English
Taking into consideration that the Freeport of Riga Authority operates in compliance with the environmental policy approved within the framework of the environment management system, the aim of which is to ensure that the Port of Riga becomes one of the environmentally-friendliest ports in the North-Eastern region of the Baltic Sea, the FPRA Environment and Development Department’s Environment Unit (the Port Environment Service), in cooperation with non-governmental organizations (societies) that are particularly interested in air quality improvement, has informed the societies on the main courses of action to decrease the air pollution caused by companies operating in the port.
The Port Environment Service is certain that the long-lasting improvement of the situation is only possible upon the consistent and coordinated long-term action of the port and the State Environmental Service. The only way to ensure the immediate improvement of air quality is to limit or suspend operations, which can only be authorized by the State Environmental Service in situations provided by laws and regulations. To provide for the sustained improvement of air quality, several courses of action and tasks have been established, including activities for the mutual understanding of the port companies, and practical tasks such as technical solutions to be developed by companies and the Freeport of Riga Authority.
It is planned to inspect the work environment and to meet the management of companies, in line with other activities, in order to discuss the issues of air quality and the solutions proposed by companies that might actually be the most efficient. The Port Environment Service will encourage companies to share their opinion on measures to be taken. In the meantime, the Port Environment Service will examine the materials regarding air pollution elimination activities at other European ports, and analyse their efficiency and suitability together with the technical experts of companies operating in the Freeport of Riga.
The Port Environment Service also considers the cooperation of the Freeport of Riga Authority and state institutions (State Environmental Service, SES, Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, LEGMC) to be essential in information exchange and discussing the necessity and location of air quality measuring stations, as well as in recognizing the drawbacks in laws and regulations and the necessity to initiate amendments. The options of resource allocation from European funds for introducing technological improvements are also being discussed. The Freeport of Riga is working on the selection of locations for monitoring air quality and the development of the necessary technical procedures.
The Internal Security Service of the Freeport of Riga Authority, together with the Port Control Division, have prepared draft technical measures for the elimination of pollution during the unloading of railway tanks with heavy fuel oil (mazut), the successful implementation of which may decrease air pollution and smell in the cold season. There is an agreement with a company for the installation and testing of this technical solution.
