By Prince J Musa in Kenema
As part of controlling and regulating Air quality and Pollution in the country, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with funds from UNDP held its final validation of air quality and pollution regulations in Kenema, Eastern region.
At the end of the validation process on the 13th July, 2024, Bobson Abdulai on behalf of the Nongowa Chiefdom Chieftaincy told the gathering about the threat of pollution to human beings, and especially its health implications to people living in urban settlements.
He said the validation was a laudable venture by EPA as the policy will help regulate air pollution that is associated with more airborne diseases brought about by the burning of garbage and use of industrial machines, among others.
He admitted that their knowledge about the dangers of air pollution has been low, but said with more popularization of the policy, it will help see the need to prevent air pollution and therefore appealed for enforcement of the law in that respect.
In his opening statement, the Regional Manager East of EPA, Momoh Justice Conteh referred to the validation process as significant and timely considering that air pollution is one major environmental violation that is causing a lot of health hazards on the environment and on human existence.
He said EPA has developed a document regarding the protection of air environment which will serve to check mate air pollution. He urged the participants to look at the draft document critically and make their input so that the document will have national image to control air pollution and ensure quality air environment.
Giving an overview of the final validation of the air quality and pollution regulations, EPA’s Manager of Legal Affairs Complaint and Enforcement, Lawyer Gibrilla Kamara pointed out that over the years EPA has been focusing on illegal miners and other environmental issues without focusing on air pollution which means that for the past ten years EPA was not having specific regulation on air quality on pollution.
He said as a result of that gap, the agency has got serious implications on air pollution including things that affect air pollution and the health, adding that data from environmental statistics globally shows that millions of people die every year due to air pollution.
Kamara also stated that many African countries have taken action to mitigate air pollution unlike Sierra Leone. “Therefore, coming with regulations that control air quality entails crucial issue and complex to handle,” he said.
He called on stakeholders in the eastern region to probe into the draft document and make their input before tabling it before the House of Parliament so that it will become a national document where every region’s voices and contributions are captured.
The Assistant Regional Commander of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Mohamed Jamie Moseray commended EPA for the development of the air quality and pollution regulations which is in line with one of the responsibilities of SLRSA.
He said that SLRSA has power to arrest all vehicles and heavy machines that are plying the roads releasing carbon monoxide into the atmosphere-a serious environmental pollution and therefore assured that the authority will fully work with the agency to ensure that regulations are fully enforced when passed in to law.
On behalf of the law enforcement institutions, the Local Unit Commander (LUC) in Kenema, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Edson Vandi in his address said excesses in certain activities by people in the environment is causing more problems. He said the police have been supporting EPA in ensuring that they execute the mandate expected of them especially apprehending illegal miners in the reserved forests, or those using dredges to mine, with a good number of the suspects charged to court.
A Civil Society activist in Kailahun district, Mohamed Kabba described the environmental problems as a national epidemic caused by citizens in diverse ways.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (22/07/24)
