BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has descended heavily on recyclers by sealing 29 facilities in the Southwest over environmental pollution.
This was in fulfillment of the promises made to the residents of Ogijo, a community in Ogun State and other neighboring communities on the need to curtail escalating air pollution.
The nine facilities sealed in Ogijo are Vedanta Metal Industries Limited; Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited; African Non-Ferrous Limited; True Metals Nigeria Limited; Pristine Elt. Pvt. Limited; Timto Alu Company Limited and Ecomade Industries Limited.
Others are BPL Nigeria Limited, Lagos Ibadan E4. Express Way and Hanushi Manufacturing Limited on the Lagos Ibadan Express Way axis.
Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor said that the enforcement exercise is in line with the mandate of NESREA to prohibit activities and processes that undermine environmental quality.
He noted that it became expedient to take drastic action against non-compliant recyclers in Ogijo as their operations have continued to endanger the environment and lives of the citizens.
"The situation in Ogijo has been of concern due to the harmful activities of battery and scrap metal recyclers, improper disposal of hazardous slag from battery recycling threatening environmental degradation and public health risks from toxic lead content. Tests revealed the presence of lead in residents, resulting in illnesses and deaths," he said.
Barikor stated that the failure of the facilities to adopt best available technology in their operations was in contravention of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024.
"There have been several stakeholders intervention which involved Federal and State Ministries of Environment, NESREA, State Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs), non-governmental organisations and development partners in a bid to get the facilities to upgrade their operations to more environmental friendly technology and institute sustainable plan for management of slag and other waste from their processes.
"But a recent tour of the community revealed total disregard for environmental laws of the land, a clear signal that some of these facilities do not have any intention of complying and their continued operation is a big threat to the health of residents and the environment in which they live," he added.
The DG informed that the sealing of the facilities was meant to protect the lives of vulnerable citizens and put a stop to the operations of the recycling facilities that undermine the law and expose Nigerians to danger.
"These facilities were closed for violating the provisions of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024. Their offences include lack of environmental documents such as Environmental Audit Report (EAR), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), permits; lack of fume treatment plant; indiscriminate discharge of black oil; failure to carry out blood-lead test on staff; no proper slag management, manual battery breaking and washing and non-compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme," Barikor said.
The ongoing enforcement exercise also affected 20 other facilities in Ekiti, Osun and Ogun States in the geo-political zone.
It was carried out in the construction and quarry sectors where a total of 10 sites were sealed for lack of environmental documents contrary to the provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations, 2011 and the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) 2013 respectively.
They are Laralek Ultimate Limited (Arc Legacy Project) Ota, Ogun; Visible Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun; Strabic Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun; Areatech Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun; Medaville Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun; and Adron Home & Properties operational base office (Gbongan Road, Oshogbo) for three project sites.
While Paris Park Gaden.Ikirun Road, Iragbiji: Bukingham Parks, and Garden Poponla, Ede were sealed due to the absence of environmental audit report, Miami City, Ilesha Road, and S & M Nigeria Ltd, Ekiti and Step Development Ltd, Ekiti failed to present environmental impact statement for the facilities.
Also, the agency identified the absence of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Hitech Construction Limited Papalanto, Ogun; Craneburg Construction Company Limited, Ota, Ogun, and SLAVABOGU Nigeria Limited Awo-Iyowe Road, Egbedore LGA, Osun.
In the domestic and industrial plastic sector, five facilities were shutdown for operating in flagrant disregard for the National Environmental (Domestic and Industrial Plastic, Rubber and Foam Sector) Regulations 2011.
They operated without the relevant environmental documents, lack of fume abatement technology and non-submission of quarterly compliance monitoring report.
The facilities are Polo Good Intl Company Ltd, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun; Meibalun International Limited , Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun; Jomoo International Industrial Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun; Zhong Ju Nigeria Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun; and Vanke Machinery Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun.
In addition, one facility, GS Agriculture Limited, Osogbo, Osun was sealed for violating the National Environmental (Food, Beverages and Tobacco. Sector) Regulations 2009. It also lacked the necessary environmental documents.
In the non-metallic mineral manufacturing sector, one facility, West Stone and Marble Processing Company Limited Ikirun, Osun was sealed for non-submission of EAR.
For refusal to comply with the National Environmental (Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly) Regulations 2011, one facility, Icheetah Nigeria Limited, Abeokuta was shutdown.
Enforcement of the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade) Regulations, 2011 led to the sealing of one facility, Solomon Kensington Agro Allied, Iperu- Remo in Ogun.
The operators failed to provide relevant environmental documents, install an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and refused to provide the agency with comprehensive list of animal species kept in the facility.
Barikor added: "Our duty to Nigerians is a solemn responsibility. We are no longer appealing to any facility to comply with the laws, when you refuse to obey, you face the consequences. We will not hesitate to enforce the law."
This was contained in a statement by the Assistant Director of Press, NESREA, Nwamaka Ejiofor on Thursday in Abuja.
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