BY AKUDORO GLORIA
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed additional two facilities in Kogi State and Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory for violating extant environmental laws.
This marks a total of 88 non-compliance facilities that the Agency has shut down between January to date, despite its efforts to close the environmental violation gap in the country.
According to a statement recently by Amaka Ejiofor, the Chief Press Secretary of NESREA, the Agency sealed Geld Construction Limited located at Abaji and Arno Energy, a charcoal production facility in Okaba, Kogi State for various violations which include non-conducting of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of their facilities, not having requisite environmental documents such as Air Quality Permit, Environmental Audit Report, and Waste Management Permit.
The Agency emphasized that regulatory requirements are important in maintaining standards across all facilities.
“The EIA provides guidance on mitigating the negative impact of a facility’s operations on the environment.
“The facilities also were not carrying out their activities in an environmentally friendly manner leading to negative impact on the residents of the host communities and their environment.
“Procedural steps, including the issuance of notices of compliance concerns, had been taken to compel the facilities to abate their infractions, and their failure to do so led to the closure of the facilities to save human health and the environment,” it explained.
The Director General of NESREA, Dr. Innocent Barikor according to the statement, enjoined industry operators to ensure their activities and operations are in line with the provisions of the law.