Environmental pollution in Qamishlu wildlife sanctuary; Iranian authorities have neglected the issue for forty years

More than two thousand tons of oil waste in the premises of Isfahan refinery and approximately 200 thousand tons of soil contaminated with fuel oil within the boundaries of “Qamishlu” wildlife sanctuary, which was dumped forty years ago in the “black pit” (Chaleh Siah), remain abandoned to their current state.

According to Mehr news agency, although there was supposed to be a plan to collect oil waste from the oil refining company and use it for cement production at the Ardestan factory, this plan has been stalled for the past two years.

According to Mehr, eight years of work and expenses have been spent on implementing the “plan for cement production from contaminated soils and oil waste from Isfahan refinery,” which has been suspended for two years—six years of research and two years of pilot implementation.

According to the former director general of environmental protection in Isfahan province, “the volume of unaccounted-for oil waste in the black pit will certainly result in groundwater contamination, air pollution, and soil contamination.”

Rahman Daniyali, former director general of environmental protection in Isfahan province, stating that “thousands of tons of contaminated soil remain unaccounted for,” has claimed that “they do not want waste management to be organized” because “it provides bread for some people.” Environmental experts say the condition of Iran’s wildlife is critical and the government is also not addressing this situation.

Source: Voice of America