By Sheikh Alkinky Sanyang
The Executive Director of National Environment Agency NEA has re-assured the public that depletion and destruction of the environment will never be compromised, threatening anyone found wanting ‘will face the full force of the law.’
It was in light of this spirit that both the Nessim Fishing & Fish Processing company in Sanyang village and JXYG Aquatic Products Company in Kartong village in the West Coast Region are urged to cease operations until they fulfill required regulations.
The NEA boss vehemently dismissed claims found in social media news-waves that the NAMs Select committee on the Environment`s visit to the company led to the closure of the fish processing factories.
He said this is contrary to the fact that both fish processing companies had cross the red-line during their last Environmental Impact Assessment before the NAMs embarked on their visit. This means the factories should have been closed before the NAMS visit, he pointed out.
For NessimFishing & Fish Processing company, the agency used Regulation 6 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations 2014 for them to cease operation with immediate effect for failing to establish a complete and functional waste water treatment plant to treat the effluent from the plant. And to verify the effectiveness of the plant by ensuring water quality test of the treated effluent of which shall be submitted to the NEA for approval.
For JXYG Aquatic Products Company in Kartong, they also fall short in meeting requirement in the implementation conditions in section “G” and “S” of their environmental approval.
Suwareh, further disclosed that the company`s failure to install a waste water treatment plant is creating environmental concerns elsewhere like the disposal at Kotu ponds that allegedly affects the biological processes at the sewage treatment centre creating offensive smell that discomforts the neighborhood.
He warned that some of the requirements JXYG Company must satisfy for the renewal of operation will be establishment of a complete and functional waste water treatment plant, make a thorough environmental audit of the plant and submit report to the agency for scrutiny and finally to reapply for an environmental permit.
Reiterating that environmental protection is everyone’s business, Suwareh opined that humankind owes the natural world a moral obligation to protect the environment from negative anthropogenic vices.
With its open door policy, the NEA encourages people to report any foul against the environment to the authorities for due and urgent address, and would want to assure the general public that the depletion of our dear environment cannot be and would never be compromise.
