The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shut down China Union Company Iron Ore Mines in Bong County, Grandma Mineral Water factory in Jacob’s Town, Montserrado County, while completing investigation into the disposal of a potent radio-active material at the JFK and chemical spills on the Cavalla River.
Addressing Information Ministry regular press briefing on Thursday, August 29, 2024, EPA Executive Director Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo said China Union Company mines were shut down for several environmental violations including operating without an effluent discharge license, transportation of ores via the Bong Mines railway without an environmental mitigation plan, construction of a new processing plant without an environmental permit, construction of a medium tailings processing plant without environmental permit and unregulated discharge of tailings into the nearby wetland, among others.
Dr. Yarkpawolo said these actions violate several provisions of the Environmental protection and Management Law of Liberia including Sections 6, 15, 24, 27, 57, 58, 105 and 112. Considering these grave violations, the EPA on June 28, 2024 communicated a ‘notice of violation’ and ‘fine action’ amounting to USD 120,000.00 to China Union.
He said the company did not respond to the communication and a second communication was sent on August 8, 2024 requesting the company to comply with the ‘fine action’ and commence undertaking remedial actions. But despite these notices, China Union blatantly ignored the EPA warnings and continued to operate without any environmental permits, continuing its environmental degradation and pollution.
He said this directive will remain in effect until full compliance is achieved and the identified environmental concerns are duly addressed, and any contravention of this closure mandate will result in legal actions as prescribed by the EPML. For Grandma Mineral Water Factory, it was shut down on August 6, 2024 in collaboration with the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL).
The EPA Executive Director said the action followed a joint fact-finding initiative conducted from July 29, 2024 to August 2, 2024, revealing significant violations of environmental and public health standards.
“During the inspection, it was discovered that the Grandma Mineral Water Factory was operating without the necessary permits from both the EPA and NPHIL. Additionally, the facility was found to be unhygienic, raising serious concerns about the safety and quality of the water being produced,” he said. He said laboratory analysis of the water from the facility showed that the water sold to the public was unsafe for human consumption.
Yarkpawolo said EPA is committed to ensuring all sachet water production facilities in Liberia adhere to the highest safety and hygiene standards and urged all water production companies to obtain the necessary permits and maintain proper sanitary conditions to safeguard public health.
He said as part of the mandate under the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia, Part IV Sections 44, 45 & 46, the Environmental Protection Agency has set up a regulatory framework for the control and use of radiation sources in Liberia.
“To support this effort, the EPA has embarked on extensive monitoring of facilities involved with the use of radiation sources in Liberia. The EPA, in May of this year embarked on a critical search and secure mission that bordered on public health safety and national security,” he said.
Giving details of the Cavalla River chemical spill the EPA boss said on 23 June 2024, a tailings valve ruptured at Endeavor Mining Plc in Ivory Coast, releasing about 3000 Liters (793 gallons) of toxic mud containing sodium cyanide into the Cavalla River-a shared water basin with Liberia.
According to him, the Ivorian Ministry of Environment reported that the incident at Endeavour Gold Mines resulted in the death of some fish species and residents showed symptoms of vomiting, headache and diarrhea.
