Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.06.2017, Blaðsíða 12

This January, newly appointed Minister of
the Environment Björt Ólafsdóttir caught
the attention of the media when she made
some bold and unequivocal statements
about heavy industry in Iceland: “The
government will no longer make conces-
sions to large companies with tax money
to pollute this country. […] [T]his chapter
in Icelandic history is closed.”
The reason why she felt the need to
make such a statement was mostly due
to one thing: the United Silicon plant in
Suðurnes. While Icelanders have always
had a mixed relationship with heavy
industry, this silica metals plant has
had immediate health effects on the
community around it, and has opened a
larger discussion about heavy industry
in Iceland that has reached the top levels
of government.
Troubled from the start
Initially, it seemed like a great idea:
the plant would make use of Iceland’s
clean and renewable energy sources to
produce silicon for the making of solar
panels—a doubly green idea. It would
take about two years to build the plant,
but almost immediately after the plant
went into commission last autumn,
problems began.
Last November, nurse María Mag-
núsdóttir sought medical attention af-
ter pollutants coming from the plant
caused chemical burns to the mucous
membranes of her mouth and throat.
More residents visited local health clin-
ics with similar complaints. United
Silicon responded by saying this was
a one-time “beginner’s mistake.” But
then things got worse.
So much for “beginner’s
mistakes”
Videos taken within the plant itself
were leaked to the media. These vid-
eos showed that the plant regularly un-
leashes unidentified emissions into the
surrounding air. The plant says these
emissions are relatively harmless silica
dust, but respiratory complaints from
area residents still continued.
Follow-up conducted by the munici-
pality of Reykjanesbær, where the plant
is located, showed that arsenic levels in
the air around the plant were approxi-
mately 20 times the acceptable limits
set by the Environment Agency of Ice-
land. Calls for shutting the plant down
began to get louder.
12 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09 — 2017
Heavy Industry,
Heavy Times
Making sense of the United Silicon debacle
Words: Paul Fontaine Photos: Art Bicnick Share this: gpv.is/usi09
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