"Four agencies, four different versions of the same episode." One provides worrying data: the amount of gas emitted is estimated to have varied between a minimum of 7.6 and a maximum of 27.2 tons per hour. And the phenomenon is said to have lasted approximately seven hours.
Representatives of the Sarroch civic committee for environmental and health protection have provided some data and documents. In early September, they had requested clarification—via certified emails sent to all regulatory agencies— on the emissions from Saras flares on September 1st. This activity was visible from across the Gulf of Cagliari, and clarification is being sought. "But citizens, weeks later, still don't have the key data: how much, what, and why it was flared."
The most detailed description, including the estimated emissions, is contained in the response from the regional Department of the Environment, which at the same time emphasizes that no specific information on polluting parameters has been provided, even though it is known that hydrocarbons were burned in the flares, having ended up there due to a broken cooling line in the refinery's facilities.
The committee reports the summary of the responses from the various bodies consulted:
• Municipality of Sarroch (12/09): responded only on the faults of the
municipal control units, admitting missing values (“-999”), but completely ignoring the questions on causes, duration, volumes, substances and effects of the event.
• ARPAS Sardegna (17/09): sent a report concluding that "there were no regulatory exceedances" and "no data interruptions". However, it confirmed that Saras had notified the exceeding of the maximum daily flare gas flow rate.
• MASE – Ministry of the Environment (16/09): has acquired two
Official communications from Sarlux (September 1 and 2), which refer to plant shutdowns and exceeding daily gas flow rates. The Ministry urges Sarlux to forward us the promised detailed technical note.
• Sardinia Region – Environment Department (24/09): reported the data contained in the Saras reporting.
"We won't stop," the announcement goes, "we will continue to demand truth and accountability. Because the lives and air of citizens are worth more than belated apologies and hastily drafted documents."
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)