On December 24 fire was burnt in # 2-11 sections of “Nairit” factory, which contained 300 tones of chemical materials each. The mentioned chemical materials are used in paint production. Our correspondent was informed by director of “Nairit” factory Karen Israyelyan that the materials that were burnt were remained from the Soviet times. Specialists say that the mentioned chemical material is considered dangerous even if it is old and should not be thrown. Mr. Israyelyan says that now the factory burns the production garbage they have, however they don’t have enough possibilities to burn the old materials remained from the Soviet times. The reason of the fire was the fact that after a long time the chemical material entered into reaction, which burnt fire. The fire fighting services have localized the fire and the director of “Nairit” assures that no one has suffered.
Some 600 tons of inflammable industrial waste stored in two reservoirs belonging to the recently privatized Nairit plant caught fire in still uncertain circumstances on Sunday morning. Rescue workers succeeded in putting out a massive fire at a big chemical plant. Director of Nairit, Karen Israelyan informed that Massive fireballs were billowing skywards from the reservoirs of ethanol varnish from Soviet times, a by-product of synthetic rubber.
The specialists inform that ethanol is a reactive substance and it’s not allowed to through it way even if it’s outdated. That substance must not even be burned because it may originate ecological issues. Israelyan said that the factory is burning the industrial effluent via necessary technologies; however it doesn’t have means to burn the stocked effluents. The factory has been storing ethanol for very long and the stored ethanol creates certain reactions, which became a reason for fire. “The new owner is obliged to burn those substances,” said Israelyan.
This is the second incident of its kind registered at Nairit in less than two months. Some 150 tons of the substance, which is subject to disposal through combustion, were burned there in a similar fire on November 12. The last fire broke a few days ago, on December 22. There was gas outflow from the compressor, which caused fire. But this fire wasn’t strong and the firemen prevented its dispersal. The greatest accident of the year of the factory was on September 23, when an immense explosion was set off in the pipeline of the collector. The explosion way has damaged about 40 landing areas in Noragavit and Ayntap. #3 water pipeline, cars were damaged as well as people suffered. State prosecutors did not immediately launch criminal proceedings in connection with the latest fire. They are currently investigating a September gas explosion at Nairit that injured four residents of a nearby.
“Nairit factory CJSC #1-19 sector was hit by fire because of malfunctioning of accumulated chemical effluents. As a result of which the ethanol substance (about 14 cubic meters) flowed into the collector and caused explosion. This version was formed in the result of the preliminary investigation. Based on these results, technologist, Smbat Ghazaryan of 1-19 sector, head of shift, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan and Meruzhan Ghazaryan are charged by Article 231 of the Criminal Code of RA,” informed the PR service of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office.
The above-mentioned article anticipates “Violation of security rules” and offers 4-10 imprisonment. It means that the mentioned three specialists of the factory are considered suspects and will carry responsibility in the mentioned way. Let’s just simply remind you that after the explosion another version was also circulating, by which the explosion was caused not within the factory but by effluents thrown on the part of another company. Could be the pharmacy, gas station and other objects working nearby. And the main accent was put on the gas station operating near the factory.
“We still doubt that the explosion took place in the result of combination if effluents flowing from the collector and gas,” said Israelyan and added that the specialist smelled gas in the vicinity of the explosion.
After this incident, no one knows why, only Nairit was considered guilty. Perhaps the reason is that the collector is in the Nairit and the main fire and explosions are set in the factory. However, according to our information the reason for fire for the gas station. According to Israealyan there are a number of gas stations in the vicinity of the factory. And it’s known who can own gas stations in Armenia. And for such people it wouldn’t be very hard to put their guilt on Nairit and especially on a few specialists. Regardless of anything the first suspect would be the factory. And it’s quite simple to understand that average employees will be changed in cases like this.
“There is the factor of negligence of our specialists as well,” says the director of the factory. “During the court trial we will protect our interests and the specialists theirs and the court will decide who’s guilty. The expenditures of the explosion will be covered by the ones, who the court will find guilty.”
Let’s remember that on the day of the explosion the owners of the cars, which were damaged, were called to the factory for reimbursement. But Mr. Israealyan denied this information when speaking with us on the phone. Thus, the process of the investigation promises to be very interesting. And the information of the Prosecutor’s office doesn’t seem convincing. About two dozens of companies use the pipeline of irrigation Nairit.
The once thriving chemical giant has gone through difficult times since the Soviet collapse and is still struggling to remain afloat despite repeated changes of ownership and management. Its most recent privatization was announced last August when the Armenian government approved a complex deal with an obscure British-registered firm. Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan said last week that the new owner, Rhino Ville Property Limited bought the company at 5 million AMD and has pledged to invest $120 million in Nairit in the next few years. At resent 90% of the stocks belong to this company, 10% – to Armenian government.