By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN – The Ministry of Environment on Tuesday announced the completion of a database listing the country’s chemical plants to help track and curb industrial pollution.
Officials have developed a database categorising the 212 chemical plants located across the Kingdom, according to Adnan Zawahreh, head of the ministry’s inspection and enforcement directorate.
“This listing provides accurate data on chemical plants in Jordan. It also shows the level of risk these plants pose to the public,” he said on the sidelines of a training workshop held as part of the US-funded interagency agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The database includes various factories manufacturing paints, detergents, cosmetics and other chemical materials, he said.
Environment ministry figures estimate the amount of hazardous waste generated annually by these industries at 23,000 tonnes.
The vast majority of the chemical plants, some 188, are located in the central region, followed by 16 in the northern region and eight in the southern region, according to the list.
The Ministry of Environment and the Royal Geographic Centre will utilise the database to draw up a digital eco-map documenting the location and type of chemical industries in the country, according to Zawahreh.
The database is part of a USAID-funded project to boost environmental inspection and law enforcement supported by the US Environment Protection Agency.
Royal Environment Protection Department members, environmental inspectors, environmental investigators and judges attended the workshop.
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