The House of
Representatives Committee
on Petroleum,
Downstream, has advised the
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, to shut
down the Warri Refining and
Petrochemical Company,
WRPC, due to the dangerous
emission
of carbon black soot on the
environment.

The Chairman, House
Committee on Petroleum,
Downstream, Hon. Dakuku
Peterside, made the call in a
statement after a meeting
with stakeholders over the
lingering crisis between the
refinery and the Ekpan
community.
The call followed a
petition written to the
committee, entitled, “A Save
Our Soul Appeal” written by
Ajomata/Awhakpor
Landlords Association of
Ekpan, dated May 24. In the
petition to the committee
were urged to sanction
NNPC over the life-
threatening carbon black
soot being emitted into their
environment.

According to the landlords,
“This appeal was
necessitated by the reckless
emissions of dangerous
carbon black soot/chemicals
into our environment on a
daily basis without due care
and keeping to international
best practices.
“Our continuous appeals in
writing and physical
visitation to the management
of the said company and
their supervising Ministry of
Petroleum over the years
have been ignored, as they
have never replied any of our
letters nor stopped the life-
threatening nuisance that
their emissions have
become.”

The landlords alleged that
whenever the carbon black
soot is released, within a few
minutes, all persons, water,
air, land, clothes and even
pets and domestic animals
in the Ajomata/
Awhakpor area would be
soaked in carbon black soot.
According to them, people
could hardly stay outside
their homes for 10 minutes
without getting their clothes
soaked with carbon black
soot.

They also
claimed their children were
the most affected as they are
always in and out of hospital
for sundry ailments such
as respiratory infections,
heart diseases and asthma
attacks.
They recalled that in 2006,
fishes in the pond of one Sir
Elijah Atomatofa all died from
pollution from the carbon
black soot, adding that
many of the indigenes were
forced to relocate from the
locality thereafter.

After a comprehensive
meeting with all the relevant
stakeholders which included
the people of Ajomata/
Awhakpor community; NNPC;
the Department of Petroleum
Resources, DPR; Ministry
of the Environment; National
Environmental Standards and
Regulatory Enforcement
Agency, NESREA; the
Environmental Rights Action,
ERA, and the
committee leaders, the
lawmakers called for the
suspension of operations at
the plant.

Speaking on behalf of
members, Peterside, called
on the NNPC to shut down
the plant as a matter of
urgency. According to him,
WRPC will further be
endangering human life if it
continues any form of
production.
Peterside also condemned
the obvious lack of
cooperation among
government agencies, which
played out in the course of
the meeting, and warned
that nobody including NNPC
is above the law.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/pollution-reps-advises-shutting-of-warri-refinery/