THE National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency has sealed a Kano-based company for violation of environmental laws.
The company, Aspira Nigeria Limited located along Hadejia Road in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, was sealed by the North West Zonal Director, Mr Mudaishir Raheem, and his team on Friday.
“Today, we have come to seal this company for not complying with some relevant environmental laws, such as the disposal of their waste and untreated effluents.
“We are expected to manage the environment and not to destroy it.
“If we must site a company, we are expected to follow and comply with relevant laws put in place to protect the integrity of the environment.
“We have issued compliance notice thrice; also, we issued two abatement notices as a warning, but the facility owners failed to comply and we have no option than to apply the law,’’ he said.
He said that the company was expected to correct the anomalies before the unsealing by the agency.
Raheem said that the company discharged of untreated Wastewater/Effluent to the Environment and the non-availability of a Functional Effluent Treatment Plant.
He explained the expansion of production and storage facilities without site-specific Environmental Impact Assessment.
“Parameters such as pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Total Dissolved Solids, Turbidity, Appearance were not within NESREA Permissible Standards during the In-Situ Analysis of the Wastewater at the outlet of the Company,” he stressed.
He explained that all the offences constituted a threat to the environment (water bodies, land, neighbouring communities).
He explained that the enforcement (sealing) exercise was necessitated by the company’s non-compliance with the timeline on the Abatement Notice issued on April 19, 2023.
NAN