Monrovia, Liberia – An astounding US$55,000 has been levied by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against East International, a road construction company, for operating without an environmental permission, excessive air pollution, and failing to routinely control dust along the road corridor.
Acting EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo stated at a Monrovia press conference on Tuesday that the agency decided to penalize the corporation after compiling a list of non-compliance violations.
East International has allegedly been operating under an expired environmental permit, which is against Section 37 of the EPA Act (2003) and Part III Section 6 of the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia (EPML), according to Yarkpawolo.
According to Part IV, Section 36 of the Liberian Environmental Protection and Management Law, the corporation has also been involved in air pollution, he claimed. Additionally, the business has consistently suppressed dust along the road corridor. Punitive actions in accordance with Section 112 of the EPML may be taken in response to this violation of Section 5.2 count 9 of the environmental permit.
East International is hereby fined fifty-five thousand (US$55,000.00) United States dollars for these violations, according to the acting head of the EPA. This fine is to be paid in government revenue at the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), and an official receipt must be presented to the EPA within 72 hours of the official fine letter being received. It is also urged that East International obey all Liberian environmental protection rules and renew its expired permit.
He said that scientists and agency inspectors conducted a comprehensive inquiry that led to the decision. The EPA conducted a company survey in addition to compliance checks and air quality evaluations in the company’s operational locations.
East International has a number of occupational health and safety concerns, and our team discovered that the company’s existing EPA permit has expired. The EPA has not received any records of the company’s quarterly or terminal monitoring reports. Among other things, the corporation has not provided the employees with proper personal safety equipment. Furthermore, Yarkpawolo pointed out that East International does not adhere to rules.
According to him, the team also discovered that the corporation produces three times the WHO-recommended limit of Particulate Matter 2.5, or PM2.5, a dust particle that is easily breathed and can cause various respiratory issues.
Most (83%) of the individuals we spoke with said that dust is a constant in their surroundings throughout the afternoon. Some individuals stated that their main health concerns were respiratory conditions like asthma and coughing.
In addition, the EPA shut down Fengshou International, an East International affiliate that runs a rock quarry in Ben’s Town, Margibi County, for backfilling a section of the Marshall wetland in an unsustainable manner without consulting the EPML.
A total of US$15,998 has been penalized by the EPA to Quetz Mining Company for operating without an environmental permit and without a plan for the restoration of its mines.
The EPA claimed in a report after a preliminary inquiry that Quetz Mining Company operated two mines in Brewerville and Royesville for over two years without a permit.
The inquiry was prompted, according to Yarkpawolo, by a media outlet (The DayLight) that revealed Quetz lacked a license for two zircon sand mines in the Montserrado towns. It was disclosed in the newspaper that the Brewerville mine had a factory where locals helped move zircon sand from Royesville.
The plant processed zircon sand, a mineral that is utilized in the ceramics sector. After packing the sand into 25-kg bags, mineworkers moved them to another location in preparation for shipment.
For mining without an environmental permit, Quetz was fined US$2,999 by the EPA. As per the report, it mandated that the company submit a plan worth US$12,999 for the restoration of the workplace environment. According to the analysis, the dwellings closest to the miners’ illicit operations were impacted by their location, which was less than a kilometer from the shore. It claimed that Quetz pushed locals to participate in sand mining, which has been prohibited nationwide since 2012 to prevent the destruction of coastline.
In addition, the new EPA Director pledges to act in the best interests of Liberians rather than pursuing personal gain and political agendas.
