Public Ministry investigates petroleum coke handling in the Port of Imbituba

The MPSC (Public Ministry of Santa Catarina) inspected the Port of Imbituba to verify the handling conditions of petroleum coke and determine whether it is causing atmospheric pollution in the city.

The inspection was carried out on the 16th with the IMA (Instituto do Meio Ambiente), Companhia Docas de Imbituba, CRB Operações Portuárias S/A and the Fire Department.

The inspection analyzed compliance with a TAC (conduct adjustment term), signed by the CRB with the Court of Imbituba, which established a series of adjustments in the storage of petroleum coke in the Port of Imbituba, as well as to the conditions under which other companies on-site handle solid fuels.

According to the prosecutor Sandra Goulart Giesta da Silva, it was observed that, at the CRB company, the material is removed from the ship by cranes, placed directly in the hopper (a kind of large funnel), and dumped in the underground conveyor belt. The fuel is then transported to another conveyor belt, protected by side tarps, which lead it to the storage terminal.

The inspectors saw that, because other companies do not have a storage facility within the port, cranes unload the coke from the ship, and the material is put straight into the buckets of the trucks via a hopper. These are given canvas protection over the material after covering a few meters entirely uncovered.

In a note, SCPAR Porto de Imbituba informed that its Environment team monitored the inspection and that the state-owned company’s administration is at the disposal of all competent bodies.

SCPAR further stated that, in addition to the port operators’ environmental control actions and measures, the Port Authority conducts extensive monitoring, awareness, and ecological control work across 19 initiatives.

According to the state-owned company, among them is the Air Quality Monitoring Program, which carries out periodic analyses to assess possible influences related to the port operations. All results are submitted to the environmental agency.

What is petroleum coke?

Petroleum coke is a solid fossil fuel produced by the thermal cracking of petroleum. It is considered a polluting material due to the carbon it produces, which can have high sulfur concentrations and damage health when exposed to it regularly.

Source: ND Mais

To read the full original article, please see:

https://ndmais.com.br/meio-ambiente/ministerio-publico-apura-possivel-poluicao-por-coque-de-petroleo-no-porto-de-imbituba/

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