Residents of Šibenik got rightfully worried on Saturday night as a large, foggy cloud of dust covered the city between 20:00 and 22:00
The source of the dust was the local port where transshipment of cargo was taking place, reported ŠibenikIn on September 23, 2017. Anyone who was present in that particular area in the city experienced an acidic tingling sensation in their mouth, so the citizens reacted quickly and called the competent authorities or contacted the media.
Živana Krnić, inspector at the Nature Protection Sector of the Ministry of Environment, stated she has been following the ongoing issue in the Port of Šibenik, and that the Ministry already issued certain warnings. She added they will visit the site on Monday to get more insight; the company Luka Šibenik that manages the port has all permits required to transship feritilizer cargo, but Krnić considers it should still be checked if all the safety standards are followed.
Reporters of ŠibenikIn visited the Baldekin area around 21:30 and confirmed the dust was covering the neighbourhood. They also experienced the same acidic taste in their mouth, probably created by certain particles filling the air.
“That’s nothing! You should’ve seen what it looked like from the sea. I sailed out of the St. Anthony canal a bit after 20:00 and entered the port waters, and I was taken aback by the gigantic cloud of dust that made it impossible to see the port or the big ships that are docked there. (…) As there was no wind that could’ve helped dissolve the poison, the fog hung in the air, it spread all the way to the cathedral, and I can’t recall if I’ve ever seen such an apocalyptic image of Šibenik”, stated a reader of ŠibenikIn.
People living in the area near the port have complained about the dust emitted from the port on many occasion, as it prevents them from opening windows, causes problems with drying laundry, and forces them to wash their cars much more often than they usually would. The issue is caused by the fact that the port doesn’t dispose of vacuum pumps for the dust; as it uses cranes to move the cargo, the fine debris in the air spreads to town. The particles don’t present a danger to health, but it’s easy to understand the locals’ frustration.
Davor Škugor, CEO of Luka Šibenik, issued an apology last night around 23:30. “We have an ongoing transshipment of the urea mineral, one that contains 46% of nitrogen, and it’s a known fact that the air we breathe is composed of 78% of nitrogen and 20% of oxygen, followed by other gases. Urea is also the most widely used mineral in the world when it comes to fertilising plants. As the cargo was transported to Šibenik by train, certain wagons experienced a temperature shock, which is why the completely harmless fog is forming as the wagons are emptied of cargo. I want to apologise profusely to all citizens who got worried tonight”, Škugor stated.
