Ministerial instructions have been issued to approve the building of a Turkish-owned dye factory over 14,800 square meters in the Damietta free zone, following the completion of official procedures and the issuance of relevant permits from the Environment Ministry, according to informed sources.
The same sources added that Damietta Governor Fathi el-Baradei had lashed out earlier at attempts to suspend the project, as happened last year with the Agrium fertilizers factory–also in Damietta–which was ultimately canceled following complaints by local residents.
“The planned dye factory is in no way hazardous to the environment,” el-Baradei insisted, stressing that he would disallow any project found to threaten public health.
The factory will be operated with the use of the latest nanotechnology, ensuring maximum protection of the local environment, say officials. It will also recycle waste rather than dump it in nearby canals or in sewage stations.
The project was temporarily suspended after civil society organizations objected to its potential environmental impact.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
