The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed Arno Energy, a charcoal production facility in Okaba, Ankpa local government of Kogi state.
NESREA’s chief press secretary, Amaka Ejiofor, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ejiofor added that another facility, Geld Construction Ltd, located in Abaji, Federal Capital Territory, was also sealed for same offence.
She explained that the two facilities in Kogi and Abaji were sealed for violating extant environmental laws.
According to her, both Arno Energy did not conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of their facilities.
Ejiofor said they were also sealed for not having requisite environmental documents such as an air quality permit, environmental audit report and waste management permit.
She said the regulatory requirements were important in maintaining standards across all facilities.
”The EIA provides guidance on mitigating the negative impact of a facility’s operations on the environment,” she said.
Ejiofor said the facilities were also not carrying out their activities in an environmentally friendly manner, negatively impacting the residents of the host communities and their environment.
She said procedural steps, including the issuance of notices of compliance concerns, had been taken to compel the facilities to abate their infractions.
”Their failure to do so led to the closure of the facilities to save human health and the environment,” she said.
She said the director–general of NESREA, Innocent Barikor, enjoined industry operators to ensure that their activities and operations are in line with the provisions of the law.
