Extremely Polluted Air: See the Measures to Be Taken

The Operational Staff of the Sarajevo Canton Government at today's session adopted a Decision and declared the Second Episode of the Plan of Intervention Measures in Cases of Excessive Air Pollution in the Sarajevo Canton – „Warning“. This Decision was made after yesterday in the Sarajevo Canton the tolerant values of pollutants in the air were exceeded - PM10 solid particles of 300 micrograms per cubic meter, as well as due to the fact that stable weather conditions are expected in the next 24 hours, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

The measures taken within the „Warning“ episode are:

- Prohibition of using waste and biomass in plants, especially sawmills and furniture industries, if the combustion device is not specifically designed for that fuel;
- Warning that all plants with a power of over one megawatt (MW) using solid fuels and heavy oils reduce heat energy production by at least 3ºC;
- KJKP „Toplane“ Sarajevo, as well as other entities engaged in the production and distribution of heat energy, regardless of their users, reduce the temperature in the spaces they heat by 1ºC;
- Increasing the capacity of public city transport vehicles that do not pollute the environment, such as trolleybuses and trams, by 15 percent more compared to regular situations;
- Prohibition of movement of cars whose engines have a standard lower than Euro 3 – enhanced controls by the Ministry of Interior bodies. This does not apply to police vehicles, inspection vehicles, Ministry of Defense vehicles, public city transport vehicles, public utility company vehicles, vehicles with diplomatic plates, and emergency intervention vehicles - ambulances and firefighters;
- Prohibition of traffic for freight motor vehicles with a total mass over 3.5 tons on the Otoka - Baščaršija route in both directions, except during the period from 10-15 and 00-06 hours. This does not apply to public city transport vehicles, public utility company vehicles, emergency intervention vehicles, and delivery vehicles for food products. During the traffic ban, prohibition signs shall be placed on streets and approaches to the affected area;
- Ensure the flow of motor vehicles without prolonged stops at main city intersections with the highest measured concentrations of pollutants, by introducing a Center for Management and Supervision of traffic-light-controlled intersections, where from the control center it would be possible to influence the duration of the „green wave“;
- Temporary prohibition of using solid fuel and heavy oils and temporary transition of industrial and other facilities to an alternative type of fuel that is more environmentally friendly and where such possibilities exist;
- Other measures deemed to contribute to improving air quality.

At today's session, the Operational Staff was informed about the implemented measures from the First Episode „Preparedness“ in the Sarajevo Canton, which are still in force.

The Cantonal Administration for Inspection Affairs, i.e., the Inspectorate of Urban-Construction and Ecological Inspection, is tasked with urgently controlling the obligors of the application of measures from the First and Second Episodes of excessive air pollution, especially owners or managers of boiler rooms with a capacity over 1MW regarding the obligation to reduce heat energy production by at least 3°C, if they use solid fuels and heavy oils, and operators of natural gas boiler rooms, regardless of capacity, to reduce the temperature in the spaces they heat by 1° C, including KJKP ''Toplane''. Some of the heat production facilities for heating that are subject to the mentioned obligations are: UNIS ENERGETIKA, University Campus, BAGS ENERGETIKA Vogošća, TIBRA Stup, building of BiH institutions, building of the BiH Trade Union, building of the Government of the Federation of BiH, building of the Presidency of BiH, certain hotels, buildings of higher education institutions, etc. Also, operators of commercial plants using combustion facilities in the technological process should temporarily stop using solid fuel and heating oil and switch to more environmentally friendly energy sources, if they have the possibility. The inspection has otherwise in recent days issued several decisions ordering operators where exceedances of pollutant emissions into the air have been recorded to urgently align emissions with the prescribed ones or sanctions prescribed by the Law on Air Protection of the FBiH will follow. In this regard, Energoinvest d.d. Sarajevo, JS RTV Dom Sarajevo, MUP FBiH - Police Academy, Hotel Hollywood, Kleyton d.o.o. Hadžići, etc. have been warned.
In addition to the above, plants such as sawmills and furniture industries also have the obligation to stop using biomass if they do not possess a combustion device specifically designed for that fuel.

Once again, drivers of freight vehicles are called upon to pay attention and inform themselves in time about the regime of their movement to avoid traffic jams.

According to forecasts from the Federal Hydrometeorological Institute of BiH, no significant change in weather is expected in the next seven days, and the Operational Staff, together with all other relevant institutions, will monitor the situation on the ground and undertake prescribed activities.