Monrovia, Liberia – East International, a road construction company, has been forced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pay a whopping US$55,000 for working without an environmental permission, high air pollution, and failing to periodically suppress dust along the pathway.
The EPA decided to penalize the corporation after compiling a list of non-compliance violations, according to Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Acting EPA Executive Director, who made the announcement on Tuesday at a news conference in Monrovia.
Section 37 of the EPA Act (2003) and Part III Section 6 of the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia (EPML) are violated, according to Yarkpawolo, who claimed that East International has been conducting business under an expired environmental permit.
He said, Part IV Section 36 of the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia is violated by the company’s involvement in air pollution. The business has additionally neglected to consistently control dust in the vicinity of the road. Due to the violation of Section 5.2 count 9 of the Environmental Permit, punitive measures in accordance with Section 112 of the EPML may be taken.
“East International is hereby fined Fifty-five Thousand (US$55,000.00) United States Dollars to be paid in Government Revenue at the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) with an official receipt presented to the EPA within 72 hours of the receipt of the official fined letter from the EPA,” the acting head of the EPA stated in response to these violations. Additionally, East International is asked to abide by all Liberian environmental protection rules and renew its expired permission.
He continued, “A comprehensive investigation conducted by agency inspectors and scientists led to the decision.” In the company’s operations locations, the EPA conducted company surveys, compliance audits, and air quality inspections.
“Our team discovered that East International has a number of occupational health and safety problems, and that the company’s existing EPA permit has expired. Reports on terminal and quarterly monitoring that the corporation filed with the EPA are missing from the database. In addition to other infractions, the corporation has failed to provide the workers with proper personal protective equipment. East International also disregards rules, according to Yarkpawolo.
He said that the team discovered the corporation produces three times the WHO-recommended limit of Particulate Matter 2.5, or PM2.5, a dust particle that is easily absorbed and can cause some respiratory issues.
The majority of those we spoke with (83%) said that dust is a constant in their surroundings throughout the afternoon. Asthma and other respiratory conditions were mentioned by some as their main health concerns.
Additionally, Fengshou International, an affiliate of East International, whose rock quarry is located in Ben’s Town, Margibi County, has been shut down by the EPA for backfilling a section of the Marshall wetland in an unsustainable manner without consulting the EPML.
Quetz Mining Company has also been fined a total of US$15,998 by the government for operating without an environmental permit and without a restoration plan for its mines.
After conducting a preliminary inquiry, the EPA released a report stating that Quetz Mining Company operated two mines in Brewerville and Royesville for almost two years without obtaining authorization.
Yarkpawolo pointed out that the inquiry was prompted by a media report (The DayLight) revealing Quetz lacked a license for two zircon sand mines located in the Montserrado villages.
According to the article, inhabitants of Royesville assisted in the transportation of zircon sand from the Brewerville mine to its location.
The mineral zircon sand, which is utilized in the ceramics sector, was processed at the plant. Sand was packed into 25-kg bags by mineworkers and shipped to another location for export.
Quetz was fined US$2,999 by the EPA for mining without a permit. According to the report, it mandated that the business submit a US$12,999 plan to repair the workspace. The dwellings nearest to the miners’ illicit activities were impacted by their location, which was less than a kilometer from the beach, according to the research. Quetz allegedly urged locals to participate in sand mining, which has been prohibited nationwide since 2012 to prevent beach erosion.
Along with working in the people’s best interest, the new EPA boss pledges to put the interests of Liberians before his own political agenda.
