that dust-control techniques must be introduced in all quarries and mines, and owners of these sites are obliged to install air-monitoring stations linked to a control centre based at the RAK Environment Protection Authority’s headquarters. Despite this the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment issued pollution warnings to five cement plants between 2014 and the end of May 2017. 55 quarries were also temporarily shut down for breaching health and safety regulations in the same period.