Non-Compliance With Environmental Laws: FG Threatens To Sanction Erring Facilities

By Bukar BOLORI

The federal government has threatened to sanction any facility that fails to comply with environmental laws in its operation.

The warning was given on Thursday by the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations (NESREA), Dr. Innocent Barikor while receiving a brief on the routine compliance monitoring carried out by NESREA across the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.

He expressed displeasure over the flagrant disregard for laid down environmental laws by facilities.

He said: “We keep noticing a worrisome trend where some facilities discharge effluents without treatment, operate without the necessary environmental documents such as Environmental Impact Statement, Environmental Audit and Environmental Permit. This cannot be allowed.

“Facilities where these infractions occurred have been issued notices of compliance concerns to abate the nuisance. The Agency will not hesitate to sanction any facility polluting the environment. From January till date, 75 non-compliant facilities have been shut down by NESREA, and the enforcement is a continuous exercise.

”The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is the foremost environmental enforcement Agency in the country, charged with the Responsibility of enforcing all standards, protocols, treaties and conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory.In line with its mandate, the Agency has developed, 36 National Environmental Regulations cutting across different sectors of the economy. These regulations are the tools deployed by the Agency in ensuring that activities by facilities and industries do not in any way impact negatively on the environment.”