Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights' rejoinder to Titan Cement's response
Titan’s search for improvement should be reflected in respecting the rights of communities and workers
The complaint filed with the Office of Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) in relation to Titan Cement, the owner of Alexandria Portland Cement, states that the cement plant, which is located in the heart of a residential neighborhood, did not receive the proper environmental permit, that local residents endure constant cement dust affecting their health, and that they fear that the plant’s conversion to coal will magnify the hazard to them… Titan claimed in its response that Alexandria Portland Cement, located in Wadi al-Qamar, was established in 1948 in an industrial zone and that an informal residential community grew up in the area subsequently. This frequently made claim is simply not true. Wadi al-Qamar is a long-standing residential community, as established by zoning maps issued by the Egyptian Survey Authority in 1944… What even worsens the burden of pollution in Wadi al-Qamar is that the current kiln was placed on the south end of the plant’s land, adjacent to the community, eliminating any buffer space or zone between the smokestack and the community. The plant smokestack is located about 10 meters from the residential area and to the north of it in the prevailing wind path.