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Within its framework to ensure the implementation of federal legislation related to the environment, including legislation and regulations for cement plants, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water recently conducted day and night-time field inspections of all operational cement plants.
The move forms part of the efforts of the Ministry’s External Audit Sector to achieve the targets of the national agenda under the UAE Vision 2021, with a special focus on environmental protection and sustainability. Moreover, the visits were in line with the Ministry’s strategic goals such as promoting environmental sustainability.
A team of specialists from the External Audit Sector conducted both scheduled and surprise visits to nearly 20 cement plants as part of their annual evaluation process for ensuring complete implementation of the legislation.
Saif Mohammed Al Shara, Assistant Under-Secretary of the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water’s External Audit Sector, said that the UAE is witnessing a boom in the construction and infrastructure sectors with more future growth expected in real estate projects in the coming years. Cement plants play important roles in supporting the development process and should therefore follow proper regulations and legislations related to the protection of the environment, the preservation of natural resources, and the health of residents of the UAE.
According to Al Shara, the latest assessment results for these plants, which are generally classified into four categories, showed significant progress in their level of commitment towards the laws and legislation. The annual evaluation revealed that for 2014, these plants recorded a significant increase in Category A and reached 60 percent, compared with 39 percent for 2013.
Al Shara said that Category B rose by 35 percent in 2014, compared with 33 percent in 2013. Category C, on the other hand, fell to their lowest levels to reach 5 percent in year 2014 compared to 17 percent in 2013. Category D is no longer classified.
Al Shara said that the strong commitment from cement plants is a result of the Ministry’s continuous and persistent efforts to inform relevant parties about legislation as well as ensure its strict implementation. This was done by disseminating the information about the regulation and its updates through various media channels, specially the Ministry’s website, along with direct communication through field visits and workshops for plant operators.
In addition, the Ministry has organised training sessions for local authorities’ inspectors about the procedures and inspection requirements for verifying that these plants are meeting the requirements and are applying the decisions to organise their work. The Ministry published its decisions and updates via various Arabic and English media channels.
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