Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.09.2017, Qupperneq 12

By the time you read this, the United
Silicon plant in Reykjanes will have been
closed. Temporarily, mind you, while
“necessary upgrades and maintenance”
are performed. If those two sentences
sound familiar to you, they should; it’s
the same situation that has popped up,
time and again, since last November.
Only this time, the community of Rey-
kjanesbær has absolutely had enough,
and more radical action against the
plant might be right around the corner.
Absolute beginners
Last November, nurse María Magnús-
dóttir sought medical attention after
pollutants coming from the United Sili-
con plant had caused chemical burns to
the mucous membranes of her mouth
and throat. More residents subsequently
visited local health clinics with similar
complaints. United Silicon responded by
saying this was a one-time “beginner’s
mistake.” But then things got worse.
Videos taken within the plant itself
were leaked to the media. These videos
showed that the plant regularly un-
leashes unidentified emissions into the
surrounding air. The plant says these
emissions are composed of relatively
harmless silica dust, but respiratory
complaints from area residents still
continued.
A follow-up conducted by the mu-
nicipality of Reykjanesbær, where the
plant is located, showed that arsenic
levels in the air around the plant were
approximately 20 times the acceptable
limits set by the Environment Agency
of Iceland. Calls for shutting the plant
down began to get louder.
In April, operations at the plant
were at last brought to a halt. Rey-
kjanesbær residents began to breathe
easier. In the interim, specialists from
Norway were flown in to review the en-
tire manufacturing process at United
Silicon, and offer counsel with the help
of the Environment Agency on how to
improve matters.
This process continued for sever-
al weeks. Then, late last May, United
Silicon operations commenced anew,
under the strict supervision of the En-
vironment Agency. Not strict enough,
apparently, as respiratory complaints
and air pollution became a factor in
the community again, prompting the
group Andstæðingar Stóriðju í Helgu-
vík (ASH), opponents of the plant who
have long called for it to be shut down
altogether, to redouble their efforts.
Qui bono?
One question that consistently arises
about this plant is how it can continue
to stay open, despite repeated and sig-
nificant problems to the health of the
community. Why the resistance? Who
benefits?
United Silicon did not raise its
plant on its own, and money has come
from numerous big players in Iceland.
Amongst them are three different pen-
sion funds that invested in the plant,
but an even larger role is played by Ari-
on Bank. Kjarninn reported last month
that the bank, apart from owning a 16%
share in the plant, is also a one of its
major lenders.
In other words, if the plant goes un-
der, a lot of other people stand to lose,
too. At the same time, Reykjanesbær is
in Suðurnes, a region of Iceland that
has the highest unemployment rate in
the country. Jobs are scarce, and the
town council does not appear eager to
turn down employment or investment,
which may explain why it has hedged
its bets for so long.
Residents “held hostage”
Minister for the Environment, Björt
Ólafsdóttir, plays a key role in all this.
In her position, she has the power to
shut down the plant for good. In fact,
many people thought this was going to
swiftly be the case last autumn, when
she told reporters shortly after the par-
liamentary elections that “the chapter
of heavy industry in Iceland is closing”.
However, it appears that the chapter
of heavy industry is still far from closed.
Words:
Paul Fontaine
Photos:
Art Bicnick
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Gasping For Air
After ten months of problems,
locals have had it with United Silicon
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Closed for good?
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