Pollution from Oil Refineries Outrages Netizens

SMN No. 8, August 25, 2010

Several new Facebook groups have denounced pollution in some Syrian cities, especially those situated near oil refineries.

One of these groups created in May has attracted more than 1500 members and focused on the oil refinery of the city of Homs and its negative effects on health. According to commentators from the group, the refinery, located four kilometres only from the city, generates polluting gases and acrid smells.

“We can’t open our windows even in the hottest days of summer because of the bad smell,” one member said. Some members said that the level of pollution in the city is very high because of the refinery as well as many other industrial plants.

This pollution led to an increase in cancer cases, according to the members. One member said that authorities should distribute masks on Homs inhabitants to protect them from pollution.

Another group formed around the same period rallied some 200 members against pollution in the city of Banias.

Banias is a tourist town located near the Mediterranean, around 40 kilometres away from the coastal city of Tartous. Banias is traditionally known for its natural landscapes. But the erection of an oil refinery and a power plant near the town have led to a deterioration of the quality of life, according to the group’s members.

“The town looks sad now because of the poisonous smoke generated by the refinery and the plant,” said one member.

One member who said that his one-and-a-half year-old daughter was attained with leukaemia claimed that air pollution was one of the main reasons for cancer.

Several members posted photos showing masses of black smoke above the town.