Balancing ecology and economy

By Sherine Nasr

"It's impossible to move these factories because it would mean destroying infrastructure that cost LE7 billion to build," said Nadia Makram Ebeid, minister of state for environmental affairs. The three factories together produce 10 million tons of cement annually, one half of the national production, and employ some 15,000 workers.

According to Magdi Allam of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), relocating the factories was not the only available solution. "Relocation of the factories was one of several options suggested by the ministry to mitigate the harmful effects of this industry on the surrounding urban area," Allam said.

Another option was to install filters to reduce emissions to the standard level set by environmental law, which is 500 microgrammes for every cubic metre. The three factories are said to have spent LE422 million to bring emissions in line with international standards.

"Installing filters is a very expensive technique," said Hamdi Seddiq, head of the environment department at the Suez Cement Company, one of the first to introduce environment protection techniques. According to Seddiq, the filter installation costs range between LE10 and LE25 million.

Before this technique was used, emissions made by the Helwan factories were as high as 7,000 microgrammes per cubic metre. "Now, these have been brought down to 300 or 400 microgrammes," Allam said, pointing out that there are at least 27 other factories in Helwan involved in various activities which are equally harmful to the environment.

Once a health spa, Helwan came to be considered one of the country's most hazardous living environments. "It has been proved that respiratory diseases among Helwan children were 50 per cent higher than in other areas," said Karam Saber of the Land Centre for Human Rights. In the past two years, he added, many cement factory workers were retired at the age of 40-45 because of their deteriorating health.

Saber also explained that cement factories cannot fully implement environment-friendly techniques because this would mean a substantial drop in profits. "It is known that filters cut down production by half. Moreover, factories will not be able to operate 24 hours a day as the case is now," he said.

A similar argument was put forward by Allam. He referred to a law passed five years ago stipulating that these factories should spend five pounds out of the price of every ton of cement they sell for environment protection purposes. "This means that these companies should spend LE80 million annually to protect the environment. I don't think that they spend even half of this amount," he said.

Although the problems of cement factories in Helwan and elsewhere have not yet been satisfactorily solved, more factories are planned for Qena, Beni-Sweif and Aswan. "We never learn the lessons of the past," commented Saber. The Land Centre for Human Rights has filed a complaint with the Prosecutor-General demanding that the construction of another cement factory at Qeft, in the governorate of Qena, be stopped. Saber said the location of the factory is close to an urban housing area, a cluster of schools, agricultural land and a complex of small industries.

"Choosing this location would mean the end of the activities taking place there now," he pointed out. Theoretically, a distance of 60 kilometres should separate any cement factory from the nearest urban area.

Saber said the governor of Qena has promised to reconsider the factory's location.