A non-governmental organization in Fars province has announced that development of the Shiraz oil refinery could pose a threat to the wildlife in nearby Bamu National Park.

The Mehr News Agency reports that Ali Akbar Kazemini, the head of the environmental group 13 Farvardin, said: “We must not repeat the mistakes that were made when they first built the refinery close to Bamu National Park.”

The park is located 20 kilometres north of Shiraz and is home to 620 plant species and more than 55 bird species, as well as numerous other wildlife.

Kazemini indicated that the expansion of the oil refinery has also affected the nearby historic sites of Persepolis, and noxious smells from the refinery have forced visitors away.

He expressed grave concern that 214 hectares of land in the Bamu National Park have been alloted for the refinery’s expansion.

However, the head of Fars Environmental Protection announced that the lands being used for refinery expansion are not part of the national park but “are related to the refinery and are adjacent to the Bamu National Park.”

Source : Radio Zamaneh