Sludge fields near Kyiv are on fire, no reason for panic
Sludge fields near Kyiv are on fire, no reason for panic
9 October 2009
published by www.kyivpost.com
Ukraine —
Kyivvodokanal Urges Media Not To Stir Up Panic Among People Of Kyiv With Reports About Dioxin Emissions From Fire On Sludge Fields
The Kyiv-based Kyivvodokanal Company calls on mass media to stop stirring up panic among the people of Kyiv with reports about alleged emission of dioxin as a result of the fire on the sludge fields at the Bortnychi aeration station in Kyiv.
Ukrainian News learned this from a statement by the press service of the company.
“The open joint stock company Kyivvodokanal urges mass media to rely on trustworthy sources of information and to stop stirring up the panic among the people of the capital city for boosting their ratings,” the statement reads.
The company notes that mass media, if they really care about the safety and health of people, should remember that numerous physical diseases are directly linked with stresses and psychological conditions of people.
The company emphasizes that the emissions of dioxin in the air as a result of the fire on the sludge fields is impossible, since the physical and chemical conditions for the buildup of dioxin do not exist at the Bortnychi aeration station in Kyiv in principle.
According to Kyivvodokanal, there must be three conditions for buildup of dioxin: the presence of chlorinates; anoxic combustion behavior; and the temperature of 800-1,000 degrees centigrade.
“Neither the first condition not the last condition cannot be on the sludge fields, taking into consideration the technology of natural utilization of sewage runoff and the consistence of sludge,” the company said.
The company notes, only emission of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and smoke black is possible as a result of the fire on the upper layers of the sludge fields.
According to the company, it has managed to prevent emission of toxic substances with the help of flooding the sludge. As a result, only grass and reed is on fire, and the combustion of grass and reed is safe.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Environment Protection Ministry has said the tests on the territory of the sludge fields at the Bortnychi aeration station in Kyiv have uncovered no toxic substances in the air. There is no threat to the environment and the population, the ministry said.
Kyivvodokanal plans to extinguish smoldering peat on the sludge fields at the Bortnychi aeration station by October 12.
The fire on the sludge fields at the Bortnychi aeration station broke in the early hours of October 6, but after the fire had been extinguished, the upper layers of sludge field No.3 started to smolder.
