The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency has threatened to revoke the operational licences of recycling facilities that refused to comply with the agreed protocol for remediation of Ogijo in Ogun.

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the director-general of NESREA, Innocent Barikor, gave the warning at a meeting with recyclers whose facilities were sealed in a recent clampdown in the South-West zone of the country.

He said that nine facilities operating in the battery recycling sector in Ogijo were sealed for causing environmental pollution in the community through poor slag management.

According to him, other infractions include manual battery breaking, uncontrolled lead dust emissions, and a lack of workers’ health surveillance, among others.

“The enforcement action was taken as a necessary first step to safeguard lives and restore environmental integrity. Facilities will remain sealed until verifiable corrective actions are taken,” he said.

Mr Barikor told the recyclers that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to ensuring that Nigerians live in a healthy environment, warning that time was running out for errant facilities.

“What we have at present is anarchic and not sustainable. This is your opportunity to reset, to demonstrate responsibility and to bring your facilities into full compliance. NESREA has shown patience in the past, but that window is closing.

“The issue of slag evacuation is an emergency, and the polluter pays; therefore, the operators must bear the cost of removal.

“You are to sign an undertaking assenting to the agreed compliance protocol, process necessary documents and register with the Producer Responsibility Organisation for the sector,” he said.

Mr Barikor directed that the operators commit to addressing specific environmental and operational concerns, observe the penalties for indiscriminate dumping and non-compliance and take steps towards adopting cleaner technologies.

Lawal Babatunde, director of hazardous materials management and environmental safety at the Ogun Environmental Protection Agency, accused the facilities of not adhering to guidelines set by the state government for the evacuation of slag from the community.

(NAN)