The overpowering stench of gases emitted from processing facilities in Asalouyeh, Bushehr Province, has plagued the small town and become a nightmare for its inhabitants, the head of the provincial Department of Environment (DoE) office said.
“The unpleasant smell is so strong that the number of residents suffering from poisoning and respiratory ailments is increasing,” Mostafa Moazzeni was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The obnoxious odors are almost omnipresent, he added, noting that the nauseating smell becomes overwhelming when dewatering operations start in gas condensate storage tanks.
“Several people had to be taken to the hospital in the last four weeks, but the officials of gas refineries do not answer phone calls, nor do they respond to emails seeking comment,” he said.
According to the DoE official, there are many storage tanks near residential areas, which should have been moved to areas far from the city two years ago, but nothing has happened yet.
The presence of water in refined product storage tanks is a natural phenomenon.
Dewatering is the practice to remove free water from the tank’s bottom on a regular basis and when it’s not done, it results in corrosion.
Despite the huge oil and gas resources in the county, local residents are suffering from major problems, such as water shortages and air pollution.
For years, water in summer is rationed in Asalouyeh’s rural districts, including Chah-e-Mobarak, Nakhl Taghi, Sahmui-ye-Shomali and Nayband.
With 80,000 residents (up from 60,000 in the 2011 census), Asalouyeh’s residents have limited access to potable water during the day and in some areas, piped water is cut for days and people have no option but to buy bottled water.
Located in southwestern Iran, the arid province is one of the most water-stressed regions. Rural folks told the news agency that they are forced to spend the equivalent of $30 a month to buy water, which is 30% of the average salary.
Industrial Region
Known as an industrial region, Asalouyeh is home to expansive gas production and processing facilities of South Pars, the world's largest gas field. However, locals are deprived of basic needs like clean air and water.
Almost similar dire conditions have often been reported from the southern oil-rich Khuzestan Province.
According to Abdolhamid Hamzehpour, former managing director of Bushehr Water and Wastewater Company, one way to tackle water paucity is to collect and treat unconventional water resources, namely wastewater.
Unconventional water resources are those generated as a byproduct of specialized processes such as desalination, or that need suitable pre-use treatment before irrigating farmlands.
Unlike conventional sources, access to wastewater is sustainable and has increased in Bushehr in the last decade.
“Close to $100 million worth of effluent are produced in the province, which can be used by the industrial and farming sectors. But it is wasted largely due to lack of wastewater infrastructure,” Hamzehpour said.
According to Energy Ministry data, Bushehr’s water consumption in agriculture, industrial and household sectors exceeds 1 billion cubic meters a year. Water comes from surface, groundwater and desalination sources.
Regarding bad weather conditions in the region, ISNA quoted the local population as saying that what is ensuing in Asalouyeh can be likened to an ecological disaster, as it is jeopardizing the lives of more than 80,000 people in the city known as Iran’s petrochemical hub.
According to reporters who have visited the city, natural gas flaring, open-air sulfur storage and industrial wastewater are among the most vital sources that have contaminated not only the air but also its soil and water resources.
Protecting People’s Health
Provincial officials, including Farhad Qolinejad, the head of Bushehr’s Department of Environment, say at least $1.2 billion are needed to tackle pollution and help protect the people’s health and flora and fauna in the region.
Referring to previous projects to reduce pollution, namely collecting flare gas in gas and petrochemical plants, he said, “A lot has been done in the past 10 years, but the problem is so huge that it cannot be resolved easily in the short term.”
DoE has filed lawsuits against oil, gas and petrochemical plants in the region for storing sulfur in the open.
“Few, if any, ruling has been made so far that can help us protect the environment,” the official said.
Highlighting the scale and scope of the environmental and human costs, Qolinejad said a special committee has been set up to deal with the problem.
The situation in Bid-Khoun, a rural community in Asalouyeh, is so bad that residents cannot even donate blood. However, government officials in the region claim this has nothing to do with pollution and blame malaria in the area.
