On Wednesday, the Oyo State Government sealed a plant called Shri-Balaji Industry Limited, which recycles discarded tyres to make pyrolysis oil, carbon black, and steel wire as byproducts.
Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, announced the action in Ibadan, the state capital, and explained that it was part of the government’s efforts to ensure conformity and adherence by companies, industrial firms, and corporate bodies to acceptable international and state environmental laws.
Mogbonjubola declared that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration would not in any way compromise standards, nor tolerate violators of environmental health laws of the state.
He said the facility, Shri-Balaji Industry Limited, located at Olopomeji, on Ife road, Ibadan, in the Egbeda Local Government Area of the state, had been discovered to have grossly embarked on unhealthy practices, which contravened the extant environmental regulations of the state since 2016.
The commissioner stressed further that it was discovered that the pyrolysis process had led to unhealthy emissions, with flora sighted within and outside of the facility, and stained with carbon black, which consequently is hazardous to human health during several routine monitoring to the company by the officials of the ministry.
Mogbonjubola noted that aside from the facility being stained with the carbon black, the company had no evidence of engagement with solid waste contractor, while the workers were also exposed to high risk, as there were no provisions for personal protective equipment, or evidence of any health scheme for the staff members in all the sections of production.
“There was no potable water, and the air quality measured as of the time of the visits was beyond the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency limits. Earlier, the ministry had instructed the facility management to engage the services of needed experts, to put every recommendations and mitigation measures given to it, by the ministry in place, especially, the engagement of services of a certified safety officer, and do proper housekeeping.”
He revealed that Shri-Balaji Industry Limited had earlier been culpable and sanctioned with a fine of N1.5m, to be paid to government coffers, which it declined.
He, therefore, expressed displeasure over the non-compliant disposition of some facility owners, industries, companies and corporate organisations to extant rules and regulations.