The National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on Wednesday shutdown twenty-one facilities in the Federal Capital Territory for failing to comply with extant environmental laws .
Among the facilities/projects sealed were Ochacho Real Homes Limited, Idu; Cosgrove Shopping Mall Project, Wuse II; Belmont Court Idu; and 18 others.
Addressing the media, the Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor informed that the enforcement exercise was carried out to halt the adverse environmental impacts of the activities of the facilities.
He said: “The negative impact of the construction and quarrying activities within FCT has led to public outcry by the host communities where these facilities exist. In addition, the environment is exposed to various forms of environmental degradation and disaster such as flooding, erosions, burrow pits.”
Prof Barikor also stated that: “The construction sector has continued to deviate from the provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011 and the Environmental Impacts Assessment Act. There were many public complaints against these facilities and officials of NESREA carried out investigation, after which notices of compliance concerns were issued to these facilities. However, they failed to adhere to the provisions of the environmental laws, hence the Action by the Agency.”
He added that many of the facilities failed to carry out Environmental Impact Assessment before the commencement of their projects as required by law.
