Albanian Govt To Close Down Polluting Elbasan Plants

The Albanian Government will close down three industrial plants in Elbasan, central Albania, if equipment and filters for preventing environmental pollution is not installed at the plants in the near future, it was reported on 17 February 2004.

The plants in question are the cement plant, owned by the Lebanese cement group Seament, the ferrochrome plant of the Italian copper smelter Darfo and the steel plant, owned by the Turkish iron and steel maker Kurum. All three plants emit large clouds of dark smoke, which spreads over the city and the near-by villages, and according to environmental experts, they are the main polluters in the Elbasan area. The plants’ management was warned in advance about the plants’ eventual closure, the Elbasan prefect, Qazim Sejdini, said.