The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed 29 facilities in the South West zone of the country for environmental pollution, and violations of extant environmental laws.
This is contained in a statement by Mrs Nwamaka Ejiofor, Assistant Director Press, NESREA on Thursday in Abuja.
Ejiofor said that the agency sealed 9 recycling facilities in Ogijo, a community in Ogun, for environmental pollution and also sealed 20 other facilities in Ekiti, Osun and Ogun for various environmental violations.
The facilities sealed included, Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Ogijo, Ogun, Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Ogijo, Ogun, and Laralek Ultimate Limited (Arc Legacy Project) Ota, Ogun.
Others are, S & M Nigeria Ltd, Ekiti State, Step Development Ltd, Ekiti, and SLAVABOGU Nigeria Limited Awo-Iyowe Road, Egbedore LGA, Osun, among others.
Speaking, the Director- General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, said the enforcement exercise was in line with the mandate of NESREA.
He said the law gives the agency the responsibility of prohibiting activities and processes which undermine environmental quality.
Barikor said that it had become expedient to take drastic action against non-compliant recyclers in Ogijo community, 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.
“This also include improper disposal of hazardous slag from battery recycling which threatens environmental degradation and public health risks from toxic lead content.
” Tests have revealed the presence of lead in residents, resulting in illnesses and deaths,” Barikor said.
He 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.
Barikor explained that there have been several stakeholders intervention which involved Federal and State Ministries of Environment, NESREA, State Environmental Protection Agencies, and development partners among others.
He said that this was 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
He said that a recent tour of the community revealed total disregard for environmental laws of the land.
” This is 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 said.
“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, Permits and Lack of Fume treatment plant.
” Others are 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.
“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,” he said. (NAN
