Dr. Al-Aqab: Environmental compliance of industrial facilities and storage facilities is a guarantee of quality, security and safety standards.
Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society and Regional Arab Advisor to the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), called for the need to verify the presence of hazardous materials, chemical and industrial waste, and highly flammable materials in the State of Kuwait, supporting the relevant parliamentary demand in the National Assembly, as a proactive precautionary step based on the emphasis on activating monitoring and inspection systems in accordance with quality, security, and safety standards.
In this regard, Dr. Al-Aqab explained that one of the most important steps in protecting societies from disasters is taking precautionary measures for any disaster by verifying compliance with security and safety requirements in vital facilities, warehouses, and storage facilities. She added, “What happened in Lebanon may be nothing but an awareness signal and a warning bell to all countries of the world about the danger of such materials being present without following security and safety requirements and control standards, and without adhering to quality control rules in monitoring the handling of such materials.“ She expressed, ”The danger of these materials is not only due to the negligence of their presence, but also to the prolonged period of non-temporary storage. The period of negligence in protecting them helps to use them as a weapon against societies and facilitates terrorist operations to exploit them without effort. Therefore, negligence in dealing with hazardous materials should be included in the list of participation in terrorist acts, as it contributes to the destruction of societies and the heavy losses of lives, property, infrastructure, environments, habitats, and wildlife.”.
The statement called for “all relevant authorities in the country to launch an investigation into the presence of such materials on its territory, emphasizing the importance of activating policies for handling hazardous and harmful materials with the highest quality control standards, particularly regarding their storage.” It also stressed the importance of “intensifying precautionary inspection and environmental compliance procedures in all facilities producing chemicals, industrial materials, and their waste, including, for example, hazardous ammonium nitrate and similar substances, whether in Kuwait or any other Arab or Gulf region country. This should be done through campaigns conducted in cooperation and coordination with relevant authorities to assess the extent to which industrial facilities, warehouses, and storage facilities comply with environmental law standards, its executive regulations, and amendments, in terms of safety and security standards and environmental requirements for transportation and storage methods. Furthermore, it is essential to inspect these facilities and prepare reports for submission to the competent authorities to take the necessary measures.” The statement added, “Delays in the procedures for releasing and securing such materials in suitable and prepared locations, especially given the hot climatic conditions that could cause spoilage and negatively impact their safety, are also a concern.” Its level of security may cause anticipated damage, hence the call to review the procedures and document them in a record that ensures the quality and security of the work.”.
The head of the Environment Association and the Arab Regional Advisor in the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) pointed to “the need to commit to and adhere to regional and international agreements related to hazardous materials and waste, in addition to issuing guidelines for the safe handling of these materials and waste, and launching continuous inspection campaigns on manufacturing, storage and safe disposal sites to ensure the following of sound procedures and public health and safety,” noting the need to “raise awareness of the importance of tightening control over the handling of these materials and waste and their safe management, and the need to review the unified lists of hazardous materials and waste and the controls and requirements for their handling and safe management and reducing their generation.”.
