The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) has alerted national security agencies about the presence of a mixture of ammonium nitrate and heavy fuel oil (HFO) at the Port of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County.
The 260 tons of ammonium nitrate and heavy fuel, which pose severe threat to human health and the environment, are on board a vessel named EKMEN.
The management of the Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) however, confirmed the presence of said vessel and chemical after receiving cogent reports from the Agency field offices.
The EPA has instructed BBMC on the proper storing and retaining to the level of threat the contaminated ammonium nitrate poses to the Port of Buchanan and the people of Liberia.
The Agency has sent out a warning to the shipping lines ‘Cargo Marine International’ (CMI) and BMMC and re-emphasized that no further action should be performed outside the established protocols of the Agency during a meeting with representatives of both CMI and BMMC.
Liberia being a party to the Basel Convention and European Union (EC) regulations 1013/2006 and 1418/2007 as amended by regulation (EC) 733/2014 is obligated to ensure all enforcement.
This is also to ensure that contaminated materials at ports, be disposed properly, consistent with article one of the Basel Convention, which requires that hazardous wastes or other wastes earmarked to be exported are managed in an environmentally sound manner, the EPA stated.
The action of the Agency through its release is in line with the Free, Prior Informed and Consent (F-PIC) requirement of the Basel Convention that ensures all toxic waste reaches the proper destination upon embankment from Liberia.
Also, exports out of Liberia and transports within Liberia hazardous waste and contaminated chemicals, except as prescribed by the provisions of section 55, subsection 6 of the Environmental Protection and Management Law (EPML) of Liberia is a punishable violation.
The agency is therefore calling on the national security authorities as an alert, given the threat the vessel poses to human health and the environment.
