The Galati County Environment Guard have inspected Romania"s leading steel works, Arcelor Mittal Steel - Galati and concluded that the coke batteries were the largest source of pollution on the compound. Being quite antiquated, the coke batteries generate significant air emissions that frequently reach the nearby town of Galati.
According to Gabriel Panaitescu, head of the Galati County Environment Guard, Arcelor Mittal Steel - Galati has prepared a program to replace a number of installations within a grace period that expires in 2014. "We have approved the demolition of one of the coke batteries, which will be replaced in a year," he said. The inspection was concluded with 30 recommendations that the steel works has to implement by the next inspection, scheduled for November 2007.