Hindalco indicted

Hindalco indicted [1]

Records of hazardous waste generated by the unit were not maintained

Hazardous waste was being produced during several steps in production of aluminium. Waste from pots, or vessels in which final chemical reaction to produce aluminium takes place, was found containing cyanide and fluoride beyond permissible limits

Waste produced by the plant included spent pot line, floor dust, rejected refractory, asbestos waste, used oil and tar-contaminated waste

Plant officials were selling aluminium metal laced with the solution used in pots for reprocessing to one Ashis Chemicals in Sambalpur district, which is yet to get authorization from the government. Such reprocessing is likely to generate fluoride-contaminated waste

Cyanide and fluoride concentration showed an increase downstream in the Khajur Nala. Cyanide concentration was 0.08 mg/l in the upstream, well within the stipulated limit of 1 mg/l, but was 0.28 mg/l in the downstream, three times the limit. Fluoride level was 1.62 mg/l in the upstream, within the prescribed limit, but went up to 5.9 mg/l downstream, again three times the permissible limit

This may be because the plant

Publication Date:

14/02/2009

Source: Down to Earth [2]

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