Brazilian steel and iron ore producer CSN has received air pollution related complaints from the mayor of Volta Redonda, the city where the steel plant is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
According to the local press, Antonio Francisco Neto, the mayor, asked representatives from CSN to increase the implementation of the actions destined to improve the quality of the air, as imposed in 2018 by the state environmental institute INEA.
Neto mentioned that the residents of Volta Redonda are being severely affected by the black dust emitted by the plant, adding that he has never received so many complaints.
According to the mayor, CSN should review the maintenance of equipment destined to control the emission of contaminants of the atmosphere, chiefly those linked to the sintering process. Neto conceded that CSN has until August 2024 to conclude the task imposed by ENEA, but argued that some measures should be immediately adopted, given the seriousness of the situation.
According to CSN director Fabian Franklin, the current problem derives from the thermal inversion, typical of the winter, when there is a reduction in the circulation of winds. According to Franklin, CSN has until 2025 to reduce its emissions by 40 percent in relation to the levels of 2020.